Need Advice as a P1

[uhcop2019]

Long story short: I was an excellent student in undergrad, great PCAT, etc. I'm doing well in pharmacy school now, but my passion is definitely for clinical pharmacy. I want to do both PGY1/PGY2. So.............


I'm having issues in pharmacy school doing anything other than just studying. I have tried running for multiple leadership positions, but as I'm not the most popular student in my class, I haven't won any positions. Hospitals around my area aren't to keen on hiring pharmacy students as techs (no intern positions available here). So, assuming that somehow I can get a hospital position, how else can I make myself competitive for a residency? I know it's early in the game to think about residency, but I am very keen on doing a residency so better to start earlier. With no leadership positions, maybe a hospital tech position, what else can I do???? I know GPA barely matters, and research looks good but as a P1/P2 I don't think that most faculty members would want to do therapeutic research with someone who barely knows about the material. Current residents, past residents, etc, any advice for an eager P1 student?

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[vinapharm]

Involve in communities, leadership can be something else like leading a tutoring session for high school kids, involve in APhA or similar organization. You may not be the leader but an active, enthusiasm member can also count.
PS: one of my friend get her residency just like that

 

[CrCl]

Long story short: I was an excellent student in undergrad, great PCAT, etc. I'm doing well in pharmacy school now, but my passion is definitely for clinical pharmacy. I want to do both PGY1/PGY2. So.............


I'm having issues in pharmacy school doing anything other than just studying. I have tried running for multiple leadership positions, but as I'm not the most popular student in my class, I haven't won any positions. Hospitals around my area aren't to keen on hiring pharmacy students as techs (no intern positions available here). So, assuming that somehow I can get a hospital position, how else can I make myself competitive for a residency? I know it's early in the game to think about residency, but I am very keen on doing a residency so better to start earlier. With no leadership positions, maybe a hospital tech position, what else can I do???? I know GPA barely matters, and research looks good but as a P1/P2 I don't think that most faculty members would want to do therapeutic research with someone who barely knows about the material. Current residents, past residents, etc, any advice for an eager P1 student?

In addition vinapharm's response, you want to maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher; although, I have heard of successful 2.5's.

Don't worry so much about the lack of leadership positions available, you will have ample opportunities to occupy a couple (with due diligence). At least, be sure to accumulate as much community service experiences as your schedule may permit you to. That can override occupying leadership positions, I believe.

As for research opportunities, spots should open up as current participants (P3/P4's) graduate in time. Try establishing a good rapport with both current participants and their supervisors.

At our school, they assign P4's a "residency mentor," for those interested. Not sure if your school has a similar establishment. If not, you may want to consider asking one of your professors with a BCPS certification to be your mentor. Perhaps, this might be the most significant help you can render yourself; having a residency mentor.

 

[LuvPharm1]

Hello I am a P3 and just decided last spring I want to do acute care pharmacy. I went to a professor that is a internal medicine specialist that teachings our school. She gave me some great advice and really pointed me in the right direction. I got involved in SSHP etc... I now got accepted into an elective in which I help a PGY2 with their final research project and talked to the professor at our school that accepts the internal medicine residents. So here are some things I have discovered. You have to think about what these preceptors that are accepting the applicants for the residencies are interested in and what is important to them!
-GPA needs to be above 3.0, if you made bad grades your first yr and redeem yourself they will consider that
-Leadership does not mean crap if you are not involved in that organization or do services with that organization. You gotta think about how it will look on your CV, just being president of a club doesn't say a whole lot!
-Do research as an elective if that is offered!!!!! go to a faculty member that does research and express your interest if you need to!
-Community service! you can join an organization and organize your own community service under that organization as long as the officers are ok with it. Even small things that you may not see as a big deal, is something that will say more than you think, like volunteering at the homeless shelter, or giving a presentation at a nursing home, or talking to high school students about pharmacy, conduct food drives, coat drives, fun competitions to raise money like chili cookoff, Christmas cookie competition, bake sales, anything to raise money for a local or national charity cause . It all adds up, it doesnt have to big and shiny to be meaningful or look good!
-Anytime a opportunity arises to join something unique do it!! Like my school ask for volunteers to help read and edit old standards making sure they were aligned with the new Accreditation Board standards seems that they will be visiting our school soon.
-You could start a chapter of a national pharmacy organization that may not already be established at your school, your student affairs office should be able to help you with that.
-JOB SHADOW!!!!! ask your faculty members that are in Acute Care or Ambulatory Care! You can go to your schools page and look at your faculty there to see who has done what, these preceptors want to know that you know what you are getting into, and that this is really what you want to do
-Choose Acute Care or Ambulatory Care rotations as your electives 4th yr!- these preceptors will look at your 4th yr rotations on your CV and if you choose a bunch of community pharmacy ones then they are just going to think you are trying to get any job that you can and are not specifically interested in residencies!
-CV writing- we just had a meeting about this with faculty who accept the residents for our school, know how to write your CV correctly, and faculty member who read these know their dos and donts! Have 2 experienced faculty members review your CV before sending it out.

 

[BC_89]

This has definitley been on my mind a few times as far as getting involved early on in pharmacy to be competitive for residency later on in the future (or at least meet the criteria if its what i want to do) without so much the educational background just yet...With a spouse and couple kids its def. hard for me to consider joining a organization right off the get-go.. I'll greatly start getting involved next semester now that I have an idea of prioritizing a few things lol...Im actually shocked on how many newer specialties that seem to keep coming out...Just hope these specialties expand more in the future many of them seem intriguing...Perhaps after a solid year as an intern in retail i will try to make the move to a hospital setting just to have long durations of work and good reports under my belt...Good on you for thinking ahead during your first semester of school! Its been on my mind as well.

 

[NickW9682]

Im a current P3 and have 4 years of hospital experience. From what I've heard most residency programs value work experience and volunteer work over research and club activities. I'm not going to do a residency but this is just what I'm going off from various pharmacists so take it for what its worth.

 

[Dalteparin]

Leadership in non-pharmacy clubs can be useful too. I have a friend who was vice-president of a student organization for members of her religion and that was a big help in getting a residency. If nothing else, being active in a non-pharmacy club gives you something to talk about besides "where do you see yourself in 5 years?"

Im a current P3 and have 4 years of hospital experience. From what I've heard most residency programs value work experience and volunteer work over research and club activities. I'm not going to do a residency but this is just what I'm going off from various pharmacists so take it for what its worth.

Generally, yes, although research may be more important if you want to go to a research-heavy institution.

 

[spacecowgirl]

I'm reviewing applications right now and I pretty much skim over the leadership, volunteer, presentation info. I put a lot of value on the LORs so developing relationships with people who can write you good letters will make it much easier for you come application time. I find the ones from people who also precept residents to be especially helpful because those people can typically identify the strengths and weaknesses that I would care about. I would rather see someone with deeper involvement in a couple of things - pharmacy related or not - than someone who did 1 hr of diabetes screening and 5 hours of planning for some fraternity event. IDGAF. Are there profs you like or who are involved in areas you like? Talk to them. See if they are looking for help. Not necessarily research, although that is another option. Maybe there is a prof who really wants to start a journal club and you can help with that. Maybe you can coordinate a health screening with some other organization - a church, a community center, etc - that doesn't exist already. I'm looking for people with initiative. Work experience is also really, really helpful. I would put those things over being the secretary of one of the orgs for 1 year.

I also do put some weight on GPA, esp in pharmacotherapy.