Residency Applicant Support Thread

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owlegrad said:
Whew, glad you are not talking about me. :D;)
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I don't actually start pharmacy school until this fall, so I'm safe too I reckon.
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Are you guys sending thank-you notes to everyone you talk to? It looks like I will be spending a fortune on stamps.
 
Its Z said:
I love this question. And if you havne't worked inpatient, I just don't know how you'd answer correctly.

You have to take into consideration of what the hospital IV Heparin Infusion protocol entails. Because aPTT from one institution to next will vary according to the reagent they use.

My response would have been:

1. What is the patient being treated for, MI, PE, DVT, or AF?
2. Has the patient previoulsy received any thrombolytics or IIBIIIA
3. Can I see the IV Heparin Protocol and the sliding scale? Because that's where it will state how to taper or increase the drip rate...
4. Do you run an annual anti-factor X vs. Heparin conc (aptt) nomogram to ensure therapeutic range falls 0.3 - 0.7?

And go from there!

All this information is in the latest CHEST Guidelines... I would suggest you read it..if you haven't!

:smuggrin:
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Yeah, I was royally screwed on this one. I barely remember my acute care rotation and thought 60-80 sounded right, but I told them, I'd be guessing to say much more than that.
 
VeraShield said:
Are you guys sending thank-you notes to everyone you talk to? It looks like I will be spending a fortune on stamps.
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Yes. We paid our neighbor 65 dollars yesterday to dig our 4 wheel drive truck out of 16 inches of snow so that I could get out and mail 16 thank you letters from my interview on Monday.
 
Out of curiousity, if I haven't heard back from a program yet, should I write it off? On the one hand, I've heard back from everyone else. On the other hand, it's Hawaii and my experience is that everything there takes its sweet time getting done (their residency doesn't start till October, for example).
 
koldun said:
Out of curiousity, if I haven't heard back from a program yet, should I write it off? On the one hand, I've heard back from everyone else. On the other hand, it's Hawaii and my experience is that everything there takes its sweet time getting done (their residency doesn't start till October, for example).
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When was the deadline? If it was 1+ month ago, I think that a simple email isn't inappropriate
 
had my first and prolly last interview given the direction of the other apps:thumbdown:

went well...random questions about strength/weakness/why u/how to calm a irate customer/etc

no drug question specifically

i noticed every1 asked the same question while one resident took the answers down, i wonder if they were trying to catch consistency or what?

so a bajillion rejections
one interview done
waiting for couple more
 
should i send out 1 thank you to the director or to every1 i interviewed with?
 
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All4MyDaughter said:
I plan to write a handwritten note to everyone I met with. I need to get on that today or tomorrow!
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I did, and I even sent one to the pharmacy secretary. She herded us around like a bunch of cattle and was very helpful.
 
cycloketocaine said:
I did, and I even sent one to the pharmacy secretary. She herded us around like a bunch of cattle and was very helpful.
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I am going to write my notes (five, I think) this weekend so I don't get behind. Since I have four more interviews coming up I don't want the notes to pile up!

I was worried I wouldn't get any interviews. Now I'm over that and I'm worrying instead that I will go through all of this and not match anywhere. :(
 
All4MyDaughter said:
I am going to write my notes (five, I think) this weekend so I don't get behind. Since I have four more interviews coming up I don't want the notes to pile up!

I was worried I wouldn't get any interviews. Now I'm over that and I'm worrying instead that I will go through all of this and not match anywhere. :(
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Oh gosh, I know exactly how you feel! I got 7 interviews and am interviewing at 6, so I have plenty to rank. But, I wasn't absolutely crazy about my first interview and I'm worried that I won't find *the* program or that *the* program won't like me as much as I like them.

Gaaaahhhh! I want it to be March 23rd now please. Thank you.
 
hand write notes? really? never heard that b4, i thought email would suffice
 
5 applications completed, 8 interviews possible, 11 possible locations to rank

Two programs had multi-site applications. One of those sites interviews for each site separately and the other does them all together.

4 interviews scheduled covering 7 rankable sites
1 declined with no interview
3 crickets
 
lorain said:
yes as in email ok? or yes as in to send hand written note?


sorry im not sure about the proper method:(
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I think they meant yes as in send a handwritten thank you.
 
bananaface said:
5 applications completed, 8 interviews possible, 11 possible locations to rank

Two programs had multi-site applications. One of those sites interviews for each site separately and the other does them all together.

