- Look for places for which you have already applied. They might not be THE hospital you sent your original application to, but consider the possibility that they might be willing to consider you more seriously since you have already been vetted by their "sister" hospital. Another reason I put this first is that you might be able to swing a rotation at the other hospital which first attracted you to the system. This couldn't hurt if they have a PGY-2 you are interested in for next year as well.
- Ask a few mentors for ideas. They might know someone at one of the sites. Make sure they know what you are looking for so they don't try to send you to a critical care place when you really want more of an ambulatory care place. This means you need to give people copies of the unmatched list so that they can browse and do a little research. As I was poking around, I found a former student from Henderson who is now in a completely different part of the country at a site with an unmatched slot.
- Since you have a much smaller list than when you did this the first time around, consider a process of elimination vs. a process of adding sites to your list. If you don't want home infusion, for example, you can cross off all of the "Critical Care Systems" slots. If you are considering this program, give me a call, I know the director pretty well.
- If you are thinking about a PGY-2 in an inpatient specialty, consider the benefits of a good solid well-rounded PGY-1 experience at a community hospital. If they offer the basics like cardiology, critical care, pediatrics, internal medicine, administration, and infectious disease, you will have a good foundation for future specialization. Some of these places might be in more rural areas, which might mean less competition from students at other schools.
- Don't be afraid of programs in candidate status. Like the regular application process, you want to apply broadly to more well-known and lesser-known to improve your chances. EVERY program started in candidate status at some point. There could be something in there with great potential as long as you will get the experiences you are looking for.
Friday, March 22, 2013
How to select programs in the scramble
I know it's been a long and arduous process, but if you are scrambling, get ready for the final sprint. By now you have probably at least browsed through the unmatched position list, but where to start? Here are some steps which might help you break this down a little.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Preparing for The Scramble
I have had a few individual questions about how best to prepare for "The Scramble." Each year navigating the Scramble becomes more difficult as there are increasing numbers of unmatched PGY1 applicants (in 2012 this number was 1438 unmatched candidates) and decreasing number of unmatched positions for all types of PGY1 residencies (in 2012 this number was 145 unmatched residencies). Please do not be discouraged as there are many well-qualified student pharmacists who do not Match. Each year Roseman *has* had at least one student secure a position in the Scramble. See a few tips below about how to streamline your efforts:
Prior to Match Day (Friday, March 22nd):
1. Update your CV and upload again into PhORCAS. Even if you have favorable results with the Match, spending the time to update your CV is worth it because you will need to continue updating your CV throughout your career.
2. Contact your reference writers. If you haven't already done so, please send them thank you notes. Depending on the number of programs where you applied, each reference writer spent between 5-10 hours of their own time to write a letter.
On Match Day:
1. Access information about unmatched programs in PhORCAS starting at 10 a.m. Mountain time. Research these programs just as you did when you originally selected programs prior to submitting your applications starting on Monday, March 25th. Though it may be tempting, do not apply to programs outside your area of interest simply for the sake of obtaining a residency. Remember a residency is a commitment for a year and being in an undesired practice setting is unlikely to meet your professional goals. Both you and the program may be similarly frustrated in the coming year.
2. Let your reference writers know your status right away. They will want to share your success if you matched. If you did not match, you will need your references to write new letters of recommendations. Letter writers can upload new evaluations as early as 10 a.m. Mountain time on March 22nd. Since programs can make offers as early as April 1st, your reference writers will need to submit a new letter within a few days so you will need to verify they have this availability to do so.
3. Use your networking strategies. Programs receive hundreds to thousands of inquiries about unmatched positions so they are much more likely to pursue a known candidate. This may translate to if you had any contact with them at ASHP Midyear or other professional meetings, if you had previously applied to their program, or if they know anyone who knows you. I highly encourage you to contact college faculty (especially Dr. Smith) about your status in the Scramble. We can determine if there is a connection between any Roseman faculty member or past alumni with the program.
Do not underestimate the power of networking! Last year a South Jordan candidate shared how he matched in the Scramble due to networking on behalf of a program. The residency director knew one of the pharmacists at an APPE site where the Roseman candidate had completed a rotation. The director contacted this site pharmacist without the knowledge of the candidate at the time. The site pharmacist had never served as the candidate's preceptor but was able to relay positive information about the candidate's professional demeanor and clinical performance based on word-of-mouth. Remember, pharmacy is a small world and you want to use this to your advantage!
