Need some advice...

[Just Because]

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I'm looking for a bit of advice. I am highly interested in a residency. I want to apply to some highly competitive programs, but I also hear to apply to some "safety residencies" (what are those exactly). What should I do to make myself more competitive? And how many programs should I apply too?
Here are my current stats: GPA: 3.9, Vice President of Rho Chi, class historian, heavily involved in most organizations, co-founder of a fundraiser (non-school related... raised over $750k), worked retail for 2 1/2 years (currently still working there), and I may be presenting a poster at midyear (waiting to hear back). I know I will obtain two SOLID LORs (from professors) and debating on my 3rd and 4th (hopefully from my internal med preceptor).

 

[deleted205891]

I'm looking for a bit of advice. I am highly interested in a residency. I want to apply to some highly competitive programs, but I also hear to apply to some "safety residencies" (what are those exactly). What should I do to make myself more competitive? And how many programs should I apply too?
Here are my current stats: GPA: 3.9, Vice President of Rho Chi, class historian, heavily involved in most organizations, co-founder of a fundraiser (non-school related... raised over $750k), worked retail for 2 1/2 years (currently still working there), and I may be presenting a poster at midyear (waiting to hear back). I know I will obtain two SOLID LORs (from professors) and debating on my 3rd and 4th (hopefully from my internal med preceptor).

Looks good. Only thing working against you is no hospital experience, but that's fine. A few programs may reject you because of that, but most will not. This is why you should have a few "safety residencies". This just means programs that are less competitive than other ones you're applying to. For example, if you are applying to Johns Hopkins, also apply to somewhere local that's not as prestigious but where you'll still get a good experience.

 

[psychoandy]

lol @ thinking about "safety" residency with a 3.9, work experience, and extracurriculars...i bet you thought you failed all your finals too but then set the curve...smh.

tbh the only tangible things you could do to up your residency game is 1.) getting strong rotations 2.) publishing/research and 3.) getting hospital work experience. as a P3 i'm not sure how much control you have over that at this point.

 

[Just Because]

Looks good. Only thing working against you is no hospital experience, but that's fine. A few programs may reject you because of that, but most will not. This is why you should have a few "safety residencies". This just means programs that are less competitive than other ones you're applying to. For example, if you are applying to Johns Hopkins, also apply to somewhere local that's not as prestigious but where you'll still get a good experience.

Thank you for the response, and for your honesty. Do you think that I may have a chance at these places? (Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, Yale, Stanford) I want to be realistic, because I'm sure that there will be many 4.0 students that are going to apply or people with better credentials.

 

[KARM12]

Thank you for the response, and for your honesty. Do you think that I may have a chance at these places? (Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, Yale, Stanford) I want to be realistic, because I'm sure that there will be many 4.0 students that are going to apply or people with better credentials.

Depends..also factors are what school you went to, quality of rotations, who you know, how you interview -at this point not much you can do to strengthen your app over the next 2 mo...overall seems like a solid candidate based on paper qualifications.

 

[rxlea]

Thank you for the response, and for your honesty. Do you think that I may have a chance at these places? (Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, Yale, Stanford) I want to be realistic, because I'm sure that there will be many 4.0 students that are going to apply or people with better credentials.

Haha. you sound like me before third year.

fyi Mayo doesn't just look at GPA. It's whole package.

 

[Just Because]

lol @ thinking about "safety" residency with a 3.9, work experience, and extracurriculars...i bet you thought you failed all your finals too but then set the curve...smh.

tbh the only tangible things you could do to up your residency game is 1.) getting strong rotations 2.) publishing/research and 3.) getting hospital work experience. as a P3 i'm not sure how much control you have over that at this point.

I'm currently a P4 student... I don't know why sdn hasn't fixed that... I'll look into that... But nevertheless, I'm serious about residencies... I know I can land a Retail job with the company I work for now, but I don't want to work in a community setting.

In regards to the feeling of "failing"... I haven't had to experience that due to my time management. ;-) As far as research... (unfortunately, the only one I have is from a research methods class that hopefully will be presented at midyear)

I am really looking for some solid advice on where I should apply. Should I aim for the Elite (Stanford, Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic... etc) or should I be more realistic (because most people will have similar credentials applying to those elite residencies)

 

[cycloketocaine]

I'm currently a P4 student... I don't know why sdn hasn't fixed that... I'll look into that... But nevertheless, I'm serious about residencies... I know I can land a Retail job with the company I work for now, but I don't want to work in a community setting.

In regards to the feeling of "failing"... I haven't had to experience that due to my time management. ;-) As far as research... (unfortunately, the only one I have is from a research methods class that hopefully will be presented at midyear)

I am really looking for some solid advice on where I should apply. Should I aim for the Elite (Stanford, Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic... etc) or should I be more realistic (because most people will have similar credentials applying to those elite residencies)

One thing to realize is just because it is a name brand, "elite" medical center, this does NOT mean that it is considered an elite pharmacy residency. You need to choose programs that align with your interests (academia, hospital, whatever), not on name alone. I've heard of some of the programs that you mentioned and the things I've heard have not been good.

