I just started my PGY2 after finishing the worst most toxic PGY1 experience of my life. I was belittled every day, bullied constantly and felt so alone and depressed that I had to seek mental health support.

I genuinely considered quitting residency a few times. Looking back I am so glad that I didn’t. I know it’s early in the year but I am SO much happier and I can’t believe I was in such a dark place just a few months (maybe even weeks ago). I really thought the torment wasn’t going to end and I based my worth on pleasing people who were just sad about their own lives.

Anyways the reason I decided to make this post was because I don’t want anyone to feel the way that I was feeling. Residency is important but it is NOT everything. You are not worthless if a preceptor doesn’t like a project you worked on. Residency should NEVER make you consider that other people’s opinions are more important than your life. If you feel like that your program is failing you. Please just keep this in mind as you go through the year.

I’m sure that most programs provide support to their residents and genuinely want to teach. That was the opposite of my experience and being on the other side I realize how awful and wrong what happened to me was. Remember why you chose pharmacy and always stay true to yourself.

Have a great year : ) - also feel free to save this post if you ever need to reach out to someone about anything residency related

I am trying to run a report for certain ICD10 codes and I am trying to do it proactively. For example I would run a report a week ahead of time on the clinics schedule to see patients with that certain diagnosis code. Does anybody know how to do this?

If that doesn’t make sense I’ll try to explain differently but helllpppp😩

no matter how old your child is, would you recommend a student pharmacist who is a parent pursue a residency?

Hi I am a clinical phatmacist planning to move to Ireland (Dublin Or Belfast), i am wondering if the hospitals have a residency program (does it have an alternative name in ireland?), if not how can someone specilize in a certain clinical pharmacy field in ireland?

Hello!!! I am hoping to get some honest advice to be a strong applicant. I am an incoming P2, I work as an intern at a community pharmacy, have been a technician for 5 years, and am getting an MPH in epidemiology. I am also in some clubs, and I volunteer, but I have no leadership roles. I am mainly interested in ambulatory care or ID.

If you were advising a P2, what would you recommend prioritizing?? Any advice or criticism is appreciated. Thanks!

I'm a P4 student, and I have been immensely feeling the pressure for applying to residency since everyone around me seems to be actively pursuing it. I have been 50/50 on whether I want to do residency, and right now it just feels like I have no choice but to do it. Since I am feeling like there's no way around this - I would like to hear the thoughts of those who initially did not pursue a residency immediately.

To those who were non-traditional residents: What made you decide to do a residency in the midst of your career? Was/is it worth it going back?

Graduated from my PGY2 ID program a few years ago and wasn’t able to find a job in the city I wanted to live in so continuing to staff as a inpt pharmacist working mix of days and evenings. The more I’m doing this, I guess I’m realizing I’m okay with this (no projects, no working outside of shift hours, no precepting), but seeing all my PGY2 co-residents working their specialty/thriving so wondering if I should still try to pursue my specialty or be okay with this staffing position. Wondering if there’s anyone in a similar boat as me not doing their PGY2 specialty?

Hello, I'm an incoming P1. I was just reading up on how the residency system works for pharmacists, and I was just wondering how competitive it is to get into a specialty like oncology, toxicology, or solid organ transplant in a pgy2 year. I know it's a long way off, but I'm a planner. What should I be trying to do now that I've entered pharmacy school?

As a new PGY1 setting up my desk, I’m wondering if there were any supplies that were super useful for you that I might not be thinking about. For example outside of office supplies I’ll definitely be putting snacks in my drawer. Any advice for me?

Due to some circumstances, I was unable to commit to a residency program during the traditional residency matching timeline.

It’s anticipated that I'll be able to get back into the groove of things late/after summer.

Are there any residency programs that would accept late or out-of-cycle applicants?

What happens if a current resident leaves their slot? Would that vacancy open it back up to another potential applicant?

Thanks!

Hey so I'm a current PGY1 resident a hospital and want to eventually work in the industry. I'm debating if I should apply for fellowships this year and try to get one and go from there or get a job at a hospital once I'm done residency and work on getting experience before transitioning to industry eventually.

