It’s really amazing how quick things can change when you’re a P4! Last month I was in Bismarck, ND completing a rotation in pharmacy management at a hospital. I am now currently in Jensen Beach, FL completing a rotation in community pharmacy at CVS. Even after traveling 2000 miles away and being 60 degrees warmer, I’m still working on the same thing. For those of you that are P4s, you know exactly what that is. The months of October, November, and December are dedicated to Midyear preparation and residency applications.
When I first attended the Midyear Meeting in 2011 as a P2, it was very overwhelming, to say the least. It took me a couple of days just to take in the enormity of the event. As a P3, I felt much more comfortable at the meeting and participated in a lot of student programming. For those of you who are P3s, I would definitely try and participate in as many Pharmacy Student Forum programming events as possible. Those events are designed for P3s and it really gives you a jump start on preparing for residency applications and interviews the following year. I would also highly suggest going on the Midyear website and viewing the list of events/times/locations to give you an idea of what your schedule will be like in Orlando. Don’t forget to allow yourself some time to explore the city and enjoy the amazing weather! You can always count on the Midyear Meeting location to be pretty phenomenal, whether it’s Orlando, Anaheim, New Orleans, or Las Vegas.
Although the Midyear Meeting is always exciting, it can also be very stressful for those students who are interviewing and trying to find the right residency program. To help alleviate some of that stress and to help better prepare you for the residency application process, I would recommend going to the link posted at the bottom of this blog. The link will direct you to a document provided by the University of Texas, titled “Surviving the Residency Application Process.” Even though it’s 44 pages long, it really is an awesome resource to help prepare you for Midyear. I would also look into buying a copy of “Get the Residency” which is ASHP’s guide to residency interviews and preparation. The more information you have about the process, the less stressful your P4 year will be!
I’ve also been working on a project for the ASHP Student Advisory group regarding the residency directory. We’re trying to come up with a way to help make it easier for students to compare information between residency programs. First, we would like to determine which categories students want to use for comparing residencies. I hope to have a survey available for student feedback on the ASHP Connect discussion thread after the holiday season. I’ll definitely provide more information as we get to that point.
I can’t forget about rotations either! Most of my rotations have been in the institutional setting so far, but it’s been interesting to get some experience working in the retail world. Down in Florida, their busy season is just beginning as all the snowbirds come back for the winter. This usually means plenty of transfers, Medicare Part D enrollment, and a lot more drive-thru. Even though this may not be the area that I see myself practicing in one day, I’m definitely learning a lot about retail pharmacy.
That’s all I’ve got for now. Have a safe trip to Midyear and I hope you enjoy the meeting.
Thanks for reading!
“Surviving the Residency Application Process”
http://www.utexas.edu/pharmacy/divisions/pharmaco/postdoc/residency_app_process.pdf
#Residency #Rotations #PharmacyStudents