Ranking advice

[indecisiveresident]

Other people can post too, if you have questions and people have input.

For me, I'm trying to determine my top choice in residency ranking. One hospital has more and better rotation opportunities and is part of a good hospital system (with a lot of hospitals) and the other has a better/more prestigious name (and it's bigger and prettier) and has people I might get along with better.

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[lionheart555]

Other people can post too, if you have questions and people have input.

For me, I'm trying to determine my top choice in residency ranking. One hospital has more and better rotation opportunities and is part of a good hospital system (with a lot of hospitals) and the other has a better/more prestigious name (and it's bigger and prettier) and has people I might get along with better.

If the second place did not have the "people you would get along better with," would you still choose that site?

I would answer that question and hopefully it sets you on the right path. Good luck!

 

[hopeful1994]

I need some advice on ranking... My 1st choice and 2nd choice keep switching back and forth (out of a list of 8). My 1st choice will more strongly help me achieve my long-term goals, but I KNOW for a fact that I will be MUCH less stressed/ happier at my 2nd choice (because of the people there, overall great working environment, extremely close to home for the 1st time since high school). I know I can tough it out and suck it up for a year, but is that worth it? Either residency will help me achieve my long-term goals, but my 1st choice may give me more options...but then again, who really knows the future? I'm just basing this off of the residencies' respective reputations/prestige. What do you all think?

 

[someonesomething]

I need some advice on ranking... My 1st choice and 2nd choice keep switching back and forth (out of a list of 8). My 1st choice will more strongly help me achieve my long-term goals, but I KNOW for a fact that I will be MUCH less stressed/ happier at my 2nd choice (because of the people there, overall great working environment, extremely close to home for the 1st time since high school). I know I can tough it out and suck it up for a year, but is that worth it? Either residency will help me achieve my long-term goals, but my 1st choice may give me more options...but then again, who really knows the future? I'm just basing this off of the residencies' respective reputations/prestige. What do you all think?

Does your 2nd choice still have a good program and good rotations? What makes it stand out as being better in achieving your long-term goals?

(My personal opinion is finding a program that will make you happier and then finding opportunities there. If you really get along with the people at that program, they will help you get where you need to or want to go. I have no experience in this though, so maybe other people have more input?)

 

[aqb]

I'm having trouble ranking as well: between a pre-candidate program vs accredited program. Opportunities of rotations of both are pretty equal.

Pre-candidate: Most faculty have gone through residency (I had no doubt they would be accredited as soon as they were eligible), vibed well with them, in a more livable area; however, no current residents to talk to, to gauge work-life balance.

Accredited: Vibed well with faculty here too, pretty rural area 2-3 hours from nearest metro, residents seemed happy and had great balance.

 

[DrXenha]

The best advice a resident/friend gave me was to go ahead and set up your rank list on the national matching service. Put in what your gut tells you in the order you prefer. Sleep on it for a day or two and see how you feel. If you can sleep well, then you should leave the list the way it is. If you are having doubts, it may be time to re-consider your rank list. You can always change your rank list and re-certify up until midnight on March 6th. Although, I would not wait that long.

I have three programs that I like, but they are all so different. One is a large academic medical center with multiple practice sites and will give the most well-rounded training, however, it is in the middle of nowhere and the residents are all burnt out. The other is a large community teaching hospital, but it is undergoing accreditation (which they will likely get). The one I love is a VA, I got along with their personalities, they have a great location, large volume of patients, tons of opportunities, and incredibly smart preceptors. They are a little more laid back, but they are positive people that creates an environment conducive to learning for me. I put my rank list in, slept on it, and I am happy with it. You never know where you will end up, just trust your gut, pray, and hope for the best. I will say this, do not rank a place if you do not want to end up there. However, if you really want a PGY1 residency and would be okay being slightly miserable, then rank all of the programs you could tolerate.

Last year I kept changing my rank list up until the last minute and didn't go with my gut, I ended up at my 4th choice. My 4th choice is actually the program I got along with most during my interview. Going into PGY2 rankings this year, I am going with my gut feeling, the people I vibed with most, the rotations I prefer, and the most conducive learning environment for me. Look at the programs that want to invest in their residents. If you are autonomous, look for more flexible programs. If you prefer structure, seek that out more. Good luck!

 

[DrXenha]

I'm having trouble ranking as well: between a pre-candidate program vs accredited program. Opportunities of rotations of both are pretty equal.

Pre-candidate: Most faculty have gone through residency (I had no doubt they would be accredited as soon as they were eligible), vibed well with them, in a more livable area; however, no current residents to talk to, to gauge work-life balance.

Accredited: Vibed well with faculty here too, pretty rural area 2-3 hours from nearest metro, residents seemed happy and had great balance.