Mainly looking at medical affairs or clinical development

If anyone has any advice on what path to take i would greatly appreciate it.

My hospital is wanting to start a pediatric specific pharmacy residency program (either PGY1 pediatric or PGY2 pediatric residency). For those interested in residency and specifically those interested in pursuing pediatrics, would most prefer to do a “general” PGY1 then a pediatric PGY2 or just complete a pediatric PGY1 only? My thought is that many would prefer to go straight into their area of interest (aka: just do a pediatric PGY1) without having to go through two years of low-pay, stress, etc. But I am curious to see votes and hear thoughts from those who will be graduating within the next few years. Thanks!

I’m a PharmD student interested in pursuing an HSPAL residency because I enjoy leadership, operations, and improving pharmacy workflows. I’d love to hear from current or former HSPAL residents, especially those working in Texas.
A few questions I have:
What was your HSPAL residency experience like? Was it worth the additional year(s)?
What types of positions did you land immediately after residency (Operations Manager, Clinical Manager, Assistant Director, Director, etc.)?
If you started in a staff or clinical role first, how long did it take before moving into leadership?
For those working in Texas (Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, etc.), what salary range is realistic for your first job after completing HSPAL?

I'm a current 4th year who is on rotations that are pass/fail, so my GPA is pretty much set in stone now. I know I'm not competitive at Academic Medical Centers, but I'm considering Managed Care or more Suburban Hospitals. Many of the programs I'm interested in (both ASHP and Non ASHP accredited) don't say a minimum GPA (I found 2 with a 2.8 minimum). They just say graduation from Pharmacy School. If the program doesn't list the gpa, does it mean that they don't have a minimum, it's "unspoken", or they look at the application holistically with GPA as one factor among many?

Besides academics, I have decent extracurriculars, internships, research, and leadership, and can probably secure good rec letters.

Completed PGY2 CC and opening for an ER job at level 3 but still like 20 mins from downtown with 1/3 beds due to location limitations and job saturation. With a small ICU Unit in the hospital that I could help with their patients if time permits. Will this hinder my application to a CC job in the future? Any advice?

I just finished my first week of residency and I'm trying to find the best way to keep track of all the deadlines and meetings. Does anyone have a favorite planner that has been helpful?

I’m curious as to which of the above people have found more useful in studying for the BCEMP. My focus is usually on practice questions, not so much doing a comprehensive review. I’d love to hear anyone’s experience studying for this exam!

Like the title suggests, my PGY-1 ended and I’m incredibly sad. Like I can’t stop crying sad. I really loved my preceptors and all of the staff at my site. I am going on to a PGY-2 that starts next week and I’m scared I had such a great experience with my PGY-1 that it’s not going to be the same. Any advice?

If anyone has does a med use safety and policy PGY2, do you mind sharing what the day to day looks like and you are doing post residency?

Early commit feels so close so just trying to gather more info than a google search can provide. Thanks!

Hey guys, I’m considering a PGY1 residency opportunity at a hospital while being a mom to a toddler, and I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has done something similar.

I’m a recently licensed pharmacist (foreign grad) and this would be my first hospital role here in US. The program is at a smaller site and I would be the only resident there!

I’m trying to understand what the day-to-day reality is like—especially balancing residency hours, studying, projects and childcare. If anyone has gone through PGY1 with young kids, or even just as a foreign grad-what was the most challenging part or what did you wish you knew before taking it on? I really value your honest experience, what helped you manage it, and what you wish you had known before starting. I am having second thoughts about it.TIA!

My residency start date was supposed to be today. I’m having issues with HR and they will not let me start until next Monday 7/6. Long story short I have some accommodations, they are saying my doctor’s letter is not specific enough and won’t clear me for work. I cannot get this resolved any faster and my RPD can’t either. Already getting a new letter sent today.

