AUHSOP Post-Graduate Training Elective Sean Smithgall & Taylor Steuber

We talk with our guest Dr. Jessica Starr, current residency program director, about being a standout residency candidate.
Why do you need to be a Stand Out candidate?
Post-Graduate Training is becoming more competitive and as a result applicants are doing more to self-brand and sell themselves. 20 years ago, if you were the leader of one organization and applied for a residency program, you most likely would get it. Now, having a single leadership experience pales in comparison to candidates with 2-3 leadership experiences, 1-3 research or quality improvement projects, and even publications. You want to shine in the sea of applicants applying for programs you are interested. You want to get your foot in the door at these programs and then do well on the onsite site interviews.
What are things programs look for in Stand Out Candidates?
Knowledge or familiarity with the pharmacy school you are graduating fromA well written LOIGreat ReferencesA well Formatted CV (with all the criteria below)Research experienceLeadership experienceHigh GPA (we'll talk more about this later)Diverse APPE/rotation experiencesAPPE/rotation experience in the area you are applying for (e.g. hospitals or clinics)Work experience with preference for work experience in the area you are applying forCommunity serviceStrong self-vision of goals and how to obtain them
Lets break each of them down:
Knowledge of program: Unfortunately this is somewhat out of your control unless you are listening to this episode before you enter pharmacy school. The older, more prestigious the school, the more alumni will have graduated and dispersed across the nation and the more individuals who will understand the caliber of students. For example, I went to a school that was established in the 2000's. I attended East Tennessee State University, which I am proud to say has built a prestigious reputation in a short amount of time; however, when I graduated, no one outside of the region had any idea what type of program ETSU was. Therefore, when I applied to residencies out west, they most likely did not give my application much consideration. This is not something that should drastically change your evaluation of programs or application process, it is just something to consider when applying to programs far from where you attended pharmacy school. Letter of Intent: The letter of intent is your 1 page (or 2) narrative and voice prior to onsite interviews. Aside from descriptions on your CV, your LOI is the only thing programs have to really hear you before they meet you. Your Letter should VERY CLEARLY and VERY SPECIFICALLY describe 3 things. First, what are your short and long-term goals and how does that relate to your desire to pursue post-graduate training. Second, why THIS program, the one getting the letter, is THE PLACE, that will allow you to achieve those goes. Third, why your experiences thus far will BENEFIT the program and help the purpose of the program! Did I mention you need to be specific?? No fluff!Great References: Your reference writers need to be able to speak confidently and specifically about your clinical (or other) qualities that pertain to the post-graduate training program you are applying. You want to get individuals who will write you a POSITIVE letter of reference. Key note, people who write references a lot are better at writing references and will most likely talk about your qualities more thoroughly than someone who doesn't usually write letters, but just likes you. A well Formatted CV: Needs to be perfect, error free, easily scannable, with explanations on major projects or initiatives like research, leadership/organizational involvement. You can also put...

We are joined by Dr. Hannah Gibson, PGY1 resident at Huntsville Hospital.
Evaluating programs is an essential part of the application process. Not only will it give you a better idea of what you are looking for in the program, it will allow you to generate questions to ask that program.
Ways the evaluate programs:
Talk to programs at showcasesTalk to graduates of the program (when available)Review directory listing on ASHP residency directory or ACCP residency/fellowship directoryReview program websiteReview institutional website where the program is housed
Showcases:
We address these in another episode
Review Residency Directories:
Directories are sometimes a hit or miss. They will often be outdated and not contain relevant information about the program. The directory listing should really serve as the abstract or trailer for the program. You should be able to determine from the directory listing if the program is worth further investigation. If it is, then go to the programs website (if it even has a website).
Review program website:
This is generally where most of the information about a program is kept. You can find a lot of information about the design and experiences of past residents.
Here is what you should look for when reviewing a website:
Preceptor qualifications - are preceptors certified in their field of expertise (i.e. BCPS, BCACP, BCCCP)What types of rotations do they have?What types of rotations are required vs elective? - Look for variety here. If several of your must have rotations are listed as electives, it's not guaranteed you will be assigned to each one. Look for things like cardiology or critical care rotations as required vs elective. Also look for things like medication use evaluations and project months. These can be good, but if the majority of rotations are these filler rotations you may not get as robust of an experience. Who are the current residents and what are their qualifications?Who are the past residents and what are they doing now? - a huge indicator of the caliber of program is what the residents are doing after. What sort of careers does this program allow you to completeInformation concerning funding and travel - do they pay for you to attend midyear? Mentorship - is there an assigned mentor, is there a research mentor?Number of residency positions - do you like a small class or large residency class
Things to look at, but really should not make or break the program for you:
Staffing component, do you staff, how oftenSalary - lets face it, the salary is going to be around 45-55k a year based on cost of living. It is most likely more money than you have ever made before, and it is only 1 year, afterwards you will be making significantly more (unless you do PGY2).

