As the stressful season of submitting pharmacy residency/fellowship applications approaches, I want to take a moment to wish the best of luck to those who are applying! More importantly, I want to use this opportunity to address a concern that is often overlooked during this time: "What if I don't match in Phase 1, Phase 2, or the scramble? What if I don't get my number one fellowship program? What do I do?"
If this concern were to become a reality for any applicant, it could lead to feelings of hopelessness in their pursuit of becoming a clinical and/or industry pharmacist, especially since there aren't many well-known resources to guide applicants through such a situation.
I was that applicant-about two years ago.
Even now, as a PGY-1 resident preparing to apply for a PGY-2, this concern continues to weigh on me. However, the difference now is that I have access to more resources and knowledge to help me navigate this apprehension.
One of my mentors once reminded me to "hope for the best outcome, but prepare for the worst," when I expressed my concerns and anxiety about not matching into a PGY-2 program. She, an extraordinary pharmacist, once aspired to work with immunosuppressive patients. However, due to her indecisiveness, she didn't match into any PGY-2 programs in her desired specialty.
Despite this setback, she persevered and began her career as a critical care pharmacist. She later transitioned to a role as an emergency medicine pharmacist before ultimately landing her dream job as a solid-organ transplant pharmacist.
"All of these hats I wore throughout my career as a pharmacist made me feel more confident in my ability to care for patients-whether they were going through a stroke code, needed fluid titration, or required counseling on medication," she shared with me.
Her story resonated deeply with me. It gave me the courage to celebrate successes and embrace failures.
The moral of her journey, which I interpret as "one does not need to follow the yellow brick road," inspires me to share some recommendations and resources for others navigating this uncertain path:
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Seek Feedback: After an unsuccessful phase, email residency program directors for advice and suggestions on how to improve your application or interview skills.
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Explore Additional Resources:
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The American Pharmacists Association's (APhA) website has a great webpage dedicated to providing career advice. It also provides more information regarding personal branding, networking, and interviewing. In addition, it also provides post-graduate opportunities!
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The APhA website also offers more information about the various certificate training programs such as medication therapy management, pharmacy-based HIV prevention services, and travel health services (and so much more!).
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The APhA's Learning Library is another way to keep oneself updated with the latest information regarding various critical areas of pharmacy.
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Leverage LinkedIn: Use LinkedIn to market yourself to potential employers and showcase your skills.
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Network Actively: Join pharmacy professional groups and clubs to connect with potential employers and expand your network.
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The APhA website has many networking opportunities through events such as the annual meeting and the midyear regional meetings. More information detailing the events on APhA's webpage under the "Conferences" tab.
To conclude, while I've written this post to provide tools for others pursuing their pharmacy career goals, it also serves as a reminder to myself. No matter the outcome of this application season, the experiences I gain-whether through the application process, pharmacist jobs, or networking-will shape me into the pharmacist I am meant to become.
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Kristine Nguyen, Pharm.D.
PGY-1 Pharmacy Resident
Banner- University Medical Center South
Tucson, AZ
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