Since it is now completely out of my control RPD has said they’ll work with me, and I can start next week. Obviously I’m missing a lot of orientation. They’re looping me in via teams meeting for some info sessions that I don’t need full clearance for, and doing some other online stuff. I want to do this so I don’t fall behind but it’s occurred to me I won’t be getting any pay during this time. I don’t want to be the problem resident and I want to show my program I am willing to do what it takes to get this sorted and catch up with my peers. Just because I’m having a paperwork snafu doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be paid during training like the at any other job. I also don’t want to fall behind or seem ungrateful. Has this ever happened to you or your residents? What did you do?

TLDR: Can’t start on time due to paperwork issue. I’m being asked to do some online orientation training without compensation. Can I tactfully broach the subject of money without rocking the boat more?

Is it bad my pgy2 in oncology uses cerner and not epic? I used epic in pgy1, will training without using Beacon in oncology put me at a disadvantage post pgy2

I am a recent PharmD graduate who unfortunately did not match into a residency program despite participating in Phase I, Phase II, and the post-Match process. I applied to both in-state and out-of-state programs and received approximately 7–8 interviews after applying to around 15 programs during Phase I. Although I was grateful for these opportunities, I was ultimately unsuccessful in matching.

This outcome has been especially difficult because I also had to repeat an academic year after failing a course due to unforeseen circumstances. I successfully remediated the course and graduated with a cumulative GPA of 3.1. Throughout pharmacy school, I held several leadership positions and gained multiple years of hospital internship experience.

My goal remains to pursue a residency, particularly within the VA system. I plan to take and pass the NAPLEX and CPJE this year, continue working as a hospital intern, and apply again during the next residency cycle.

I would greatly appreciate any guidance from residents, preceptors, or residency program directors.

• Is it appropriate to reapply to the same VA residency programs that I interviewed with or applied to this past cycle?
• What experiences or accomplishments would you recommend I focus on over the next several months to become a stronger residency candidate?
• For those who have reapplied successfully, what changes made the biggest difference in your application?
• How did you plan for the interviews? What skills or examples did you use for the interviews? I would also appreciate if they could give examples for clinical questions as well.

Thank you in advance for your time and any guidance you are willing to share.

Hey everyone,

I am completely stuck and experiencing major decision paralysis. I have two incredible offers, but I am feeling overwhelmed trying to choose between them because of the massive financial and lifestyle differences.

I’m a Canadian citizen (from BC) and I need to choose between:

University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Medical School

University of Toronto (U of T) PharmD (Pharmacy)

My Dilemma & Fears:

My ultimate career goal is to have high lifestyle/schedule freedom, a solid income, and the ability to work part-time later in life. I absolutely do not want to work crazy, exhaustive hours forever, and I do not want to take my work home with me.

The MD Path (UIC): I am absolutely terrified of the debt. Because I don't have a US co-signer, I'm looking at stacking a Canadian Medical LOC with private lenders like MPOWER. The total debt at graduation will easily clear $450,000+ CAD. I am incredibly anxious about the 60–80 hour weeks during residency, and I'm stressed about the matching process—what if I don't match into a shift-based, lifestyle-friendly specialty (like Outpatient Family Med or Urgent Care) and end up stuck in a brutal specialty?

The Pharmacy Path (U of T): The finances are way more manageable (around $80k–$100k total debt, mostly covered by StudentAid BC). My goal here would be to completely avoid retail and pursue a Hospital/Clinical residency, or transition to the US on a TN Visa for higher pay. However, I’ve heard hospital slots are insanely competitive. My biggest fear is failing to get a hospital job and being forced to work a corporate retail counter, which is an environment I explicitly want to avoid.

What I need advice on:

Has any other Canadian taken the USMD route with zero US co-signers? How bad is managing that debt during residency?

For the doctors: Is it realistic to easily transition into a part-time, shift-work lifestyle right after residency? Is the 7+ year grind worth it if my primary goal is avoiding long hours?

For the pharmacists: How realistic is it to completely bypass retail if you go to U of T? Is the hospital pharmacist lifestyle actually as flexible and low-stress as it looks? How easy is it to work in USA after my studies? What are your thoughts on industrial pathway

I feel like I'm looking at spreadsheets and interest rates all day and completely losing my mind. I would love to hear from any residents, attending physicians, or hospital pharmacists who can give me some real-world perspective.

Thank you so much.