Quiting matched residency now

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joseph.cale

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I am in a huge dilemma at this time and would appreciate if anyone could help me. I was recently matched to a PGY1 that was very low on my rank list. Now, the thing is that I have done rotations there as a student and the hospital's environment and culture were toxic. Looking back, I should have not even ranked them... But I thought that I would never matched there. I know I made a huge mistake. After thinking about this over the past few days, I know I just cannot see myself in that hospital and that it is absolutely the wrong choice for me. Anyone have any experience as to how I can avoid going there. I know that the match is a binding agreement. I want to quit this residency now and not wait until July so that the program can at least find a replacement. What would my options be after this? Is there anyway I can still apply in Phase II to other places? Will I be banned or something for applying again this year or ever by NMS? I know pharmacy is a small world but I am just not able to this PGY1....Please let me know whether anyone has any experience with this....

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Sorry, I have no good advice. I just want to see how this plays out.

Just purely guessing here but I doubt that ASHP will let you go through the match again this year. I know of a person who matched and had a family emergency and couldn't go through with their residency and broke their contract. They were allowed to re apply for programs the next year and matched. Needless to say, his original matched program did not interview him the following year.

I would say the sooner you tell them the better but I doubt ASHP will let you join phase II and if they did you should hope that the programs you are applying to don't find out you broke a contract this year.
 
Pretty sure you're done for this year. You ranked the site and that was your mistake. If you went that deep into your rank list, I would take that as a sign. Not sure how having a gap year in there looks for next year's cycle. I'd rather have someone with a few years of practice experience who realized they wanted to go back or a new grad, not someone with 1 year of work. That would be a red flag to me. I don't know what other sites think.

Either suck it up and do the residency or move on without a residency.

LESSON TO P1-P3: DO NOT RANK A SITE UNLESS YOU ARE WILLING TO GO THERE. Better to take your chances in the Phase II/scramble than be in OP's position. We only rank candidates we are willing to have. I'd rather scramble, go without a resident than go into the year knowing the candidate wasn't good for us.

ETA: from ASHP (so you are done for this year)
The Match results constitute a binding commitment from which neither the applicant nor the program can withdraw without mutual written agreement. A program must offer an appointment to each applicant with whom it is matched, and the applicant must accept the offer from the program, unless both parties agree in writing to release each other from the Match result. A program may not offer a position to any applicant who was matched elsewhere, or committed elsewhere through the Early Commitment Process, and subsequently not released from that residency.
 
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Thank you so much for the responses. Does anyone else have any insight or experience with this?
 
If it's bad enough to make you consider quitting immediately after match and potentially messing up your entire future, that's saying a lot. I personally would just suck it up and make the most of it, but I've been working towards a residency all along and literally cannot imagine giving up my spot for anything.

If you're going to quit you need to do so as soon as possible. you're absolutely burning the bridge with this program, and screwing them over by having them down one resident next year. they aren't able to be in phase II if you're still filling that spot, but there's a chance for the scramble still.
 
you obviously can't go to phase II - and - although you will not be blacklisted from next year officially, pretty sure you burned your bridge for anywhere else in the vicinity. Not to pile on - but stupid thing to rank them if you felt that way - and ya - to be honest, you went a ways down your rank list - time for a little self reflection.

My advice - suck it up, it is a year, you should be able to handle anything for year.... Having a gap year isn't that bad - the issue is, if the reason for having a gap year comes up in an interview either you
1. lie - and if found out - you are a goner,
2. tell the truth, and you are a goner
 
So my friend is in the same boat as you are. She has 3.9 with numerous research, volunteer & leaderships but matched to a community residency, which was on the bottom of her list. She's thinking the same (to quit now) but I think it's too risky to back out of a program after you've ranked them on your list.....
 
There is no dilemma. You're not going to quit your matched residency.

Sorry you didn't match where you wanted to. Such is life.
 
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I was recently matched to a PGY1 that was very low on my rank list. Now, the thing is that I have done rotations there as a student and the hospital's environment and culture were toxic. Looking back, I should have not even ranked them... But I thought that I would never matched there. I know I made a huge mistake.

So my friend is in the same boat as you are. She has 3.9 with numerous research, volunteer & leaderships but matched to a community residency, which was on the bottom of her list. She's thinking the same (to quit now) but I think it's too risky to back out of a program after you've ranked them on your list.....

