Residency candidates and social media

If you are a residency-bound student graduating in 2014, you are probably thinking about the contents of your curriculum vitae (CV) with some frequency.  There are numerous places where you can get feedback on your CV including the USHP CV Review Night (Sept. 23, 2013) and the ACCP CV Review Service.  While you have probably heard all of the stories about typos and irrelevant information which have appeared on "bad" residency candidate CVs, in the grand scheme of things, this is nothing compared to what could potentially be discovered about you via social media.  Consider the possibility that what you might consider typical off-work behavior might be poorly perceived by the workplace environment when an attempt is being made to judge your character or values.  As evidenced through timeline posts, comments, photographs, "likes" of companies/organizations/events, residency program directors might discover explicit language, racist/sexist/ageist remarks, evidence of substance abuse, behavior which is in poor taste, etc.  Consider the following.  In a survey conducted in 2009, 75 - 90% of residency program directors agreed or strongly agreed to the following statements:

• "Information published voluntarily online in social media should be "fair game" for judgments on character, attitudes, and professionalism."
• "Residency candidates should be accountable for unprofessional behavior discovered through social media postings."
• "Professional students should be held to higher standards than other students regarding the image they portray on social media."
• "The attitudes and behaviors displayed (e.g., comments, photos) on social media reflect upon an individual as a health care provider."
• "It is acceptable for a pharmacy residency program director to review a prospective residency candidate's social media profile."
• "If a pharmacy residency program director chooses to review a residency candidate's social media profile, it is acceptable for that information to be used when considering the candidate's suitability."

While social media might seem like a great place to showcase yourself, consider that in the same survey, of the small number residency program directors who viewed pharmacy residency candidates social media information, 52% discovered issues revealing an unprofessional attitude.  This does not mean that pharmacy residency candidates are unprofessional.  It just means that social media allowed a view into people's private or personal lives which reflected on their professional lives.  If you would not like to openly discuss your leisure time activities with an employer, make sure that "conversation" is not happening without your consent via social media.

Cain J, Scott DR, Smith K. Am J Health-Syst Pharm. 2010;67:1635-9.

Meetings Meetings Everywhere!

Today's blog post is about the wealth of pharmacy meetings which are scheduled between now and residency application deadlines (early January).  Each one offers slightly different professional development and/or residency applicant resources.  Lower student registration prices reflect the costs for members of the organization. Organized by date...

September 14th, 2013 Utah Society of Health-System Pharmacists ($40 for students)
University of Utah Campus (HSEB), Salt Lake City, Utah

• Opportunities to network with local residency preceptors and directors
• Residency "speed dating." Students rotate between stations to learn about PhORCAS, the Match, letters of reference, ASHP Midyear residency showcase, PPS, letters of intent

October 4th - 5th, 2013 Nevada Society of Health-System Pharmacists ($25 - $35)
John Ascuaga's Nugget, Reno, Nevada

• Opportunities to network with local residency preceptors and directors
• Professional development roundtables (details TBA)

October 12th - 16th, 2013 American College of Clinical Pharmacy ($165 - $230)
Albuquerque, New Mexico

• Opportunities to network with residency and fellowship preceptors and directors
• Residency-related programming:  Emerge from the crowd: how to become a standout residency candidate
• Clinical Pharmacy Career Path Roundtables where you can speak with practitioners about 15 different specialties in clinical pharmacy
• Opportunities to meet residency and fellowship preceptors and directors via the Residency and Fellowship Forum
• CV and portfolio development workshop
• Mock residency interviews

October 15th - 18th, 2013 Academy of Managed Care Pharmacists ($120 - $140)
San Antonio, Texas

• Opportunities to meet preceptors and directors via the showcase of managed care residencies and fellowships
• CV review clinic
• Programming on understanding the residency match

October 31st - November 3rd, 2013 California Society of Health-System Pharmacists Annual Seminar ($225 - $305)
Anaheim, California

• Opportunities to meet preceptors and directors via the residency showcase
• Student programming

December 8 - 12th, 2013 American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Midyear Meeting ($270 - $375)
Orlando, Florida

• Opportunities to network with residency preceptors and directors
• Residency-related programming (the Match, applications, PhORCAS, interviews, PPS, CVs)
• Opportunities to meet preceptors and directors via the residency showcase
• Opportunities for a mini-interview with some residency programs

Pharmacy Specialties? There may or may not be student or residency-specific programming, but why not go to network? 

• Society of Infectious Disease Pharmacists (September 9th, Denver, Colorado)
• Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (September 27th, Chicago, Illinois)
• Pediatric Pharmacy Advocacy Group (April 2014)
• College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists (April 2014)

Taking the risk on residency

More than any other generation of pharmacy students, you have taken a sizeable gamble in deciding to become a pharmacist.  Most likely you are taking a large financial risk in going to school to study pharmacy and the chances that there won't be a paycheck to help you with those loans is higher than it has been for previous students.  Pursuing a residency position is yet another huge gamble.  What will happen if your time and effort spent networking, working on applications, and completing projects don't pay off? 

Around this time of year, Dr. Sebranek and I talk to a lot of students who are hesitant to take the gamble on a residency position.  They perhaps enjoyed and did well in their first two rotations.  Maybe a recent preceptor told them they would make a good resident.  Maybe they have heard that a residency will best prepare them to compete for the type of pharmacy position they want.  The problem is that they are unsure if the gamble is worth the effort.  Here are some questions you should ask yourself if you are finding yourself in this position.

1. What am I losing by putting time and effort into applying for a residency if I don't get one? How does that time and effort compare to what I've already invested in the profession?
2. What advice have I been given about my "chances?"  Do people (classmates, preceptors, mentors, faculty) seem surprised when I say I want to pursue residency training? Do people seem enthusiastic and encouraging?  What is in my power to change if my chances don't seem favorable in other's eyes?
3. How well informed do I feel about what I will get out of residency training?
4. What do I risk by spending my first (or second) year after graduation in residency training? What are the expectations of my friends and family? What do and don't they understand about the risks vs. benefits of completing a residency?

A recent study published in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacists reveals the results of a survey of current residents and pharmacy faculty on the factors motivating students to decide to pursue or not pursue residency training.  The most common barriers were as follows: financial obligations (79%), a job was available upon graduation (45%), family obligations (37%), geographical limitations (28%), the belief that grades were not good enough (17%), competition for highly sought after programs (28%), disappointment of not matching (20%). 

I don't know about you, but I think it is a shame that 3 out of the 6 most common reasons have to do with fear and lack of confidence.  As you are thinking about your next steps, evaluate your fears carefully and take a hard look at the "worst case scenarios."