right credentials for residency?

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pharmkk

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i'm currently applying for residency programs. i'm not sure if i'll get any interviews with my credentials since it has become so competitive.

-community hospital working experience for 4 years
-cum gpa 2.8 minus the fall semester grades from rotations
-zero organization or community involvement
-somewhat introverted personality
-LOC: gen med preceptor, industry preceptor, work preceptor

Should I hold back a year, get some experience, then apply next year?

Make sure not to apply to programs with a 3.0 GPA minimum cutoff, that would be a waste of your time and your letter writers' time.

Personally I think it is worth a shot if you apply to newer programs in less desirable areas. Write an amazing letter of intent and hopefully your work preceptor can really stress how much your clinical skills have improved over the last 4 years along with your hard working attitude and great personality....

Do you have the option to take an inpatient position right out of school to get further experience?
 
i'm currently applying for residency programs. i'm not sure if i'll get any interviews with my credentials since it has become so competitive.

-community hospital working experience for 4 years
-cum gpa 2.8 minus the fall semester grades from rotations
-zero organization or community involvement
-somewhat introverted personality
-LOC: gen med preceptor, industry preceptor, work preceptor

Should I hold back a year, get some experience, then apply next year?

Your low GPA and lack of involvement may hurt you. The hospital experience is a plus. My personal opinion is that it does not hurt to apply.
 
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I say definitely go for the residency! I agree, it doesn't hurt to apply, and it could work out just fine. One of the best ways to get more organizational experience and work on communication skills is by doing a residency. Good luck!
 
apply to small programs...small VA hospitals will weigh more on work experience, but make sure you show enthusiasm it will get you far
 
i'm currently applying for residency programs. i'm not sure if i'll get any interviews with my credentials since it has become so competitive.

-community hospital working experience for 4 years
-cum gpa 2.8 minus the fall semester grades from rotations
-zero organization or community involvement
-somewhat introverted personality
-LOC: gen med preceptor, industry preceptor, work preceptor

Should I hold back a year, get some experience, then apply next year?

So I'll be the one to point out the elephant in the room everyone else is ignoring.

What did you do in your spare time? Zero involvement, plus mediocre gpa, plus listing yourself as introverted...

Did you just work a lot? Family? Friends? Videogames? Baseball cards? Lots of sewing?

And it's really only half a joke - because that's what I would be wondering if I saw your application. The onus is on you to show them why they would want you - and enthusiasm really is not enough.
 
So I'll be the one to point out the elephant in the room everyone else is ignoring.

What did you do in your spare time? Zero involvement, plus mediocre gpa, plus listing yourself as introverted...

Did you just work a lot? Family? Friends? Videogames? Baseball cards? Lots of sewing?

And it's really only half a joke - because that's what I would be wondering if I saw your application. The onus is on you to show them why they would want you - and enthusiasm really is not enough.

I was wondering the same but have been on a bender of Debbie Downer posts so I didn't say anything.

I think the question for the OP is, if you were looking at a stack of applications, what would make yours stand out? From what you've listed, I don't see anything. Another student with a better GPA and EC involvement will probably have the same work experience. Do you think your LORs will be really good? That could be one thing to separate you from others.

I hate to be pessimistic, but I'm also realistic. If you have the time and money to apply, cast a very wide net and really nail all of your communications (letters of interest CVs, get great LORs) and interviews.

Good luck :luck:
 
thank you all for your responses!!


I worked every other weekend and when i wasn't working at the hospital, i had to help my mom's business s a licensed esthetician, which i put in my CV (should i not?)

i'm applying to 5 smaller programs, 1 ashp-candidate program, and 1 large program, total of 7.

i didn't keep my grades up because i wasn't really motivated until middle of my 2nd professional year.. i realized i wanted to be clinical during my rotations. i feel like my school didn't prep us enough to think outside of the box (retail) early in the program. :(

oh well! wish me luck! :)
 
this sounds really stupid

but i was wondering, is there a site that lists the non-accredited residencies?
 
So do people who don't work during the school year just end up looking terrible on paper? I have only worked during the summer so far because the only job I found was in a different town.

My GPA is pretty good (not 4.0 but still good), and I'm starting to feel like residency programs might look at me as someone who didn't work and just studied all of the time. Any advice as to what a P3 can do at this late stage to improve their chances?
 
So do people who don't work during the school year just end up looking terrible on paper? I have only worked during the summer so far because the only job I found was in a different town.

My GPA is pretty good (not 4.0 but still good), and I'm starting to feel like residency programs might look at me as someone who didn't work and just studied all of the time. Any advice as to what a P3 can do at this late stage to improve their chances?

I am a P3 also. I lament the fact that I did not get any hospital intern experience (no hospital jobs in this area, and I have no car to go far away), and this might cost me a residency spot, but my professors suggested me to get involved in some research, so I'll be doing practice-based research next semester. Maybe that will help, along with all the leadership experience I had in previous years.
 
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