Pharmacy residency: Should you pursue a PGY1?

Chances are, if you’re a pharmacy student, you’ve wondered whether you should pursue a pharmacy residency. You’ve heard a million different opinions – from those saying you HAVE to complete a pharmacy residency to get a job, to others telling you that a residency is a waste of time. How do you know who to listen to? Should you or should you not pursue a pharmacy residency in 2020?

The truth is, there is no right or wrong answer. A pharmacy residency program may be the perfect stepping stone for some, but for others, it may be less than ideal. There are pros and cons to both sides, but long story short, YOU have to decide what is best for you.

As an inpatient clinical pharmacist, I applied to and completed an inpatient pharmacy residency as a PGY1 (post-graduate year one). Some people go on to pursue a second year of residency, but for me, one was enough. Some of my peers chose to complete a fellowship instead. Others went directly into working as a full-time pharmacist. If I went back in time, would I pursue a residency again? Absolutely! Below, I’ll highlight some of the top pros and cons of a PGY1 residency from my own experiences.

The Pros

1. You get an extra year of hands-on learning. Remember when you started clinical rotations? Being on-site is a completely different experience than learning in a classroom. When you choose to do a residency, it is as if you are on rotations, except you are now licensed with more liberties. You get to make decisions, verify orders, check medications, adjust patients’ medication regimens, and sign your life away. You also get to interact with other health professionals and build your communication skills. As a pharmacy resident though, you have preceptors to help guide and teach you as you transition into your new pharmacist role. They share their insights, experiences, clinical pearls, and look over your work to make sure it is clinically sound. It’s basically like learning to ride a bike with training wheels.
   
2. You have time to explore different specialties to discover what you enjoy. Perhaps you have a particular interest in a certain topic like cardiology, infectious diseases, or pediatrics during school, but you never had the opportunity to complete a rotation in that specialty. Or maybe you completed a rotation, but now you want more of it! Depending on which residency site you match at, you may have the option to rotate through those particular departments and even ones you never considered. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find your passion in the emergency room!
   
3. You open up the door for job opportunities. A lot of sites hire their own residents once they complete their PGY1. The hospital or site basically spent a year training you already, so who would be more perfect than you to get hired for the position? And if there are no open job positions at the time, your residency director and coordinator may put in a good word for you elsewhere. Job positions these days are harder to come by, and with a year of pharmacy residency under your belt, you make yourself more competitive. With that said, make sure you take your pharmacy residency seriously, show up, and do your best!

The Cons

1. You have to deal with the stress of applying to, interviewing, and matching with a residency program. It is a lot of work, and for many people, interviews are nerve-wracking! One interview is stressful enough, but imagine having to do it 8-10 times! or however many places you choose to apply. You also have to work it out with your 4th year rotation preceptors and possibly make up missed time on the weekends or after hours.
   
2. You will need to devote a lot of time and energy to your residency program. It’s not like you can just clock out and leave when your scheduled shift or time is over. A lot of preceptors expect you to stay and learn, especially if there are interesting cases. If there are disease states you don’t know or drug info questions you can’t answer, be prepared to spend the night researching and learning. On top of that, you have residency projects, journal clubs, presentations, and likely a whole laundry list of things to do before your program ends! It’s not necessarily a bad thing since you learn A LOT, but it may be hard if you have to juggle other priorities like family, kids, etc.
   
3. The pay is low. You’ve probably heard it before, and I’m here to confirm it. You don’t make a lot of money as a resident even though you have a doctorate degree. To be transparent, I actually made LESS per hour as a resident than my last year as an intern! And I get it, pharmacy school is expensive, and you have debts racking up, so you’re ready to work. On the flip side, you’ve already invested 4 whole years, what’s another year to further your learning and expertise?

Reasons to Pursue a Pharmacy Residency

Ultimately, you have to decide if pharmacy residency is right for you. Do you have the time and energy to complete the program? Can you sustain yourself or your family on another year of low income? Are you doing it because you feel like you have to? Or do you actually WANT to? Do you feel like you have more to learn? Of all the reasons to apply for a pharmacy residency, the best one is to learn and gain experience.

Don’t do it because you feel like you HAVE to or because everyone else is doing it. Don’t do it because you feel like this is the only way to get an inpatient position. (It certainly gives you an advantage, but pharmacists without residency experiences still get hired). It can actually hurt you if you match but aren’t mentally invested. Pharmacy is a small world! If you give the impression that you’re undedicated or lazy, you may hurt your chances of finding a job.

You might feel like you have learned enough, and you’re ready to work full-time. Maybe there isn’t a residency program that specifically matches your needs and interests. Or you might just feel like your time is better spent elsewhere, and that is totally okay! It’s a year-long commitment, so make sure it’s a decision you won’t regret.

If you have questions, feel free to leave a comment, email me, or find me on social media!