This episode is all about securing reference writers for letters of recommendation for pharmacy residency applications. Joining us is Dr. Brandi Bowers, a faculty member at UMKC School of Pharmacy at MSU.

Questions we discuss:

1. What is contained in the reference letter.
2. Who to ask to writer your reference letter.
3. When to ask for a reference letter.
4. How to communicate and best inform your reference writer to improve your chances of obtaining a pharmacy residency interview.

References from the episode:

1. Article we discuss: https://accpjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jac5.1929
2. Letter of Recommendation template form (as of 11.24.23): https://www.ashp.org/-/media/assets/professional-development/residencies/docs/11-14-23-PhORCAS-New-Evaluation-Form.pdf

Check out our website and sign-up to join the SASO (separate and stand out) squad. Check out our blog. If you like the show, support us by telling your friends or colleagues about it. You can also support us by clicking the coffee button on the website and buying us a cup of coffee or getting yourself some of our premium merch.

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This episode is all about all about Residency Showcases and Open Houses. Joining us is Dr. Katie Knight, a former PGY1 resident at Ascension Sacred Heart in Pensacola, Florida and current clinical pharmacist. At the time of the recording, Dr. Knight was still completing her residency and the episode is being released 6 months later.

Questions we discuss:

• What recruiting mechanisms programs are currently using, including virtual and in-person showcases and open houses.
• Differences and similarities between showcases and open houses.
• Benefits of showcases and open houses
• If the Midyear showcase attendance necessary to get a residency

This episode's take-aways:

• Showcases are generally held systematically at large meetings or conferences and can happen locally or nationally.
• Open houses are generally virtually and occur at various times depending on program availability
• Some open houses are joint if under a large health system
• How to find out about open houses: School/College of Pharmacy faculty and administrators (if they are contacted by programs); Listservs from professional organizations; Social media accounts from programs
• If planning to stay local and apply only to local program, consider only attending local showcases (state and surrounding states) instead of going to Midyear as well to save financially.
• Benefit of attending a showcase or open house is to create a comprehensive understanding of a program and obtain insight that is not included on the program website, but also get a sense of community of what it would be like to train at a given program.

What should you do now?

• Identify programs you are interested in.
• Determine if you would benefit from attending a regional or local showcase or if a national showcase is more feasible (depending on your geographic limitations)
• Determine if the program is holding an open house if travel to a national meeting is not feasible.

What should you do later?

• Develop a list of questions to ask programs at a showcase or open house.
• Continue to research and monitor program social media accounts to determine when/if they will hold open houses.

Check out our website and sign-up to join the SASO (separate and stand out) squad. Check out our blog. If you like the show, support us by telling your friends or colleagues about it. You can also support us by clicking the coffee button on the website and buying us a cup of coffee or getting yourself some of our premium merch.

Follow us on twitter @PGPharmacist or on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn @ThePostGraduatePharmacist. What questions did we not answer? What did you think of the show?

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This episode is about new changes to PhORCAS.

Questions we discuss:

1. Purpose of PhORCAS and what it is.
2. When applicants can sign up and when they should.
3. What has changed this year in PhORCAS.
4. Components of the PhORCAS application.
5. Cost and resources involved in the application.

This episode's take-aways:

1. PhORCAS is more user-friendly than previous years.
2. Sign up and make an account as soon as you get the chance.
3. Make sure to fill out all parts of PhORCAS, even if they are on your CV.
4. Plan for the cost associated with PhORCAS.

Check out our website and sign-up to join the SASO (separate and stand out) squad. Check out our blog. If you like the show, support us by telling your friends or colleagues about it. You can also support us by clicking the coffee button on the website and buying us a cup of coffee or getting yourself some of our premium merch.

Follow us on twitter @PGPharmacist or on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn @ThePostGraduatePharmacist. What questions did we not answer? What did you think of the show?

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We break down the new letter of recommendation and give our thoughts on what this means for you!

This episode is all about all about Being a Standout Candidate: Part 2. If you haven't already, go back and listen to Part 1 to discover how to shine as a candidate leading up to residency application deadlines. Here, we discuss being a standout candidate during the interview process and beyond.

Joining us is Dr. Elizabeth Hearn, an assistant professor at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth and the creator/host of the Pharm Five podcast.

Questions we discuss:

• What elements from the pre-interview still maintain importance through interviews
• Which elements are less important or become obsolete
• How branding or selling yourself change during in-person interviews or Zoom calls

This episode's take-aways:

• Organization and professionalism remain crucial during the chaotic interview season.
• Reflect on past experiences, showing a growth mindset and resilience.
• Be prepared to discuss every aspect of your application materials, including potential weaknesses.
• Finding the balance between professionalism and personality is key.