Beyond Match Day:
1. Await contact from programs. If a program is interested in you, you will most likely be asked to participate in a brief in-person interview (if local) or a telephone interview. These interviews are likely to be much shorter so you have to make a strong impression very quickly. You may be asked to submit examples of projects (journal club, case presentations, educational handouts, etc.) you completed on APPE rotations for them to gauge your clinical skills. Programs will evaluate all candidates they decided to pursue and then extend acceptance or rejection offers at their discretion.
2. Recheck PhORCAS often about available positions. Keep in mind some programs will find out in April or May if they have been granted funding for additional positions. These positions will become available in PhORCAS and you can apply to them just as you did in December/January.
Good luck and keep us posted!
Prior to Match Day (Friday, March 22nd):
1. Update your CV and upload again into PhORCAS. Even if you have favorable results with the Match, spending the time to update your CV is worth it because you will need to continue updating your CV throughout your career.
2. Contact your reference writers. If you haven't already done so, please send them thank you notes. Depending on the number of programs where you applied, each reference writer spent between 5-10 hours of their own time to write a letter.
On Match Day:
1. Access information about unmatched programs in PhORCAS starting at 10 a.m. Mountain time. Research these programs just as you did when you originally selected programs prior to submitting your applications starting on Monday, March 25th. Though it may be tempting, do not apply to programs outside your area of interest simply for the sake of obtaining a residency. Remember a residency is a commitment for a year and being in an undesired practice setting is unlikely to meet your professional goals. Both you and the program may be similarly frustrated in the coming year.
2. Let your reference writers know your status right away. They will want to share your success if you matched. If you did not match, you will need your references to write new letters of recommendations. Letter writers can upload new evaluations as early as 10 a.m. Mountain time on March 22nd. Since programs can make offers as early as April 1st, your reference writers will need to submit a new letter within a few days so you will need to verify they have this availability to do so.
3. Use your networking strategies. Programs receive hundreds to thousands of inquiries about unmatched positions so they are much more likely to pursue a known candidate. This may translate to if you had any contact with them at ASHP Midyear or other professional meetings, if you had previously applied to their program, or if they know anyone who knows you. I highly encourage you to contact college faculty (especially Dr. Smith) about your status in the Scramble. We can determine if there is a connection between any Roseman faculty member or past alumni with the program.
Do not underestimate the power of networking! Last year a South Jordan candidate shared how he matched in the Scramble due to networking on behalf of a program. The residency director knew one of the pharmacists at an APPE site where the Roseman candidate had completed a rotation. The director contacted this site pharmacist without the knowledge of the candidate at the time. The site pharmacist had never served as the candidate's preceptor but was able to relay positive information about the candidate's professional demeanor and clinical performance based on word-of-mouth. Remember, pharmacy is a small world and you want to use this to your advantage!
Beyond Match Day:
1. Await contact from programs. If a program is interested in you, you will most likely be asked to participate in a brief in-person interview (if local) or a telephone interview. These interviews are likely to be much shorter so you have to make a strong impression very quickly. You may be asked to submit examples of projects (journal club, case presentations, educational handouts, etc.) you completed on APPE rotations for them to gauge your clinical skills. Programs will evaluate all candidates they decided to pursue and then extend acceptance or rejection offers at their discretion.
2. Recheck PhORCAS often about available positions. Keep in mind some programs will find out in April or May if they have been granted funding for additional positions. These positions will become available in PhORCAS and you can apply to them just as you did in December/January.
Good luck and keep us posted!
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Upcoming Dates -- Residency Match 2013
March 22, 2013 at 12:00 PM Eastern Time
- Match results are released to applicants and program directors.
- The PhORCAS application portal will be reopened so that unmatched applicants may begin updating their information (CVs, letters of intent, letters of recommendation, etc.). Previous information will be accessible in the system for students who used PhORCAS pre-match.
- The list of programs with openings will be preloaded into PhORCAS.
- New applicants may participate in the scramble however they must register for the match and PhORCAS and pay associated fees.
- New programs and new positions for existing programs can be added.
- Designation portal is again open to applicants in PhORCAS. No distinction will be made between "in progress" and "complete" applications. The fees of $25 per application will again apply.
- Programs may designate a new application deadline or they may keep the default deadline of
May 31, 2013.April 1, 2013 - Available applicant list is posted for programs.
- The Commission on Credentialing has asked for a moratorium on position offers to applicants until this date in an effort to give programs and applicants sufficient time to make good decisions without the fear of competition with the best applicants/programs. This is non-binding but Dr. Sebranek and I believe this recommendation will be followed by the residency programs.
