Hey y'all!
After weeks of anxious waiting, I have a big announcement to make....
I matched for residency!
Even better, I matched with my DREAM RESIDENCY!
For those of you who have followed along with me over the past few years through this blog, or even just read a few random posts, you know what a dream this has been for me.
For those of you who are just joining me, or for the who don't know much about residency here's a brief overview:
Residency is post-graduate education that (usually) happens in the time immediately after graduation from pharmacy school. It is typically designated into separate years called PGY1 (post-graduate year one) and PGY2 (post-graduate year two). Both years are obtained through an application process and interviews followed by a matching process called the ASHP Match.
Why do people choose to do residency?
Residency is not required for pharmacists, but is usually considered a critical part of training for specialized pharmacist work, especially for clinical pharmacists in the hospital environment. While residency is a paid job, residency typically pays about half of what a normal starting pharmacist would make. That can be a hard thought for graduating students with pharmacy school loans to pay off (or just wanting to finally make "the big bucks") but it's an amazing opportunity to become a more well-rounded and competent pharmacist.
So how did I get a residency?
Good question! The honest answer is lots and lots of hard work. Residency positions are increasingly more and more competitive. This year, ASHP had more applicants to residency positions than ever before. Pharmacy students should get involved in extracurriculars, research, publications, and volunteering as early as possible in their pharmacy school career! Ask questions, network, and take advantage of the time you have in school. Pharmacy school can be intimidating, especially when considering the "extras" that go into being competitive for residency. But trust me, when you finally get that email telling you that you matched, it will all be worth it!
So where am I now?
I almost (still!) can't believe it. Now that I've matched I have a lot of new steps to take to prepare. Assuring my non-school pharmacy intern hours have been accepted, studying for the NAPLEX (the national pharmacist license exam), and making sure I finish off my last rotation successfully have been my major priorities the last few weeks. In addition to license requirements, I'm also getting excited about finally living my dream of being a pediatric pharmacist!
And to take a moment to be a little personal, I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of the people who follow this blog who have helped me along this journey. The last four years of my life have genuinely been the best of my life. I can never begin to thank each of you for the little things that you have done for me, but I know that I am where I am because of you.
Thank you so much for going on this journey with me!
Katie
