The Benefits of Residency Training
Adapted from: Reile DM and Nickols JL. Survival Strategies for Your New Career, 2006; 4-6.
Residency Training
Having spent some time in self-assessment and conducting informational
interviews, you may have begun to wonder if a residency is right for you.
Pharmacy residencies began in the early 1930s as internships to train pharmacists
in hospital pharmacy management. Today, ASHP has developed
accreditation standards for both postgraduate year one (PGY1) and postgraduate
year two (PGY2) pharmacy residencies and has recently formed
partnerships with other pharmacy associations (e.g., Academy of Managed
Care Pharmacy, American College of Clinical Pharmacy, and the American
Pharmacists Association [APhA]) for joint accreditation of residencies. Currently
there are 774 accredited and accreditation-pending residency programs
(482 PGY1 and 292 PGY2). The total number of PGY1 pharmacy
residency positions available in the recent match was 1222.
Residency training can take place in a variety of health-care settings— some of which include hospitals, community pharmacies, home care programs,
ambulatory care settings, and managed care facilities. The type of
residency you select will depend upon your career objectives. Are you interested
in providing pharmaceutical care to a broad mix of patients? pursuing
a career in pharmacy administration? becoming a specialized practitioner
or educator? Based on your interests and experience level, you will need to
complete a PGY1 (pharmacy practice) or a PGY2 (specialized) pharmacy
residency, or both.
In addition to preparing pharmacists for practice by exposing them to
a wide range of patients, residency training offers several other advantages:
- A competitive advantage in the job market. More and more employers
recognize the value of residency training. A pharmacist who has completed
a residency will have a clear advantage over applicants who
have not.
- Networking opportunities. Many opportunities arise for residents to
establish or expand their network of professional acquaintances and
contacts, including preceptors and other residents.
- Career planning. During the course of training, most residents gain a
clearer picture of what type of practice best suits them. Residency
preceptors are committed to providing personal attention and assisting
each resident in further defining professional goals.
- Professional vision. Many programs also offer the opportunity to see
how pharmacy is practiced in different parts of the country by arranging
for residents to visit other residency programs or by allowing residents
to complete a portion of the residency at another site (e.g., acute
care, community care, home care, long-term care, managed care).
Postgraduate Year Two (PGY2) Pharmacy Residencies. ASHP recognizes
PGY2 pharmacy residencies in an ever expanding number of areas:
cardiology, clinical pharmacokinetics, critical care, drug information, emergency
medicine, geriatrics, HIV, infectious diseases, internal medicine, managed
care pharmacy systems, nephrology, nuclear pharmacy, nutrition support,
oncology, pediatrics, pharmacotherapy, pharmacy informatics, pharmacy
practice management, primary care, and psychiatric pharmacy practice.
A PGY2 pharmacy residency is designed to build upon competencies
developed by a PGY1 pharmacy residency. All ASHP-accredited residencies
are full-time commitments that require at least one year to complete. Because
all PGY2 residencies require that the applicant has completed a PGY1
pharmacy residency, one should plan for two years of training after receiving
an academic degree. Some PGY2 residencies may be offered in combination
with other programs, such as a master’s degree or a fellowship, which
may require additional years to complete.
Requirements for Residency Admission
- You must be a graduate of an ACPE-accredited college of pharmacy or
otherwise be eligible for licensure.
- You will need to demonstrate your interest in and aptitude for advanced
training in pharmacy.
- Some residencies require that you be licensed to practice before you
enter the program. Others will accept you while you pursue state board
licensure.
- For residencies that are combined with a graduate degree program,
you must satisfy the requirements of the college of pharmacy or graduate school for admission to the advanced degree program. In addition,
you will need to satisfy the residency requirements.
- Residents in ASHP-accredited programs are encouraged to be members
of a professional pharmacy association.
There are some additional qualifications for a residency, such as excellent
written and oral communication skills, organizational and time management
skills, leadership ability, good decision-making skills, and participation
in both professional and social organizations.
For more information about ASHP-accredited residencies, contact
Accreditation Services Division
ASHP
7272 Wisconsin Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20814
Phone: (301) 664-8645
Fax: (301) 634-5745
asd@ashp.org
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