Tips for Ranking Residency Programs
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With interview season in full-swing, I’m posting a mini-series on advice to help you stay confident during this time. Today, I’m talking about tips for ranking residency programs.
- Be Honest with Yourself: The #1 tip that you’ll hear over and over again – ONLY rank the programs you want to go to…and that you’ll be fully committed to the full year(s) required by that program. It is very uncommon for a resident to leave a program and it is highly discouraged to do this except in rare circumstances.
- This you YOUR list: Remember, you rank list is YOURS. It is not your classmate’s list, your parent’s list or the program’s list. Rank the programs in the order you want to go to them. Don’t rank them based on your estimate of getting into the program based on what the program or peers have said to you. And don’t let family or others negatively bias your decision of what to rank. During the match, the algorithm favors the candidate’s (aka YOUR) rank list – the computer will move down YOUR rank list and match you to the program (it will only go to the next program if the program has already filled its spots).
- Align your Goals: The residency program you go to should align with your professional goals. If you’re considering programs that don’t have the patient population or the specialty you are looking to enter, consider how you will work towards this professional goal. Yes, there is always the option of a PGY2 specialty residency but each step in this process (especially a year-long training process) is an important consideration. In addition, you can consider how flexible the program is – will they offer to send you to a sister-organization for you to complete this specialty area or is the rotation schedule rigid?
- Think about Fit over Name: This can be a challenging one. Would you rather go to a program with a prominent name in healthcare and not get along with the team and feel miserable during the 1-2 year residency?! One way to assess the fit with the program is to see how the current residents interact with one another and with preceptors. Is it a collegial environment? Are the residents showing high levels of stress and fatigue from the program?
- Other Minor Details: As with job searches, you can also consider the minor components of the institutions when ranking the residencies. Specific location, salary, benefits (healthcare, retirement), vacation, professional development funds (do they fund your attendance at ASHP Meeting and/or for research presentations?), and workspace within the pharmacy or institution.
- Overall, putting together your rank list is a thoughtful, decision-making process. After submitting your list, relax and wait for the results. Feel reassured that you’ll be happy matching to any of the programs you rank (and know that not matching is not the end of the world- a topic for another discussion).
Thank you for reading. Any suggestions on ranking residency programs- please comment below!
You May also Enjoy Reading:
You may also Enjoy Reading:
- How to Stand Out as a Residency Applicant
- Day in the Life of a Critical Care Pharmacist
- Roadmap to Pharmacy Residency
- 5 Ways to Improve Study Habits
- 5 Tips for Staying Focused while Studying
- How to Use Medication Charts to Study Drugs
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Jessica Louie, PharmD, APh, BCCCP is the CEO of Clarify, Simplify, Align and Host of The Burnout Doctor Podcast. Dr. Louie uses her signature Burnout Doctor Method to coach burned out pharmacists & professionals to simplify because work-life balance is a LIE. Align work into your life & break free from people pleasing, perfectionism and thrive in life on YOUR TERMS.