Problems GETTING interviews for residency, Please give advice.

[PharmaTope]

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I am not sure what it is. 2 of my top 3 choices emailed me saying i will NOT be getting an interview. i am feeling that my other choices will probably do the same.

i have no idea what they are looking for.

i have 2 degrees (one from a top 20 national univ, 2nd is my PharmD from Rutgers)
graduating from Rutgers in May (GPA is a 3.7)
i hold 2 second authorships on research publications.
5 years of research experience, some in world renowned hospitals and facilities
letters of recommendation made it sound like i walk on water
i do a lot of volunteer work as well.


can someone tell me what they are LOOKING FOR in residency programs?

i spoke to residents at other programs and their credentials, not to sound like a jerk or egotistical, didn't match up against mine and i was shocked they even got a residency when I found out their GPA and background. Some preceptors I had told me it was pretty easy to get a residency and one even failed classes during pharmacy school. Is there some underground club I don't know about?

I am trying to stay in the NJ area. Could this be my problem?

Advice is GREATLY appreciated.

 

[janeno]

Your credentials are amazing. Do you have any pharmacy work related experience (in hospital or retail setting)?

 

[PharmaTope]

Your credentials are amazing. Do you have any pharmacy work related experience (in hospital or retail setting)?

i wish these programs thought the same. my preceptors and recommenders (clinical pharmacists) said i would def match but i dont know now.


yes i USED to work for walgreens.
now i work for a grocery pharmacy (other retail locations won't hire me UNLESS i sign a contract to be their pharmacist lol).

most of my experience is nonpharmacy b/c i had some amazing opportunities and i can make more than double working in a nonpharmacy setting as opposed to working as a tech. working as a tech doesn't pay the bills at my age.

 

[gotdrugs]

I am not sure what it is. 2 of my top 3 choices emailed me saying i will NOT be getting an interview. i am feeling that my other choices will probably do the same.

i have no idea what they are looking for.

i have 2 degrees (one from a top 20 national univ, 2nd is my PharmD from Rutgers)
graduating from Rutgers in May (GPA is a 3.7)
i hold 2 second authorships on research publications.
5 years of research experience, some in world renowned hospitals and facilities
letters of recommendation made it sound like i walk on water
i do a lot of volunteer work as well.


can someone tell me what they are LOOKING FOR in residency programs?

i spoke to residents at other programs and their credentials, not to sound like a jerk or egotistical, didn't match up against mine and i was shocked they even got a residency when I found out their GPA and background. Some preceptors I had told me it was pretty easy to get a residency and one even failed classes during pharmacy school. Is there some underground club I don't know about?

I am trying to stay in the NJ area. Could this be my problem?

Advice is GREATLY appreciated.

Limiting yourself geographically could be part of your problem; also out of the 2 places that didn't offer you an interview, how many positions do they have?

For example, at my hospital we will not invite more than 4 candidates per open position (e.g. 6 positions = 24 candidates onsite) If they only have one position, they MAY (key word, as I don't know their habits) only invite 2 to 4 people.........

Also, you said your letter of recs said you "walked on water"....
You actually saw your rec letters before they went out? Just asking....

I can only tell you the habits/practice at our hospital.........while everything you mentioned sound great, but did you meet anybody from these programs at Midyear, another residency showcase, or other format? Again, if they are limited to the number of onsite interview they MAY not have chosen you over someone they have already met. Another factor may be if you did do an initial/informal interview there may have been something that sent up an alarm........Not criticizing you, but you did ask.

Also don't get too discouraged by 2 places denying you interviews, when I was looking for my speciality residency, one of my top choices didn't want to interview me at first. When they called back later and said they did, I had already accepted a speciality position so everything turned out great for me....(this was the Pre-Match for PGY-2 era)

 

[PharmaTope]

Limiting yourself geographically could be part of your problem; also out of the 2 places that didn't offer you an interview, how many positions do they have?

For example, at my hospital we will not invite more than 4 candidates per open position (e.g. 6 positions = 24 candidates onsite) If they only have one position, they MAY (key word, as I don't know their habits) only invite 2 to 4 people.........

Also, you said your letter of recs said you "walked on water"....
You actually saw your rec letters before they went out? Just asking....

I can only tell you the habits/practice at our hospital.........while everything you mentioned sound great, but did you meet anybody from these programs at Midyear, another residency showcase, or other format? Again, if they are limited to the number of onsite interview they MAY not have chosen you over someone they have already met. Another factor may be if you did do an initial/informal interview there may have been something that sent up an alarm........Not criticizing you, but you did ask.

Also don't get too discouraged by 2 places denying you interviews, when I was looking for my speciality residency, one of my top choices didn't want to interview me at first. When they called back later and said they did, I had already accepted a speciality position so everything turned out great for me....(this was the Pre-Match for PGY-2 era)

thank you for the words of encouragement. i actually spoke to one of the programs directors to findout if there was something lacking so I would know for the future. i was told they had received an excessively high number of applications this year and that I was a strong candidate but it is difficult to distinguish between everyone. I did get an interview at one place which I am very thankful for and they are one of my top 3. I did meet them at a showcase. The others I did not meet at showcase. The ones I got this notice from had 3 positions and 5 positions.

some people tell me that a lot of these programs end up going unmatched. do you know what the potential is for programs that are in top hospitals though? thanks again.

edit: those who wrote the letters for me are quoted as saying "i made it seem like you walk on water" lol.

 

[KARM12]

How was your letter of intent? How defined are your career goals?

 

[Epic]

How was your letter of intent? How defined are your career goals?

Yours should be pretty easy... "when I grow up, I wanna be like Zpacksux."

With that, there aint no residency you can't get..

 

[Priapism321]

Yours should be pretty easy... "when I grow up, I wanna be like Zpacksux."

With that, there aint no residency you can't get..

Yep, that line never fails, I am headed to Texas for an interview in two weeks....primarily based on me including my aspirations to be like Zpacksux when I become an adult.

 

[KARM12]

Yours should be pretty easy... "when I grow up, I wanna be like Zpacksux."

With that, there aint no residency you can't get..

Yeah considering I can't stand the state of Texas...I don't think it's in the cards...

2 residency interviews down... 5 to go...ugh I'm sick of this already...

 

[Epic]

Yep, that line never fails, I am headed to Texas for an interview in two weeks....primarily based on me including my aspirations to be like Zpacksux when I become an adult.

 

[Epic]

Yeah considering I can't stand the state of Texas...I don't think it's in the cards...

2 residency interviews down... 5 to go...ugh I'm sick of this already...

Texas doesn't like you either.

 

[silicone]

Which residency programs did you apply to in New Jersey? I heard some of them had lots of staffing issues.

 

[legaia]

Yeah considering I can't stand the state of Texas...I don't think it's in the cards...

2 residency interviews down... 5 to go...ugh I'm sick of this already...

I've had 4 interviews now, and with each subsequent interview, i am beginning to want to do retail and not wanting to do any more work.

 

[KARM12]

I've had 4 interviews now, and with each subsequent interview, i am beginning to want to do retail and not wanting to do any more work.

Residency is commitment. Make sure you want to do it before you submit your rank order list because once you do it is binding. Residency can open a lot of doors and there is a lot of opportunity...but again it isn't something that is for everyone. Don't make people feel like you have to do a residency to be a worthy pharmacist. If you're not commited to that lifestyle...you may hate your life for that year.