I'm sure at the time you ranked, you (plural) thought something was better than nothing.

I've known people who quit residency not even 2 months in but they had something better lined up (moved into industry) and are likely to evade the consequences of their quitting for the rest of their career, so what is your "something better"?
 
I'm sure at the time you ranked, you (plural) thought something was better than nothing.

I've known people who quit residency not even 2 months in but they had something better lined up (moved into industry) and are likely to evade the consequences of their quitting for the rest of their career, so what is your "something better"?
Yes and if your "something better" is reapply next year, that isn't a plan.
 
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My advice is to make the most out the situation and start the program in July with an open mind.
Also (I know it's not an excuse), but in general, sites treat APPE students as an afterthought/ a burden- maybe what you experienced as student won't continue now that you are one of their residents.
 
Thanks so much for the responses so far everybody. I have been going crazy since the past few days deciding as to what I should do... I know for a fact that the hospital does not treat their residents well and the training they receive is poor. I have seen this myself and heard it several times from their residents. Wish I did not rank them...
 
On bailing:
- Bailing to retail? Won't likely be a problem for you.
- Bailing to industry? Won't likely be a problem for you.
- Bailing to anything other than hospital? Won't likely be a problem for you.
- Bailing to try again for a different residency in the future? No. No. 1,000 times no.

I'd say that you need to make the best of the cards you were dealt, but you dealt the cards yourself. It's residency 101: don't rank a place you wouldn't want to spend a year in.

I think you should stay. But as a courtesy to this hospital: if you are going to bail, do it quickly so they've got time to replace you.

Good luck.
 
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Thanks so much for the responses so far everybody. I have been going crazy since the past few days deciding as to what I should do... I know for a fact that the hospital does not treat their residents well and the training they receive is poor. I have seen this myself and heard it several times from their residents. Wish I did not rank them...

If this is the case and you knew the hospital environment well ahead of time, WHY did you even accept an interview there?? Sorry but I think you are just letting your wounded ego get the best of you regarding this program's spot on your rank list. Suck it up, make the best of it, and be grateful for an opportunity someone else would love to have been given. Your interview spot and now your residency position were granted to you-and as a consequence someone else was passed over. Be thankful for what you have!

(And no, not sour grapes. I matched and am very happy, just in case anyone was thinking that was my motivation. )


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I don't know the situation, so I can't say what is right for you. You can rise above some moderately toxic work environments (e.g. staff talking behind each other's backs); however, there are situations that you shouldn't subject yourself to. I have heard from friends who experienced sexual harassment at their APPE site. Although the school severed ties with the hospital, no other actions against the hospital were taken. I'm not sure if that hospital has a residency program, but people may have matched with it.

You know the situation, and you know what you can live with. You also know what you are willing to sacrifice to be a PGY1 resident. I don't know what choice you will make, but I am sure that you will make the right choice for you.
 
At this point, you should just do the residency. The entire hospital staff probably isn't toxic, try to find a couple of good preceptors or attendings/residents/fellows and learn from them.
 
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That's part of growing up. You ranked them and made a commitment. I think that many times that it's not the residency but the attitude too. The residency is accredited, and I am sure that you will learn something during that year. It may be the most difficult year of your life but I still think that residencies do open more doors than not having a residency. Try to change your attitude, think over the reasons why you decided to rank the program, and find areas/things that do excite you about the program. Even with the perfect residency, there will be things that you like and that you don't. Same situation with any job...
 
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I am in a huge dilemma at this time and would appreciate if anyone could help me. I was recently matched to a PGY1 that was very low on my rank list. Now, the thing is that I have done rotations there as a student and the hospital's environment and culture were toxic. Looking back, I should have not even ranked them... But I thought that I would never matched there. I know I made a huge mistake. After thinking about this over the past few days, I know I just cannot see myself in that hospital and that it is absolutely the wrong choice for me. Anyone have any experience as to how I can avoid going there. I know that the match is a binding agreement. I want to quit this residency now and not wait until July so that the program can at least find a replacement. What would my options be after this? Is there anyway I can still apply in Phase II to other places? Will I be banned or something for applying again this year or ever by NMS? I know pharmacy is a small world but I am just not able to this PGY1....Please let me know whether anyone has any experience with this....

post it here maybe one of our regulars can take the spot! Ive been thinking of doing a residency after some time in retail
 
If you knew you did not want to be a resident at that program them you were stupid for applying/interviewing/ranking the program. Maybe you didn't know before applying/interviewing, but you knew at the time of ranking. I always ask my students to ask themselves the question "would you rather not do a residency at this program or at all if it came down to it?" If the program is that bad, then don't rank it!

