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It is that time of year again:  Post-Midyear and the applications for residency programs are flying about like paper flurries in the mail.  Anxious pharmacy students from across the country are sending their applications off with wishes and prayers and perhaps even a few sighs.  For me, mailing the applications felt like sending little children out on their way to something important in the world.  It felt like all my hopes for the future were in those few envelopes.  I think I actually held my breath when I handed them over to the postal clerk.  In November.  :)  I couldn’t wait to get all of my applications out the door before Midyear, but I actually sat on them for two weeks just to make sure they wouldn’t arrive TOO early.

As a P4 student in pursuit of a residency next year, younger students in the program ask me all the time:  What is one thing I can do to make my residency application stronger?  My answer is:  apply early. 

Applying early helps you

…do the necessary preparation before Midyear, so that you can make the most of the Residency Showcase and not stress the entire time you are at Midyear about getting everything in order when you get home. 

…communicate interest to the programs you are applying that you value their program enough not to wait until the last minute to send the application in. 

…turn in a more polished application to your programs of interest because you have had time to write your letters of intent and proofread your CV and application many times to make sure there are no errors or typos

…fine tune which programs offer the experiences you are looking for while giving you an idea about fit (before you even interview there). 

…avoid the stress of having to track down recommendations from people who may be on vacation and/or out of town. 

…beat the holiday rush at the post office.

…have you peace of mind because you be able to relax with family and friends and enjoy the season without fretting about letters, CVs, recommendations, envelopes, and postage. 

No matter what the outcome of the application process (stay tuned!), I have already reaped all of the aforementioned benefits  by getting my applications out early this year.  One student said, “But I might lose out a few more accomplishments on my CV if I apply too early.”  I personally do not see any advantages and many disadvantages (Ulcers! Anxiety! Stress!) in waiting to apply until the last minute.  If you have researched your programs, your reasons for doing a residency there should not change between September and January of your P4 year.   Another student said, “But how do you find the time?”  Of course, making time to do things ahead of time is always difficult because time always seems to be in such short supply no matter what we do.  My solution to the time conundrum is to set my own personal deadline as my real “drop dead” deadline date (not negotiable despite my best excuses) and to chip away at things gradually…I did a little bit here and there, and eventually, I was finished.  I started my residency search early, too.  I started paying attention to programs as early as my P1 year (particularly the strong programs in my own backyard).  One student said, “When should I start?”  It is never too early to start.  I do recommend that you check with the programs you are applying to make sure the programs are okay with accepting applications at an earlier deadline.  Some programs don’t even want to think about applications until after Midyear, which is understandable. 

One last caveat, as a point of kindness:  I do NOT recommend you advertise that you sent your applications early to your stressed-out classmates who are feverishly working on their letters of intent and posting their applications at the last minute by Federal Express.  (!)  I was bursting at the seams to shout from the rooftops about having everything in the post before Thanksgiving because I was so joyful to be done.  But I wisely kept the details to myself because the last thing I wanted to do to my anxious classmates was add to their stress load.  Your friends will appreciate NOT knowing you have been playing Angry Birds and sipping egg nog lazily while they have been up all night with no sleep to get their applications to the post before the deadline.