We are joined by Dr. Rachel Legg, fellow at the University of South Alabama Family Medicine Clinic.
What is a Showcase?
A Showcase is like a convention, where you have a lot of similar things get together in one space so you can maximize your time and exposure to an experience.
For Post-Graduate Training, a showcase is a session where residency programs buy or use space (booths) and fill those booths with Program Directors, Preceptors, and Current Residents. Candidates are given a map of the showcase layout and they then go to their desirable booths for to talk to the programs and ask questions.
Where do showcases take place?
There are regional and national showcases. There are even virtual showcases in some cases.
Regional showcases are for candidates in a state to see programs in their area and sometimes surrounding states. These are typically free for candidates or take place during regional organizational meetings like the state level APhA and ASHP annual meetings and cost the fee to attend the conference. As a student, the fee to attend a local conference is usually very cheap and travel costs are low. The purpose of these programs is to save students money who are planning on staying close to home.
The National Showcase is usually the one put on by ASHP at their Midyear Clinical Meeting which rotates between several locations like Las Vega, New Orleans, California. Not all programs attend this meeting, but the majority of them do. Because of the size and number of participating programs, there are 3 separate showcases that are each several hours long. You'll have to do a lot of planning in order to determine which showcases you want to attend. Unless it is a smaller program, most programs will have several candidates talking to a single resident or program director.
The environment for showcases in general is hectic and can be stressful for candidates. Just breath and be yourself. The showcases are there for YOUR benefit.
What is Personal Placement Services (PPS) and how is this different than showcases?
PPS takes place at ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting and is similar to the showcase. Instead of segmented time, PPS usually runs all-day throughout the conference. Businesses, health systems, manufacturers, and Post-Graduate Year 2 residency programs participate in PPS. It serves essentially as a career fair. PGY1 programs do not generally participate in PPS unless they are more specialized like administration. Industry fellowships usually participate in PPS. These companies and programs pay money to have a booth at PPS for a specified amount of time. You have to pay additional funds to sign-up to participate in PPS, but once you pay the flat fee, you are allowed to research programs, upload application materials, and request interviews. Candidates will build their schedule with 30-60 minute interviews. We do not recommend doing PPS if you are just looking for a general PGY1 experience.
Do I have to attend a showcase? What is the benefit for me?
You do not need to attend a showcase. Programs are there to answer your questions and sell their program. They do not generally give bonus points in their application process for attending and talking to them (although there are rumors that some programs may do this, but it's most likely the more prestigious ones). If you know where you want to apply to, and you feel confident in your choices, then save your money and don't attend. If you have a regional showcase close by, and you are free, and there is not additional cost or little cost to attend then it may be beneficial to check it out and practice your communication skills.
Showcases are 100% there to benefit you as the candidate. It is extremely difficult to take a list of 25 programs that you are very interested in and begin...

