Why residency?
I had a few students asking me whether I got paid higher with a residency experience and saying that “if completing a residency does not give you a higher salary then there is no point in doing one.” Some of my APPE preceptors said to me “Residency? It's a scam!” or “I got my inpatient job without a residency”. My older sister, a goal-driven and business-minded person, did not understand why I would need a non-required, additional education after graduating from a four-year doctorate program. An intern shared with me that she was not interested in residency regardless of how much her professors at school promoted it. For her, she just loves being in the community, building relationships with her patients and helping them with their medications in a local pharmacy.
As you see, these testimonies are from different perspectives. Compensation? Time? Career goals? Maybe it's a combination of factors that you need to balance. Once you decide for yourself, it does not matter what other people think. Everything happens for a reason. There is no need to regret one way or the other, you make the best out of your decision!
In my experience…
I did consider the time and financial aspects of whether an extra year will be sustainable. Career goals were one of the most important deciding factors for me as well. Completion of a PGY1 residency is one of the requirements for most of the jobs that I look for in the long run.
Looking back after one year, I definitely learned more than I expected from the residency, if not clinical skills, then teaching skills, and other soft skills (i.e., making decisions in gray areas, handling conflicts in a corporate setting). These are skills that not many people can truly claim to have mastered. I was not bothered much when I saw other classmates posting pictures of their monthly luxury purchase, or buying a brand new high-end car. During my residency year, I was able to make time to travel with my best friends for our reunion in LA and went to a really nice restaurant in West Hollywood (I saw Jessica Alba there!)
In terms of job outlook, I secured a position before my residency ended through the network I had from my residency. When I searched for a new role 4 years later, having residency training on my resume helped me land multiple interviews for my preferred job, even when my years of experience did not meet the stated requirements.
So, explore!
If you have just a vague idea of what you want to do, shadow a resident, go to a conference or attend a virtual info session of a residency program. Look into their rotation description instead of just the settings or the name. Many students are only aware of residency programs with a hospital. What about Ambulatory care? Specialty pharmacy? Advanced community pharmacy? Managed Care? Fellowship with a National Organization such as ACCP? Some may think “What is there to learn for community pharmacy residency?” Seek opportunities to see for yourself by reaching out to the residents or a professor who can mentor you and your interests. Don’t limit yourself and don’t get overwhelmed; focus on defining your goals and gaining experiential insight into your options!
