It’s that special time of year again! The time of year when fourth year pharmacy students contemplate their future prospects and assess residency programs for the best fit. Earlier this month at the residency showcase at midyear I had the opportunity to meet with many of these students. There are standard questions that I hear every year- what makes our program unique?, where are our graduates now?, etc. I love answering these questions, being able to point out what I think makes our program special and brag on our graduates. But perhaps the question that I take most care in answering is when I am asked, “What we you looking for in a resident?”
I think it goes without saying that we are looking for someone intelligent. As a graduate of an accredited pharmacy school, intelligence is understood. We do look for those who excel with above average grades, but that’s not necessarily at the top of the list of assets that we are looking for. We certainly don’t expect any resident to come in knowing everything. If they did, what need would there be for a residency!
In searching for a great residency candidate, we often look for those qualities that can’t be taught. There are intangible characteristics that set some people apart. For starters, we want a resident who will be able to speak with confidence when making recommendations to the medical team, providing drug information to nurses, or precepting pharmacy students. On the other hand, we do not want someone who is over confident. It is always important to know what you don’t know. Over confidence can be a deal breaker.
Residency comes with a lot of demands. It requires great time management ability. Don’t worry, if that’s not a strong point of yours, no doubt you will learn it. What you need that we can’t teach is that spark of self-motivation that comes from within. We look for evidence of someone who has gone above and beyond the requirements of pharmacy school to further enhance their learning or to make them a better-rounded practitioner.
Finally, it is really important for our program to have a good fit. We want to have a team of residents that mesh well with our preceptors. We also want to pair up with residents that will be fulfilled by the rotations and experiences that we have to offer. If a resident is looking for something that we can’t offer, then we do not want to want to do them a disservice by matching them.
Whether you are a student looking to find the best residency or represent a program looking for the best candidate I wish you well in this forthcoming residency interviewing season!
#Residency #Careers