What should you do now?

• Maintain organization and professionalism throughout the interview process.
• Reflect on your past experiences and be ready to discuss personal and professional growth.

What should you do later?

• Continue embodying a balance of professionalism and personality in your personal and professional life.
• Strive for excellence, understanding that being a standout candidate is an ongoing process.

Check out our website and sign-up to join the SASO (separate and stand out) squad. Check out our blog. If you like the show, support us by telling your friends or colleagues about it. You can also support us by clicking the coffee button on the website and buying us a cup of coffee or getting yourself some of our premium merch.

Follow us on twitter @PGPharmacist or on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn @ThePostGraduatePharmacist. What questions did we not answer? What did you think of the show?

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This episode is all about becoming a standout candidate for pharmacy residency. Joining us is Dr. Elizabeth Hearn, assistant professor and creator/host of the "Pharm5 Podcast." We'll explore essential strategies to set you apart in the competitive world of post-graduate training.

Questions we discuss:

• Key factors that make a candidate stand out.
• The role of grades in residency applications.
• Importance of leadership experiences and approaching them strategically.
• Maximizing the value of work experiences.
• Significance of research experience for residency applicants.
• Leveraging extracurricular activities to enhance your profile.
• Balancing aspects within and beyond a candidate's control.
• Selecting recommenders who can provide valuable insights.
• Maintaining professionalism and effective communication.
• The power of networking and building connections.
• Authentic ways to stand out in your applications.
• Final thoughts and advice for aspiring residency candidates.

This episode's take-aways:

• Aim for a competitive GPA (around 2.75 to 3.0), balancing grades with other experiences.
• Prioritize quality leadership roles over quantity.
• Part-time work and small-scale research projects can make a difference.
• Authenticity matters; be yourself and use social media professionally.
• Building connections and networking can open unexpected opportunities.
• Resilience and determination are as important as a perfect application.

What should you do now?

• Reflect on your experiences and consider areas where you can grow.
• Start building connections with mentors, peers, and colleagues.
• Embrace authenticity and showcase your personality on professional platforms.

What should you do later?

• Gradually build your application, focusing on clear organization and proofreading.
• Carefully select recommenders who can provide specific insights.
• Use social media for networking and stay informed about programs.

Check out our website and sign-up to join the SASO (separate and stand out) squad. Check out our blog. If you like the show, support us by telling your friends or colleagues about it. You can also support us by clicking the coffee button on the website and buying us a cup of coffee or getting yourself some of our premium merch.

Follow us on twitter @PGPharmacist or on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn @ThePostGraduatePharmacist. What questions did we not answer? What did you think of the show?

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This episode we discuss the overall stats from the 2023 ASHP Residency Match and discuss future implications of these results.

Check out our website and sign-up to join the SASO (separate and stand out) squad. Check out our blog. If you like the show, support us by telling your friends or colleagues about it. You can also support us by clicking the coffee button on the website and buying us a cup of coffee or getting yourself some of our premium merch.

Follow us on twitter @PGPharmacist or on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn @ThePostGraduatePharmacist. What questions did we not answer? What did you think of the show?

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PhORCAS is the online application tool for the ASHP residency process. Similar to PhARMCAS for pharmacy school. This is the tool where you will upload all your transcripts, CV, letter of intents, tag reference writers, and put all your info. There's a lot to consider when using this application tool and we break those down in this episode.

Questions we discuss:

1. Should you copy over all the fields in your letter of intent into the personalized fields in PhORCAS?
2. How does the reference portion work?
3. What are tips to build a successful PhORCAS application?
4. What are the costs? How much will I pay per program?
5. How to budget for PhORCAS

This episode's take-aways:

1. It's going to take a long time to build your PhORCAS application so set aside periodical time to do this.

What should you do now? PhORCAS does not open until later in the summer/fall, so right now just focus on your APPE rotations and building those spots in your resume, Listen to our other episodes on how to be successful during APPE's.

What should you do later? Get on PhORCAS and become familiar with it, start building your application

Check out our website and sign-up to join the SASO (separate and stand out) squad. Check out our blog. If you like the show, support us by telling your friends or colleagues about it. You can also support us by clicking the coffee button on the website and buying us a cup of coffee or getting yourself some of our premium merch.

Follow us on twitter @PGPharmacist or on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn @ThePostGraduatePharmacist. What questions did we not answer? What did you think of the show?

Music | "Sweet" by LiQWYD

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