 

[Just Because]

One thing to realize is just because it is a name brand, "elite" medical center, this does NOT mean that it is considered an elite pharmacy residency. You need to choose programs that align with your interests (academia, hospital, whatever), not on name alone. I've heard of some of the programs that you mentioned and the things I've heard have not been good.

After this rotation, I think I will have a better idea of what area I want to go into. I do know that my interest in academia is a long term goal. I want a tertiary teaching hospital that offers rotations in infectious disease, critical care, emergency medicine, or management. I'm open for any suggestions?

 

[deleted205891]

Apply to both elite and safety programs, and rank according to your preferences.

 

[patmcd]

At this point it sounds you've done a lot of things right and there isn't much you can add besides continuing to do what you're already doing. The one real modifiable aspect at this point is practicing your interview skills. Many schools offer mock interviews and it is certainly worth looking into especially if you do not have much interviewing experience.

Ultimately the simplest way to look at the residency application process is your CV gets you an interview and your interview gets you the position (i.e. a great CV doesn't make up for a terrible interview).

 

[Just Because]

Apply to both elite and safety programs, and rank according to your preferences.

When applying to ANY residency, what should I be doing to perform well on the interviews?

 

[Just Because]

Depends..also factors are what school you went to, quality of rotations, who you know, how you interview -at this point not much you can do to strengthen your app over the next 2 mo...overall seems like a solid candidate based on paper qualifications.

As far as who I know, in regards to those locations... not anyone in particular. Hopefully I'll be able to charm them at midyear as well as on my interviews... If I get invited. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you

 

[Just Because]

Haha. you sound like me before third year.

fyi Mayo doesn't just look at GPA. It's whole package.

Do you have any advice as far as the interview process... or anything in general... possibly midyear? How did you enjoy your residency (if you did one) What did you look at... As a P4, I really have to be proactive about my future. I was even looking at residencies over seas... Any thoughts? Nevertheless, I am excited for midyear but I feel like its going to be BANANAS trying to maneuver amongst the crowd.

 

[Just Because]

At this point it sounds you've done a lot of things right and there isn't much you can add besides continuing to do what you're already doing. The one real modifiable aspect at this point is practicing your interview skills. Many schools offer mock interviews and it is certainly worth looking into especially if you do not have much interviewing experience.

Ultimately the simplest way to look at the residency application process is your CV gets you an interview and your interview gets you the position (i.e. a great CV doesn't make up for a terrible interview).

I've used the interviewing services for doing Mock interviews and they helped out in the past. Any advice as to the process of the interviews... how they are set up, what to expect, etc... ?

 

[deleted205891]

When applying to ANY residency, what should I be doing to perform well on the interviews?

See if there's anyone at your school willing to do some interview prep with you. One of the faculty at my school did this for people who asked, and it helped a lot.

 

[Just Because]

See if there's anyone at your school willing to do some interview prep with you. One of the faculty at my school did this for people who asked, and it helped a lot.

how many residencies did you apply too.. and how did they do their format?

 

[deleted205891]

how many residencies did you apply too.. and how did they do their format?

Why do you have 2 threads that are the same? It makes it hard to reply. Anyway, I'll PM you.

 

[owlegrad]

Merged related threads.

 

[ucrx]

After this rotation, I think I will have a better idea of what area I want to go into. I do know that my interest in academia is a long term goal. I want a tertiary teaching hospital that offers rotations in infectious disease, critical care, emergency medicine, or management. I'm open for any suggestions?

I would suggest looking at programs that offer teaching experience and rotations in all of those areas. I thought I wanted academia until I did my residency at a SOP. Some of the "elite" hospitals don't have teaching opportunities or only offer minimal, lab based teaching. Be sure to ask how many and what types of teaching opportunities you would get when you talk to programs. Also try to find a mentor who works for a university even if you end up with a residency outside of academia. It wasn't the teaching that made me realize academia wasn't for me.

As cycloketocaine pointed out, the "elite" hospitals may or may not have great pharmacy residencies. Try to talk to former residents and pharmacists who work near the hospital to find out more information about the program. One advantage well known hospitals may have is the quality of educational sessions available to medical staff including residents. Of course not all pharmacy residencies send their residents to these sessions, so that's another question you can ask programs. I think I attended 3 grand rounds in my 2 years of residency.

 

[Just Because]

Merged related threads.

sorry about that... my computer froze and I thought the post didn't go through.

 

[Just Because]

I would suggest looking at programs that offer teaching experience and rotations in all of those areas. I thought I wanted academia until I did my residency at a SOP. Some of the "elite" hospitals don't have teaching opportunities or only offer minimal, lab based teaching. Be sure to ask how many and what types of teaching opportunities you would get when you talk to programs. Also try to find a mentor who works for a university even if you end up with a residency outside of academia. It wasn't the teaching that made me realize academia wasn't for me.

