Would taking a year off before applying for pharmacy residency be a bad idea?

[Biochemi]

Does it matter when you apply for residency,directly during P4 or a year later? (Does it depend on what specialty that you choose to go for in residency?)

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[joetrisman]

Yes

 

[Blackboxrx]

No, especially if you're doing something that would strengthen your application.

 

[Biochemi]

What are things that graduates can do to "strengthen" an application ?

 

[bacillus1]

What are things that graduates can do to "strengthen" an application ?

We matched someone that was out of school for a few years, but he was in the armed forces and I think received some awards there. Other things that could strengthen an application would be international aid or any kind of volunteer type programs such as City Year, etc. However, we did notice that candidates that were out for a bit seemed to have less clinical knowledge.

 

[Biochemi]

Are there programs to strengthen an application for a pediatric residency?

 

[BenJammin]

We matched someone that was out of school for a few years, but he was in the armed forces and I think received some awards there. Other things that could strengthen an application would be international aid or any kind of volunteer type programs such as City Year, etc. However, we did notice that candidates that were out for a bit seemed to have less clinical knowledge.

How do you assess that with an application? I guarantee you I could wipe the floor with any current/future resident applicant in terms of clinical knowledge.

 

[joetrisman]

How do you assess that with an application? I guarantee you I could wipe the floor with any current/future resident applicant in terms of clinical knowledge.

srsly though, kidding

 

[bacillus1]

How do you assess that with an application? I guarantee you I could wipe the floor with any current/future resident applicant in terms of clinical knowledge.

We have a clinical component in our interview.

 

[D5WwithNSS]

this is more like a rant, but seriously one year off?! how the hell does someone who is a pharmacist not get trumpt over a student. i am glad i worked for a year....feel like i learned a lot and feel like not a student anymore but a pharmacist. redic residencies prefer students. just redic.... i feel like it is cause they are scared they have seen the money and would quit on them.

 

[knight on horse]

^ With the emphasis on volunteering to boot

 

[TheBlaah]

this is more like a rant, but seriously one year off?! how the hell does someone who is a pharmacist not get trumpt over a student. i am glad i worked for a year....feel like i learned a lot and feel like not a student anymore but a pharmacist. redic residencies prefer students. just redic.... i feel like it is cause they are scared they have seen the money and would quit on them.

It probably depends in what setting you practiced as a pharmacist. I can see people glossing over retail due to the lack of clinical practice/guidelines. Additionally, residency is, at its core, a much more intense extension of your studies, so it would make sense to get people who are still in the studying mindset. People who have already been pharmacists are probably, like you said, unwilling to take the paycut and even more unwilling to to lose their authority.

 

[xiphoid2010]

It probably depends in what setting you practiced as a pharmacist. I can see people glossing over retail due to the lack of clinical practice/guidelines. Additionally, residency is, at its core, a much more intense extension of your studies, so it would make sense to get people who are still in the studying mindset. People who have already been pharmacists are probably, like you said, unwilling to take the paycut and even more unwilling to to lose their authority.

also they might already developed a habit of doing things a certain way, which can be hard to unlearn/make room for new stuff.

 

[BenJammin]

It probably depends in what setting you practiced as a pharmacist. I can see people glossing over retail due to the lack of clinical practice/guidelines. Additionally, residency is, at its core, a much more intense extension of your studies, so it would make sense to get people who are still in the studying mindset. People who have already been pharmacists are probably, like you said, unwilling to take the paycut and even more unwilling to to lose their authority.

also they might already developed a habit of doing things a certain way, which can be hard to unlearn/make room for new stuff.

This is all garbage. Young pharmacists under 30 (like a large majority of new grads) are unable to break habits? Unable to learn new stuff? How can someone applying for a job with a pay cut be unwilling to take a pay cut? Good lord this is stupidity at its finest.

I'm unwilling to get wet so I'll meet you guys at the pool

 

[TheBlaah]

This is all garbage. Young pharmacists under 30 (like a large majority of new grads) are unable to break habits? Unable to learn new stuff? How can someone applying for a job with a pay cut be unwilling to take a pay cut? Good lord this is stupidity at its finest.

I'm unwilling to get wet so I'll meet you guys at the pool

Nobody said people couldn't change nor learn. I don't see why you felt the need to mention that. But anyway, I'm merely trying to see things through a residency's viewpoint. Would you rather hire the person that has to break their habits, or the one that doesn't need to? In the end, I guess it would depend on what the applicant spent the year off actually doing. As for retail pharmacists, it's unlikely they kept on top of their clinical knowledge (though possible), so someone fresh out of school would still be in a better position usually.

To clarify the paycut comment, that was me indicating that the paycut discourages a lot of pharmacists FROM applying to residencies. I'll admit it was a little out of place. I will say that if they felt the need to get out of whatever position they're in now after only 1 year, they should be prepared with a good reason other than "I didn't like that job" to indicate their intent to stay in a position with more work/half pay for the entire duration.

Edit: I would venture to guess that it works the other way around as well: someone that's worked in retail for a year would be in a better position to get a job at another retail pharmacist than someone who worked clinically for a year.

 

[xiphoid2010]

This is all garbage. Young pharmacists under 30 (like a large majority of new grads) are unable to break habits? Unable to learn new stuff? How can someone applying for a job with a pay cut be unwilling to take a pay cut? Good lord this is stupidity at its finest.

I'm unwilling to get wet so I'll meet you guys at the pool

Nothing says it's impossible to break habits. But why even go through the hassle when you can start with clean slate?

People are naturally resistant to change, do you know how many staff still screw up and the excuse I get is still "well, we used to do it this way". Geeze, we got bought a year ago, so get with the program already!

And even when there is no screw ups, I am still tired of constant "well, when we were XYZ, blah blah, did it better. blah". I really tired of all that comparing and everyone thinking they know better.

 

[joetrisman]

Nothing says it's impossible to break habits. But why even go through the hassle when you can start with clean slate?

People are naturally resistant to change, do you know how many staff still screw up and the excuse I get is still "well, we used to do it this way". Geeze, we got bought a year ago, so get with the program already!

And even when there is no screw ups, I am still tired of constant "well, when we were XYZ, blah blah, did it better. blah". I really tired of all that comparing and everyone thinking they know better.

I thought you switched jobs?

 

[xiphoid2010]

I thought you switched jobs?

Will start not next week, but the week after. Has a bit of senioritis going on right now.