The important thing to note is if you can learn from the preceptors/rotations. Are they willing to invest in you as a person/future pharmacist? It can be a very long year or a year of growth. Trust me, I have been beaten down this year. I thought I got along with some of the personalities at my interview (which I did) but there was one in particular I thought was odd, and she has made this year very difficult. I ignored the signs, and in retrospect can remember the residents being hesitant about how they would phrase things at the interview. That said, I have had to become this autonomous person and fight for pretty much everything. I ranked this program lower on my list, but I ended up here, in a rural area with no real support system.

The program will likely obtain accreditation, but would you be able to handle the growing pains of a brand new residency? My friend is in a program undergoing the same thing, he has given a lot of feedback and they plan on changing things accordingly, but you would be a part of that process. Look at programs that want you to succeed, have shown organization, and exhibited interest in you. Take into account everything that matters to you as far as learning is concerned. Do you need structure? Do you need flexibility? Do you need to be in a metro area to be happy? To be honest, the location will likely not matter as much if you are pursuing a PGY1, the program will likely be rigorous and you probably will not have much time to do other things. I do wish I lived in a bigger city, only because that is what I am used to. I think I may have liked it better, but there really is not that much time to enjoy the area. I would not let that affect your decision.

 

[DrXenha]

I need some advice on ranking... My 1st choice and 2nd choice keep switching back and forth (out of a list of 8). My 1st choice will more strongly help me achieve my long-term goals, but I KNOW for a fact that I will be MUCH less stressed/ happier at my 2nd choice (because of the people there, overall great working environment, extremely close to home for the 1st time since high school). I know I can tough it out and suck it up for a year, but is that worth it? Either residency will help me achieve my long-term goals, but my 1st choice may give me more options...but then again, who really knows the future? I'm just basing this off of the residencies' respective reputations/prestige. What do you all think?

I had 8 choices to rank last year as well. It can be a long year or a year of learning that is more enjoyable. I ranked programs I knew I would have to "tough it out" as my top four choices due to the prestige and the program offerings. It is terrible. I mentioned that I actually matched with my 4th program and I thought I vibed with most of the preceptors (but there only has to be one or two who can ruin your residency, beware). It depends on who you are. I wish someone hit me upside the head last year and actually got me to rank the programs that may have not had as much prestige. The programs I am ranking this year is solely based off of conducive learning environments. I am a testament to the fact that you may not get your number 1 or 2 choice for that matter. Pharmacists can ruin you if they just do not like you. It does not take much. I had a difficult time obtaining PGY2 interviews, because one of the preceptors decided not to write me a strong letter of recommendation. I still got 4 interviews, due to the my strong reputation, other letters of recommendation, and my application. Although I cannot see what they wrote, when I asked the programs that declined me, they stated that as the reasoning as to why I did not obtain an interview. It is all a scoring process, and with all the strong candidates, the difference between a "highly recommend versus recommend" can tank you. People can highly recommend, recommend, recommend with reservations, or do not recommend. Even if the preceptor wrote "recommend," she knew exactly what she was doing. It is so important to go to a program that lifts their residents up. If you plan on pursuing a PGY2, feel out what other residents have gone onto in the past. Find out if they speak positively of others or if they have a tendency to tear others down. One preceptor simply refused to write my co-resident a letter of recommendation, she had to obtain one from her APPE preceptor who she had not seen in 2 years. I went off on a huge tangent here, but this is important forewarning.

 

[Chillz87]

I need some advice on ranking... My 1st choice and 2nd choice keep switching back and forth (out of a list of 8). My 1st choice will more strongly help me achieve my long-term goals, but I KNOW for a fact that I will be MUCH less stressed/ happier at my 2nd choice (because of the people there, overall great working environment, extremely close to home for the 1st time since high school). I know I can tough it out and suck it up for a year, but is that worth it? Either residency will help me achieve my long-term goals, but my 1st choice may give me more options...but then again, who really knows the future? I'm just basing this off of the residencies' respective reputations/prestige. What do you all think?

I definitely understand the feeling. I did the exact same thing and literally had to re-submit multiple times right up until the deadline. I had the same situation as you as well, program 1 was strong, great program prestige, LOTS of work vs. program 2 was super awesome people, chill, and it wasn't a no-name program per say, but it wasn't the best. I ultimately chose program 1 because I felt as though it had the opportunities I was looking for and I felt as though it would have given me the better chance at achieving more long term goals. I did end up matching with program 1 and honestly, the people there were actually more chill than I thought. I absolutely loved the staff, the people, and the environment. If you're already burned out from PGY1 though, that might be something to consider as another rough year can be tough. If people from program 1 are awesome though, it'll go by fast. Hope that helps.

I also make YouTube videos btw, and I just made a video on this exact topic about the factors to consider when finalizing your program rankings. Check it out!

 

[someonesomething]

Good luck with ranking, everyone!! (and don't forget to certify your lists today!)