4 interviews scheduled covering 7 rankable sites
1 declined with no interview
3 crickets
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Lol. I was really confused about so many possible locations to rank until I read the second line like 3 times.

I have two programs that are at the same institution (one peds, the other general) and my interview for those are all in one.

Congrats on the interviews!
 
No, emails are find.
 
njac said:
No, emails are find.
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So, which is preferred? I sent handwritten notes to the program I interviewed with last week, but if I could get away with emails I would much rather do that.
 
I think something is better than nothing and am email is just fine.

We don't sit around and compare who sent thank you notes unless they're particularly good or bad.
 
njac said:
I think something is better than nothing and am email is just fine.

We don't sit around and compare who sent thank you notes unless they're particularly good or bad.
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Just curious.....what is a bad thank you note?
 
i must say the first interview was a draining experience for me

3 days preparing (2 to make presentation, 1 to practice and gather general info)
2 days to travel and interview

set me back 5 days for other stuff


hopefully I can be more efficient if i get another 1, although i like my chances here considering how receptive they were to my answers (i suppose they could be just leading me on, but it seemed + to me)
 
lorain said:
i must say the first interview was a draining experience for me

3 days preparing (2 to make presentation, 1 to practice and gather general info)
2 days to travel and interview

set me back 5 days for other stuff


hopefully I can be more efficient if i get another 1, although i like my chances here considering how receptive they were to my answers (i suppose they could be just leading me on, but it seemed + to me)
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Mine seemed very positive too......I hope they weren't agreeing to be polite. I thought it was a good sign that while I was sitting in the room with the other candidates the director asked me if I had submitted my match number cause she wanted to make sure she had it.....
 
cycloketocaine said:
Mine seemed very positive too......I hope they weren't agreeing to be polite. I thought it was a good sign that while I was sitting in the room with the other candidates the director asked me if I had submitted my match number cause she wanted to make sure she had it.....
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yea well my friends are saying they were prolly leading me on

but the answers i was giving, they kept on saying 'well said,' 'i agree,' 'beautiful,' etc

again, they could be leading me on or they were really impressed....+ its 1 spot 4 interviews....so i kinda like my chances there (this was my #3 on my list, but moved up to #2 as i got denied at my original #2 spot)
 
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It's funny how people have different perspectives on post-interview thank you notes. Personally, I never wrote any for undergrad or pharmacy school.
 
psychoandy said:
don't make me cry...i'm still sticking to my theory that the local hospitals I applied to put mine on the backburner bc I'm local and out of area gets priority.
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Programs' application deadline: 1/5
My invite to interview from them: 2/3

I was about to send them a email asking if they were still making decisions!

And Pharmacy Kid, if I interviewed someone and didn't get a thank you letter, they'd drop down a few ranks. I type letters and print them out for snail mail since my handwriting looks kind of childish, but at the very least, send an email!
 
Pharmacy Kid said:
It's funny how people have different perspectives on post-interview thank you notes. Personally, I never wrote any for undergrad or pharmacy school.
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eeyore spice said:
And Pharmacy Kid, if I interviewed someone and didn't get a thank you letter, they'd drop down a few ranks. I type letters and print them out for snail mail since my handwriting looks kind of childish, but at the very least, send an email!
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I've said it several times here but I always, ALWAYS prefer to send and receive written notes. To me it really shows that you're taking time and effort.

In any case, definitely send a thank you. If you're competing for something heavily, why not always err on the side of being extra courteous??? That baffles me. I'm with eeyore - all else being equal, if someone can't take the time to thank me (preferably snail mail, but...) then I would wonder what else they don't have the time to do.

Good luck everyone! I can't wait to hear where y'all place.
 
Question......

How big of a no-no is it to wear a light colored suit to an interview?

I went shopping tonight and found a light gray colored suit that I fell in love with. It looks very professional and spring like...so would it be okay to wear?
 
cycloketocaine said:
Question......

How big of a no-no is it to wear a light colored suit to an interview?

I went shopping tonight and found a light gray colored suit that I fell in love with. It looks very professional and spring like...so would it be okay to wear?
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Silly question - you're a girl, right? Go for it with a spring colored top underneath. It will look nice!
 
njac said:
Silly question - you're a girl, right? Go for it with a spring colored top underneath. It will look nice!
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At my interview, I rocked a gray suit. I was literally the only one there who wasn't wearing black, and I think it made me stand out in a good way. I'm a guy, but I think it would be equally appropriate for a girl.
 
