To Residency or to Not Residency

Where are you right now? No, I don’t mean physically but where are you on your pharmacy journey? Are you currently in pharmacy school, have you applied to pharmacy school yet, or are you applying soon? Regardless, if you’re in your first year of pharmacy school or you haven’t even applied to pharmacy school yet, it is never too early to think about a post-doctoral residency. In fact, the sooner you determine if you want to apply to a residency, the better you can prepare yourself while in pharmacy school. But don’t worry, your mind can still change at any time. 

So, in your current state, wherever you are, is residency for you?

Check Yes or No

(In your head, of course)

If you are unable to definitively check a box above, or if you want to make sure that you are considering all your options then this post is for you. Here are a few questions to ask yourself when determining if you should apply for a residency.

• What are my post graduate goals?

• Which area of pharmacy aligns with those goals? 

1. Which area of pharmacy am I interested in?

Are you interested in retail, industry, ambulatory, hospital, managed care? The area of pharmacy you want to work in is a large part of your residency consideration because different areas of pharmacy have different requirements. Once you know which area of pharmacy you want to be in you're able to research if a residency is required. 

2. Who do I know? 

Network, network, network! You’ll hear this all the time in pharmacy school, it'll make you want to scream but pharmacy is a small world and everyone knows everyone. Cultivating relationships with others is so important. Networking will present job opportunities and will get you through many doors whether you decide to do a residency or not. So, reach out to pharmacists who are in the positions you want to be in, get a mentor, develop your LinkedIn profile, and connect. 

Please note it is not enough to sparingly email someone only when you need something. You have to have a ‘what can they do for me and what can I do for them’ type of attitude.

3. What else should I consider?

   
   

It’s important to understand that there's so many pharmacist jobs that do not require a residency that no one knows about. Pharmacy is a broad career that is expanding every day. In many cases I've seen pharmacists create positions or sit in positions people didn’t think a pharmacist could sit in. That being said, it's not enough to passively google pharmacist jobs anymore. 

Here's the bottom line. 

From my experience as a pharmacy student, it is important to explore and experience every area of pharmacy that you can. Especially if you’re unsure of the area of pharmacy you want to be in or if there are many areas that interest you. If you’re like me and many areas of pharmacy interest you, remember where you start is not where you have to finish. Because a pharmacy career is so broad, you have the opportunity to explore every area that is of interest to you even after graduating. So don’t limit yourself to one area of pharmacy. Also, you don’t think that you HAVE to complete a residency. Do what works for you and block out other people’s opinions. Yes, take advice from preceptors and mentors and others close to you whom you trust, but at the end of the day it's your decision. Don’t let anyone convince you of anything if you know in your heart that that’s not what you want. This is your life and your life as a pharmacist makes a difference in the lives of others. So, make a difference in the way that works for you that you can enjoy.