PGY-1 chances?

[3PD]

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I am 3rd year student at University of Florida.My GPA is around 3.1-3.2 and I don't have a lot of extra curricular activities besides working in a retail pharmacy from time to time.The only good thing is that my GPA has changed dramatically last semester above 3.5 and I am starting this semester strong as well.

 

[spacecowgirl]

You have to do 2.5 years of work in less than a year. I don't know how much you can bring your GPA up but most sites will take a hard pass on anyone with <3.0. Sorry but with so many applicants, there has to be a cutoff as a first screen. How have you fallen in love with hospital? If you have only worked retail, get a hospital job now. Not trying to be a downer, but I am being realistic. Straight As, hospital job and putting yourself deep into a few orgs (vs peripheral involvement in everything), and finding really great LOR writers. That's what I would do, but I'd also work on a solid plan B.

 

[Pharmers_Pharming]

Some of my peers had low GPAs (<3.0) and was able to match. Granted, this was two years ago and they applied broadly + had good LORs. You can look into unaccredited programs or rural programs.

Even if you don't match, you can still find a job in a hospital (although it might be in the middle of nowhere). If you can, try getting as much hospital experience as possible (job, volunteer, APPEs etc...) and make a good impression. This way, you can beef-up your CV with substance and be able to talk about it during a job interview.

 

[smercer]

Best option is to work on getting rotations at sites with a residency prior to the application deadline. This can help you to get a LOR that can help to improve your chances. Also, you will have an opportunity to network and prove yourself to that particular site. However, as others have stated you are competing against many who have 3.5+ GPAs, extensive research experience, and/or organization involvement.

On a side note, rotations will require you to work harder than pharmacy school classes required, however, the amount of work required for a residency is way beyond that. You can easily expect to be working 10+ hr days 5 days a week on top of research/project/presentation demands for half of a pharmacist salary.

 

[spacecowgirl]

Half? Maybe 1/3

 

[owlegrad]

On a side note, rotations will require you to work harder than pharmacy school classes required...

Wow, your experience is very different from mine. My rotations were laughably easy compared to my school work. All I had to do at most rotations was show up and do whatever I was told. Do a few presentations, act excited to do busy work, and wait for that A.

I can't comment about residency obviously but I did have a rotation where my preceptor was the same preceptor for the residents and I used to get a chuckle that I did the same thing as the residents - go on rounds, journal club activities, and topic discussions. At the risk of revealing how arrogant I am, I actually thought I out-performed one of the residents who to me seemed perpetually unprepared to do anything.

 

[smercer]

Wow, your experience is very different from mine. My rotations were laughably easy compared to my school work. All I had to do at most rotations was show up and do whatever I was told. Do a few presentations, act excited to do busy work, and wait for that A.

I can't comment about residency obviously but I did have a rotation where my preceptor was the same preceptor for the residents and I used to get a chuckle that I did the same thing as the residents - go on rounds, journal club activities, and topic discussions. At the risk of revealing how arrogant I am, I actually thought I out-performed one of the residents who to me seemed perpetually unprepared to do anything.

Oh there are definitely plenty of questionable residents, either way a little arrogance is not a bad thing.

I did pretty much all of my rotations at larger academic sites with residents, so I had a lot of requirements and expectations for projects, presentations, and details for working up patients. It was good experience and definitely makes my daily job now seem quite laid back, but it was not so fun at the time trying to keep up with the demands of my preceptors to get my A's.

 

[knight on horse]

You have to do 2.5 years of work in less than a year. I don't know how much you can bring your GPA up but most sites will take a hard pass on anyone with <3.0. Sorry but with so many applicants, there has to be a cutoff as a first screen. How have you fallen in love with hospital? If you have only worked retail, get a hospital job now. Not trying to be a downer, but I am being realistic. Straight As, hospital job and putting yourself deep into a few orgs (vs peripheral involvement in everything), and finding really great LOR writers. That's what I would do, but I'd also work on a solid plan B.

Aye, it's curious that in a way, there is both an under and oversupply of residents

Some of my peers had low GPAs (<3.0) and was able to match. Granted, this was two years ago and they applied broadly + had good LORs. You can look into unaccredited programs or rural programs.

Even if you don't match, you can still find a job in a hospital (although it might be in the middle of nowhere). If you can, try getting as much hospital experience as possible (job, volunteer, APPEs etc...) and make a good impression. This way, you can beef-up your CV with substance and be able to talk about it during a job interview.

In 2016 I had an offer from a rural spot on the Canadian border, who would train and everything. Maybe OP, you will get lucky

 

[Member 5149]

Make sure your rotations are strong clinically. Do your P4 elective rotations in acute care settings if you want a hospital residency (critical care, infectious disease, cardiology, ED etc). Preferably at an academic medical center. Be upfront w/ your preceptors on rotation about your goals and aspirations and shine while you're there. The letters of recs from these folks will make or break you in the applications. Get your GPA above 3.0 and ask one of your letter writers to address why your GPA is low. If the second half of your pharmacy school GPA is significantly better it speaks to your ability to overcome adversity. Lastly, with a low GPA, low leadership, and lack of hospital experience you're unlikely to rank on paper for an interview at a large academic center. It's a numbers game and it's highly competitive for these centers. Recognize your best chance at a residency will be at a community hospital but apply to the academic centers if you find ones you really like. It's not over for you but you'll have to be strategic. Do a hospital medication use evaluation and present a poster at ASHP and keep working even if it's retail. You're coming from a strong program and with strong preceptors backing you plus an ability to sell yourself you can land a residency.

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

Wow, your experience is very different from mine. My rotations were laughably easy compared to my school work. All I had to do at most rotations was show up and do whatever I was told. Do a few presentations, act excited to do busy work, and wait for that A.

I can't comment about residency obviously but I did have a rotation where my preceptor was the same preceptor for the residents and I used to get a chuckle that I did the same thing as the residents - go on rounds, journal club activities, and topic discussions. At the risk of revealing how arrogant I am, I actually thought I out-performed one of the residents who to me seemed perpetually unprepared to do anything.

Lol.

I once had an attending high five me for answering some stuff her residents didn't know when she was pimping them