This year the number of resident applicants are way up. We have 4 PGY-1 spots. Last year, ~30 applicants, 24 were interviewed. This year 42 applicants, we will only be able to interview 28 due to limited time slots available, so the scores cut off for who gets an interview also went up.

Of course, this is all foreseeable several years back, when new pharmacy schools were popping up like weed. Well the schools are now graduating them, and the slope of the competition is going vertical.
 
xiphoid2010 said:
This year the number of resident applicants are way up. We have 4 PGY-1 spots. Last year, ~30 applicants, 24 were interviewed. This year 42 applicants, we will only be able to interview 28 due to limited time slots available, so the scores cut off for who gets an interview also went up.

Of course, this is all foreseeable several years back, when new pharmacy schools were popping up like weed. Well the schools are now graduating them, and the slope of the competition is going vertical.
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Wow, I probably should have did a smarter job picking my residency locations (or rather, not pick a concentrated region). All my rejections have been at locations receiving 20-40 applications per spot.

Also, I don't know if it's just the programs I applied to, but I'm also noticing there are very few male residents. I just realized that of the 7 programs I applied to, 6 have only female residents, with the one outlier having a single male resident. Plus, on my first interview, I got to meet all the preceptors... 8 female, 1 male. :eek:
 
VeraShield said:
Wow, I probably should have did a smarter job picking my residency locations (or rather, not pick a concentrated region). All my rejections have been at locations receiving 20-40 applications per spot.

Also, I don't know if it's just the programs I applied to, but I'm also noticing there are very few male residents. I just realized that of the 7 programs I applied to, 6 have only female residents, with the one outlier having a single male resident. Plus, on my first interview, I got to meet all the preceptors... 8 female, 1 male. :eek:
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There is a lot of estrogen in the pharmacy field now, and will get even more heavy as this older male pharmacists retire. It does create a bit of a problem. I'm the only male resident, and the 3 girls all came from the same school.

We get along well and help to each out whenever someone has a problem. But sometimes I just wish I had my own office. Too much small talks, questions or discussion about various issues that I would file under "suck it up and deal with it" category. I want to buy ear plugs but I don't want to seem rude. :rolleyes:
 
xiphoid2010
which hospital are you at ? if u don't mind sharing
 
fiorio said:
xiphoid2010
which hospital are you at ? if u don't mind sharing
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pharmacy is a small world, so I can't really say. Besides, every year is different. Last year's residents were all from out of state, all single, and they practically became brothers and sisters. This year, all are from in-state, 3 from the medical center's affiliated school, all are either married or engaged. So your residency is like a box of chocolate...:D
 
so i noticed the deadline on my #1 spot is different on their website compared to whats listed in ashp...no wonder i havent heard back yet, i think i might contact them to confirm what their actual deadline is/was


for the suit question, i wore a grey suit, and every1 else had black on, so it does make one stick out
 
lorain said:
so i noticed the deadline on my #1 spot is different on their website compared to whats listed in ashp...no wonder i havent heard back yet, i think i might contact them to confirm what their actual deadline is/was


for the suit question, i wore a grey suit, and every1 else had black on, so it does make one stick out
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Did you make both deadlines?


On a different note, I found out that one of the programs I applied to (a new program) extended their deadline so another student could apply. Now, there were only 2 applications but it still frustrates me. Grrr
 
cycloketocaine said:
Did you make both deadlines?


On a different note, I found out that one of the programs I applied to (a new program) extended their deadline so another student could apply. Now, there were only 2 applications but it still frustrates me. Grrr
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is that at a hospital?

and no, according to the sites information sheet, their deadline is in march, after the match date, whereas it was listed as Jan in ashp....so there is definitely a mix up and i will try to contact site this week to figure it out...
 
lorain said:
is that at a hospital?

and no, according to the sites information sheet, their deadline is in march, after the match date, whereas it was listed as Jan in ashp....so there is definitely a mix up and i will try to contact site this week to figure it out...
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Yes it was at a hospital. It's just frustrating.....it's kind of my first choice for several reasons, but after that, I'm not sure.....
 
njac said:
I think something is better than nothing and am email is just fine.

We don't sit around and compare who sent thank you notes unless they're particularly good or bad.
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so emailing the program director acceptable, or every1 i interviewed with ?(they all gave me their cards)
 
I have more than a day off in between traveling to interviews for the first time and I have no idea what to do with myself. Suggestions?

ETA: Page 6.
 
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