Are you a pharmacy student and want to stand out as a residency applicant? Find out 6 ways in this video and Stay until the end when I share the most important way to stand out as an applicant!
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Hi, I’m Dr. Jessica Louie and I’m an Associate Professor, Board-Certified Critical Care Pharmacist and entrepreneur. I help people find meaning beyond a job title and let go of burnout. We talk passive income and simplifying on this channel to combat stress and burnout. If you haven’t seen my burnout story or our debt-free journey while in residency/fellowship, please click those video links below.
If you don’t know about my journey, I completed a PGY1 in pharmacy practice and PGY2 in critical care in 2014 and 2015 as ASHP accredited programs.
This video is my personal opinion and not associated or sponsored.
Method 1: Be well-rounded or multi-dimensional
Show that you are more than the grades you earned in Pharmacy School. Highlight your activities such as intern pharmacist experience, co-curricular activities, volunteer work, leadership roles, research or scholarship experience. You can strategically build these over your four years in the PharmD program.
Method 2: Letters of Recommendation
Be sure to ask for STRONG letters of recommendation. I encourage you to ask for letters from different settings that highlight different skill sets you have developed.
Method 3: Take challenging rotations (IPPE or APPE) and write about them!
Take IPPE and APPE rotations that are challenging to you and that align with your interests. Write about these rotations on your CV and written application with strong, detailed verbs. Yes, we know that students don’t always get their preferred picks for rotations based on lottery systems in the PharmD program but try your best to seek out the opportunities that will help you grow as a person and pharmacist.
Method 4: Don’t be afraid to BRAG in your application
Being too humble will only hurt you. If the program does not know you from a rotation or student interaction, the only way they will understand your experience, skillset and achievements is through the written application. Write a strong application with detailed examples, projects and verbs.
Method 5: Acknowledge Pharmacy is a Small World
Pharmacy is a small world. Who you meet can change the trajectory of your career. You may meet a pharmacist or residency director in line at the coffee shop at a conference or in the bus ride from the hotel or on the airplane. Be open to these new encounters and professional during these interactions. Afterwards, don’t forget to connect on LinkedIn and continue the conversation.
Method 6: Interview
Have fun and show your personality during the interview. This is where you can interview the program as much as they interview you.
What is the MOST important way to STAND OUT as a residency applicant?
Always be open to new opportunities in pharmacy – you never know when you’ll run into a new field or a former classmate or preceptor. This goes back to the point about “Pharmacy is a Small World.”
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You may also Enjoy Reading:
- Day in the Life of a Critical Care Pharmacist
- Roadmap to Pharmacy Residency
- 5 Ways to Improve Study Habits
- 5 Tips for Staying Focused while Studying
- How to Use Medication Charts to Study Drugs
Jessica Louie, PharmD, APh, BCCCP is the CEO of Clarify, Simplify, Align and Host of The Burnout Doctor Podcast. Dr. Louie uses her signature Burnout Doctor Method to coach burned out pharmacists & professionals to simplify because work-life balance is a LIE. Align work into your life & break free from people pleasing, perfectionism and thrive in life on YOUR TERMS.