When to apply for VA staff pharmacist position?

[WRXZ28]

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I am a P4 on rotations at the moment, 3 of which are with the VA. I really want to get into a staff pharmacist position (inpatient or outpatient) after graduation. My question is how early can a P4 apply for a position? I plan on applying for openings around the country. A couple of my friends who work at the VA I am rotating at didn't give me a specific answer when I asked them that question. They said that things differ from VISN to VISN, but that they heard that in their VISN the system automatically rejects applications where the applicant had answered no when asked if they have graduated yet. This means that any P4 applying for work won't even have a chance to be seen. Has anyone ever heard of this?

 

[gwarm01]

It really depends on the area and how soon they need the position to be filled. I started applying in January, got a few call backs, but no serious interest until I had already graduated. It never hurts to apply though. Who knows, might find a place that just has an open call for pharmacists and are willing to wait for you.

 

[deleted205891]

Sorry to disappoint you, but VAs very very rarely hire new grads. Only way would be an outpatient staff pharmacist at the hospital where you rotate or do the VALOR program and you really impress someone (even then your spot may go to a veteran that meets minimum qualifications instead), or maybe somewhere really in the middle of nowhere. Your friends are right, to qualify for pretty much any VA job, you have to be a licensed pharmacist, and many times you will have to submit your license as proof of eligibility. I do not know of ANY people hired as new grads at either of the VAs where I've worked, at least out of people that were hired in the past 5 years. Maybe do a VA residency if you really want to work for the VA?

 

[MountainPharmD]

When the person you know at the VA tells you to apply. You will not get hired unless you know someone and you have a VA residency or two.

Veterans preference does not apply to pharmacist positions.

 

[deleted205891]

When the person you know at the VA tells you to apply. You will not get hired unless you know someone and you have a VA residency or two.

Veterans preference does not apply to pharmacist positions.

Actually it does. This is a fairly recent change in hiring practices. Hybrid title 38 positions now have veterans' preference.

 

[WRXZ28]

Thank you everyone for the responses. My friends at that particular VA became my friends after I gave their rotation my everything. In doing that I earned their respect and friendship. They really want me to apply once a spot opens, but I'm not the type to put all my eggs in one basket for fear of getting burned in the end. That's what made me want to look into other VAMCs around the country. Just in case.

 

[deleted205891]

Thank you everyone for the responses. My friends at that particular VA became my friends after I gave their rotation my everything. In doing that I earned their respect and friendship. They really want me to apply once a spot opens, but I'm not the type to put all my eggs in one basket for fear of getting burned in the end. That's what made me want to look into other VAMCs around the country. Just in case.

Good idea. The pharmacy dept might like you, only for your application to be marked ineligible by HR. Nevertheless, definitely worth a try. Apply to some non-VA places as well. Even our outpatient pharmacist positions strongly prefer a PGY-1 or 3 years experience.

 

[WRXZ28]

I heard nothing back from the VA as a new graduate except I did not meet the minimum requirements for the job (not yet licensed)

That's exactly what I'm scared of! Did you do any rotations or work for the VA prior to graduation?