Dr. Steuber and Dr. Smithgall talk about creating a time-line for post-graduate application
Key take-aways about time-lines:
It's never too early to start the application processThe Fall is not too late to decide you want to do residencyThe earlier you start preparing, the less anxious you will be and the more prepared you will feel.
That being said, let's break it down into two separate segments:
Prior to your APPE yearDuring your APPE year
Prior to your APPE year:
This is when you should really be thinking about how to be a standout candidate and your short and long-term career goals and how you will achieve those. See our episode on being a standout candidate for more information on what to do. We address all components of your CV as well as how to plan your APPE year.
During your APPE year:
SUMMER:
Keep track of significant moments and jot them down to use later when thinking of answers to situational questions. Here's a source of some of the questions you may get on residency. Start securing reference writers by asking "will you be willing to write me a positive letter of reference" during your end evaluation or sometime towards the end of the rotation. Don't be shy, ask them all, they should hopefully be honest and tell you if they would write you one. Evaluate programsWe recommend scheduling a re-occurring time, 1-2 hours a week and putting it on your calendar where you can work on application materials and review potential programsUpdate your CVReview your draft LOI and update it with general verbiage
FALL:
Continue to track significant moments and secure reference writersRegister for showcases (see our episode on showcases)Continue evaluating programsHave someone review your CV and LOIDetermine your financial capabilities going into application season. Create a PhORCAS accountStart building your PhORCAS profile. YES you need to copy everything from your CV into the fields on PhORCASConsider Mock interview prep
December:
Attend MidyearRequests TranscriptsSend reference writers PhORCAS applications and communicate your plans to themDON"T MISS DEADLINES FOR APPLICATIONS
January - February: This is general interview season
Continue to practice interview skillsDiscuss your plans with preceptors, keep good communication with them
Follow the schedule posted on the Match site for deadlines pertaining to the Match.

We are joined again by Dr. Rachel Legg to talk about Interviewing
The key take-aways from this episode is:
Review lists of common questions and prepare answers for SITUATIONAL questionsRecord yourself and listen (both video and audio). It's horrible listening to yourself, but you'll learn so much about your filler words and ticksDo several mock interviews. Career services usually offers these for free. Practice using the S.T.A.R. or S.T.A.R.T. method which stands for Situation, task, action, result or take-away. This will help you go through the hardest type of questions which are situational questions. Dress professional during interviewsYou are on the interview the entire time, don't get lax or too comfortable when you are talking to residents.

We are joined by Drs. Lauren Butler and Jacob Calahan, both PGY1 residents at Huntsville Hospital.
Once interviews are completed, candidates and programs rank their programs. Program ranking is just putting your preference from greatest to least into the online National Matching Services (NMS) site. Candidates can rank all or none of the programs they interviewed at. They can even rank programs they did not interview at, but that would be pointless as those programs would not be ranking you in return. Programs also can rank all or none of candidates that interviewed. After the ranking deadline, which is usually beginning of March, the NMS runs an algorithm (very simple algorithm) that matches candidates. The Match algorithm is based on candidate preference, but even if it was not, it would usually result the same based on tests the NMS has done. You can see exactly how the algorithm works HERE on the NMS website.
Several years ago, the match went from a single phase process to a multi-phase process. After the initial match, candidates would enter the "Scramble" where there were guidelines, but not real rules to getting a residency position. The thought behind this was change was to give more oversight to the process after the initial phase. Some programs may have also intentionally skipped the match or purposefully ranked no candidates so they could control the interview and hiring process similar to how all other recruitment is done in the real world. There is criticism that the new Multi-phased system is taking advantage of candidates and increasing the amount of money candidates have to pay to participate.
The new Match consists of Phase I, the initial match, where programs and candidates rank each other and go through a matching algorithm.
Phase II is basically an abbreviated version of the initial match, with a very short interview period and matching process.
After Phase II is the "Post-match Phase II match process" which is essentially the Scramble. In the last few years, the new Scramble has not had much to scramble to as the majority of programs are filled between Phase I and Phase II.
You can see the time-line for the Match HERE.
Results are now released on a Wednesday morning at 8:00 a.m. EST, but have historically released on a Friday. Programs who have unfilled positions are released at 12:00 p.m. EST that day. You can see all the stats on the NMS website.