I tried searching information on this topic but I could not find the exact answer. How important is timing of the rotations? I found out my rotations, and my hard core hospital rotations are all after the Midyear. I am planning on applying to hospital-based residencies, so how negatively will it be looked upon that I did not have any ICU rotation before I applied? Will it hurt my chances getting a good residency? I have 2 hospital based rotations before the Midyear - one is very clinically based and another is not so much.
APPEs and Residency
- Thread starter janeno
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I was in the same situation this year. I only had 2 hospital/clinical rotation going into the application season and was offered interviews at competitive places. I guess the match will see how well it all worked out.
It won't affect your residency application- residency programs realize that a lot of pharmacy schools assign clinical rotations by lottery, so they won't count the timing against you. Just do a good job in the rotations you have- that will go much farther in your application.
Unfortunately, I will not be able to move them around at all. We use spin system, and pretty much moving acute care rotations around is impossible. I am trying to switch one of my rotations in the fall to a more clinical one but it's up to the luck at this point.
I talked to some coordinators, and all of them said it does not matter if your hospital based ones are at the end. As long as you do well in your other rotations, it should be fine.
I talked to some coordinators, and all of them said it does not matter if your hospital based ones are at the end. As long as you do well in your other rotations, it should be fine.
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Most of the preceptors and professors I have talked to have told me having the clinical ones up front is a definite advantage. You have the chance to show your abilities and shine in rotations that are more applicable to residency, get the LORs, and if you are applying to the program you are doing a rotation at, they get to put a face to the name on the application.
It is definitely not the end of the world if you do not get clinical rotations up front but to say it does not matter/it is no advantage either way is far from the truth.
It is definitely not the end of the world if you do not get clinical rotations up front but to say it does not matter/it is no advantage either way is far from the truth.
He wasn't asking about clinical rotations, he was asking if not having his ICU rotation before applying would hurt his application.
OP- it won't hurt your application, but you won't have the advantage of having a great letter of recommendation from the ICU preceptor. Again, the residency programs aren't going to hold it against you. Just do a good job in your hospital rotations and focus on demonstrating the qualities that would make a good ICU pharmacist- self-motivation, attention to detail, good clinical knowledge, etc.
Thank you for the encouraging post!