- Programs will begin to remove remaining unmatched positions as they are filled
- Matched applicants must sign and return their letter of confirmation to their residency program.
- PhORCAS closes for the post-match process.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Rank Order Decisions
As a reminder, rank order lists are due to the National Matching Service (NMS) or "The Match" are due on Friday, March 8th and Match results will be released on Friday, March 22nd!
Deciding which program to rank can be even more agonizing than deciding where to apply. Programs that looked good "on paper" may not be as impressive in person. Alternatively, a program which wasn't initially the highest on your list of considerations may now have some big selling points after you have visited the site and met with staff . You may be creating lists of "pros" and "cons" for each interview site and also weighing just how important each "pro" and "con" is to you.
Here are a few basic things to consider:
1. Let your rank order reflect your short-term and long-term goals but don't forget to consider what your training will be like in the interim. After you finish your PGY1 residency, what do you want to do next? If you perform well as a resident, you may have a PGY2 position or job offer at the site if positions are available. You may be weighing objective factors such as opportunities at a site (training stucture and opportunities) against the intangible factors (organizational philosophy or how much you felt you "fit"at a site). My recommendation is to ultimately go with the "gut instinct" because if you are self-motivated, you may be able to create some learning opportunities in your residency. Just remember:
2. DO NOT base your ranking decisions on how much you think the site liked you. Remember, it is against ASHP residency matching rules for either the site or the candidate to overtly share rank order before the match. Some places are better about playing "poker face" than others. A few sites may more aggressively court candidates but the larger majority stay silent until Match Day. Dr. Smith and I have many, many stories of candidates who didn't rank a site or prioritize them higher and then were very surprised / disappointed to learn later on how much the site wanted them.
3. Conversely, if you encountered some red flags during an interview, think about the context. Were there extenuating circumstances on your interview day? For instance, a local hospital had a Joint Commission survey during their major interview week so staff there were understandably pulled in many directions during that week. Was the negative interaction with a specific person at the site or did you sense it was the overwhelming culture? When I was interviewing for residencies, I was put off by the attitude of a current resident at the time. I finally decided I liked the site as a whole and am so glad I matched at a site where the overwhelming majority of pharmacists were very positive and welcoming. You do have to spent at least 40 hours a week at site so were these red flags a deal-breaker? How much are you willing to risk not matching at any site if you decide not to rank an institution?
Best of luck with a difficult decision! Please keep Dr. Smith and I informed about your results so we can congratulate your success or strategize during the scramble.
Deciding which program to rank can be even more agonizing than deciding where to apply. Programs that looked good "on paper" may not be as impressive in person. Alternatively, a program which wasn't initially the highest on your list of considerations may now have some big selling points after you have visited the site and met with staff . You may be creating lists of "pros" and "cons" for each interview site and also weighing just how important each "pro" and "con" is to you.
Here are a few basic things to consider:
1. Let your rank order reflect your short-term and long-term goals but don't forget to consider what your training will be like in the interim. After you finish your PGY1 residency, what do you want to do next? If you perform well as a resident, you may have a PGY2 position or job offer at the site if positions are available. You may be weighing objective factors such as opportunities at a site (training stucture and opportunities) against the intangible factors (organizational philosophy or how much you felt you "fit"at a site). My recommendation is to ultimately go with the "gut instinct" because if you are self-motivated, you may be able to create some learning opportunities in your residency. Just remember:
2. DO NOT base your ranking decisions on how much you think the site liked you. Remember, it is against ASHP residency matching rules for either the site or the candidate to overtly share rank order before the match. Some places are better about playing "poker face" than others. A few sites may more aggressively court candidates but the larger majority stay silent until Match Day. Dr. Smith and I have many, many stories of candidates who didn't rank a site or prioritize them higher and then were very surprised / disappointed to learn later on how much the site wanted them.
3. Conversely, if you encountered some red flags during an interview, think about the context. Were there extenuating circumstances on your interview day? For instance, a local hospital had a Joint Commission survey during their major interview week so staff there were understandably pulled in many directions during that week. Was the negative interaction with a specific person at the site or did you sense it was the overwhelming culture? When I was interviewing for residencies, I was put off by the attitude of a current resident at the time. I finally decided I liked the site as a whole and am so glad I matched at a site where the overwhelming majority of pharmacists were very positive and welcoming. You do have to spent at least 40 hours a week at site so were these red flags a deal-breaker? How much are you willing to risk not matching at any site if you decide not to rank an institution?
Best of luck with a difficult decision! Please keep Dr. Smith and I informed about your results so we can congratulate your success or strategize during the scramble.
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