As cycloketocaine pointed out, the "elite" hospitals may or may not have great pharmacy residencies. Try to talk to former residents and pharmacists who work near the hospital to find out more information about the program. One advantage well known hospitals may have is the quality of educational sessions available to medical staff including residents. Of course not all pharmacy residencies send their residents to these sessions, so that's another question you can ask programs. I think I attended 3 grand rounds in my 2 years of residency.

I have thought of doing academia, but I know that is one of my long term goals.

What are your thoughts on out of country residencies? such as ones in Saudi Arabia or Puerto Rico etc.

 

[deleted205891]

I have thought of doing academia, but I know that is one of my long term goals.

What are your thoughts on out of country residencies? such as ones in Saudi Arabia or Puerto Rico etc.

I don't think there are too many. The Puerto Rico one is a VA, so I think it would offer a good experience. Only thing is that they require fluency in Spanish. I'd be skeptical about the Saudi Arabia program. Those are the only 2 out of the country programs I can think of.

 

[Just Because]

I don't think there are too many. The Puerto Rico one is a VA, so I think it would offer a good experience. Only thing is that they require fluency in Spanish. I'd be skeptical about the Saudi Arabia program. Those are the only 2 out of the country programs I can think of.

Out of curiosity, Why skeptical about the Saudi Arabia one?

 

[deleted205891]

Out of curiosity, Why skeptical about the Saudi Arabia one?

It's very far away. I imagine the drugs might be different there. Also I remember a post about it on this forum, and there wasn't much positive coming out of it, at least not about the application process. Why Saudi Arabia though? With your stats, you could definitely get in somewhere in the US if you're smart about where you apply and have at least somewhat of a personality.

 

[Just Because]

It's very far away. I imagine the drugs might be different there. Also I remember a post about it on this forum, and there wasn't much positive coming out of it, at least not about the application process. Why Saudi Arabia though? With your stats, you could definitely get in somewhere in the US if you're smart about where you apply and have at least somewhat of a personality.

I'm not necessarily interested in the residency located in Saudi Arabia... But i wanted to see what other residency programs are available for pharmacist over-seas. do you know of any others? and what did you hear about the program that was negative... i tried to do a search for it and couldn't find anything.

Thanks

 

[deleted205891]

I'm not necessarily interested in the residency located in Saudi Arabia... But i wanted to see what other residency programs are available for pharmacist over-seas. do you know of any others? and what did you hear about the program that was negative... i tried to do a search for it and couldn't find anything.

Thanks

I heard people weren't happy with the application process. Also, I believe it takes 2 years to complete a PGY-1 with them, at least judging from their site.

 

[Just Because]

I heard people weren't happy with the application process. Also, I believe it takes 2 years to complete a PGY-1 with them, at least judging from their site.

Dang... I definitely missed the fact that it is 2 years! thanks for pointing that out... I think that's the first time I've heard that a PGY1 takes 2 years to complete.

 

[ucrx]

I'm not necessarily interested in the residency located in Saudi Arabia... But i wanted to see what other residency programs are available for pharmacist over-seas. do you know of any others? and what did you hear about the program that was negative... i tried to do a search for it and couldn't find anything.

The Saudi Arabia program is the only overseas program I'm aware of. My general experience with former residents from that program was less than impressive. It wasn't that they weren't knowledgeable, but something less specific and hard to explain. It seemed like they weren't willing to take any self-initiative or put in the time/effort to solve a problem but constantly asked everyone around them how to do things that weren't immediately obvious.
DISCLAIMER: This is based on my experience with only 2 residents, so it may not be true for all of their residents.

Back to part of the other discussion, if you have any interest in academia I would suggest looking into residencies at schools of pharmacy. P4 rotations don't offer nearly the same insight as having an office in a school and being colleagues with faculty. Speak with new and established faculty about their experiences. The same goes for people working in other settings you might consider- academic medical center vs small community hospital vs clinic. Try looking at PGY1 that offers experiences in a couple different settings if you're not sure what you want.

 

[xiphoid2010]

When applying to ANY residency, what should I be doing to perform well on the interviews?

Safety residency, as you call its, is a good idea actually. There will be factors beyond your control, so it's a logical decision.

I have a 3.8 GPA, stronger internships and much more research than what you have on paper. So while you are a strong candidate, it not out of this world compared to other strong candidate. The old saying goes, hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

Also have a few safeties give you the opportunity to boost your odds during interview: use them for interview practice. Schedule these ahead of the top choice went a long way to prepare me for my top choice. Other students have endorsed this setup every year.

 

[Just Because]

Safety residency, as you call its, is a good idea actually. There will be factors beyond your control, so it's a logical decision.

I have a 3.8 GPA, stronger internships and much more research than what you have on paper. So while you are a strong candidate, it not out of this world compared to other strong candidate. The old saying goes, hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

Also have a few safeties give you the opportunity to boost your odds during interview: use them for interview practice. Schedule these ahead of the top choice went a long way to prepare me for my top choice. Other students have endorsed this setup every year.

Thank you for the suggestion! I will definitely do this! Btw how did you like your residency? and what types of questions did they ask you at your residency?