When I first got my match results as a student I was initially upset that I did not get my first few choices. I thought about not going, but the program I matched at was amazing and had a lot to offer. I went at it turned out to be the best choice of my life. Think about why you are not wanting to go...is the program really that bad or are you just upset you didn't match higher on your list.
 
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1) Give yourself a few days or even weeks to think about your next move, don't make any quick decisions

2) as others have said, if you break your commitment with this program, you have to accept that you won't do a residency this year, and your chances of matching with another residency program next year are significantly lower

3) unless you are able to secure another opportunity (A job or some other postgraduate program like a fellowship) sometime soon, I would stick it out with this program. If it truly doesn't end up working out / you are at the point that you are feeling suicidal, you can quit knowing that you gave it your best effort. It doesn't happen often, but occasionally residents will quit the program before finishing it, and it doesnt ruin their careers. if you do it in a strategic way (i.e. make it so the program director and you reach a mutual agreement that you both tried your best but that it just didn't work out), you might even be able to preserve some of your professional reputation. More so then just quitting before starting the program. And who knows, you might end up actually finding some redeeming qualities to the program.
 
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I'm sure at the time you ranked, you (plural) thought something was better than nothing.

I've known people who quit residency not even 2 months in but they had something better lined up (moved into industry) and are likely to evade the consequences of their quitting for the rest of their career, so what is your "something better"?

A bit OT, but I wouldn't consider industry "better" than hospital/clinical. It's just different. I had a rotation at a very well known pharma company. Absolutely loved everything about my experience there. Definitely among my top 2 favorite APPE rotations. However, I can't see myself working there as a pharmacist. As open minded as I was, it just didn't truly feel like pharmacy to me. Consequently, you'll find many non-pharmacists doing the same jobs as you. Just my 2 cents.

If you meant better than residency, I wouldn't disagree. I personally don't find much value to PGY-1, unless you're going for a PGY-2 because you like what they do. I never liked the work of a managerial clinical pharmacist, and I thought PGY1 was useless on a practical level...so yeah.
 
That's part of growing up. You ranked them and made a commitment. I think that many times that it's not the residency but the attitude too. The residency is accredited, and I am sure that you will learn something during that year. It may be the most difficult year of your life but I still think that residencies do open more doors than not having a residency. Try to change your attitude, think over the reasons why you decided to rank the program, and find areas/things that do excite you about the program. Even with the perfect residency, there will be things that you like and that you don't. Same situation with any job...

I agree. It's a part of being a professional. Time to get out of 'student mode' and enter 'professional mode'. They are paying you. They expect you to deliver. Do the year of residency and tack it onto your CV. You'll be glad you did afterward, I'm sure.
 
Thanks so much for the responses so far everybody. I have been going crazy since the past few days deciding as to what I should do... I know for a fact that the hospital does not treat their residents well and the training they receive is poor. I have seen this myself and heard it several times from their residents. Wish I did not rank them...

I am in the scramble right now. My dreams of having that clinical training were crushed 17 times. My insight is this: after I didn't match the first time, I looked at the programs that were left, and there were a TON of solid ones left (ones that I had not even considered for the first round). I was forced to open my mind to relocating, but it was worth it to get a residency at a decent program. After not matching in phase II, I did a lot of reflecting and honestly laughed at (and kicked) myself for my phase I decisions because I was overly selective. Now I'm in the scramble and one of my top choices is all the way across the country and I'm not even sure if I'll get so much as a rejection email. My point is, it's all about perspective. These programs that I just applied to would have never made my phase I list, but I'm realizing that every program has something great to offer and what you get out of it is what you're willing to put into it. I'm sure the 810 left without a position would be more than happy to take your spot and make the best of it for a year. I hope you stick with it and be grateful you matched. If you want it bad enough, you'll choose to be happy there and pave your own way to success. Good luck.
 
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OP - what did you end up doing?
 
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