Preparing Students to Enter the Race for Postgraduate Training

Predictors of Success in Obtaining Postgraduate Residency or Fellowship

OBJECTIVE

As more pharmacy students are pursuing postgraduate training, colleges of pharmacy are investigating ways to predict success in matching for residency or fellowship. While data have been published about characteristics predictive of matching, we sought to study student scores, rotation types, and rotation evaluations as predictors of success.

METHODS

Data were collected from students in the graduating classes of 2021, 2022, and 2023. Students were surveyed on participation in mock interviews, numbers of programs to which they applied, and number of interviews received. In addition, data were collected on impostor phenomenon, grit, perceived stress, anxiety, grade point average (GPA), types of patient care rotations, and preceptor evaluations.

RESULTS

Overall, 295 students were included, with 69 unsuccessful and 226 successful students. Successful students were more likely to have lower Perceived Stress Scale-10 scores in the final 3 semesters of school, a higher GPA, more elective patient care rotations, and more preceptors who answered "Yes" to "Would you hire this student?" after graduation. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, final GPA and preceptors answering affirmatively to "Would you hire this student?" were independent predictors of success in obtaining a postgraduate position.

CONCLUSION

As colleges of pharmacy prepare students for postgraduate residencies or fellowships, in addition to GPA, stress levels during the final 3 semesters of pharmacy school may be areas on which to focus. Given that willingness of a preceptor to hire a student after graduation was a predictor of success in securing a postgraduate position, this should be explored in future research.

A Pharmacotherapy Scholars Program to Provide Intensive Training to Enhance Pharmacy Students' Postgraduate Readiness

Objective. To design, integrate the curriculum for, and evaluate an innovative program to facilitate placement of students into postgraduate pharmacy residency training programs involving direct patient care. Methods. The Pharmacotherapy Scholars Program (PSP) was designed to prepare fourth-professional year students to become highly proficient in a direct patient care role and to successfully match with postgraduate residency training programs. The following elements were included in the year-long curriculum: integrated synchronous advanced pharmacy practice experiences with personal advising, team-based mentoring, peer-to-peer learning, longitudinal research, and professional development. Program goals were modeled after the accreditation standards for postgraduate year one (PGY1) pharmacy residency programs. Program faculty members ensured that the PSP had a broad scope, included rigorous student assessments, had a strong research focus, and provided scholarship opportunities. Results. Sixty-eight students completed the program from fall 2013 through spring 2019. The overall residency match rate was 93%. Students' performance on both knowledge and clinical skills assessments significantly improved after completing the program. There was an approximately 15% increase in knowledge and a 30% improvement in clinical skills based on comprehensive readiness assessments and an intermittent clinical examination that used patient simulation, respectively. Conclusion. The Pharmacotherapy Scholars Program is an innovative training program designed to enhance PharmD students' preparation for advanced clinical training. Students who completed the PSP achieved a high PGY1 residency placement rate while demonstrating significant improvements in pharmacotherapy knowledge and clinical skills in direct patient care activities.

An individualized approach to residency preparation for fourth professional year pharmacy students

INTRODUCTION

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of an individualized residency preparation program and faculty mentorship on student preparedness for pursuing residency training and their ability to successfully match with a postgraduate year one (PGY1) residency position.

METHODS

This prospective cohort enrolled fourth professional year pharmacy students from August 2016 to March 2017. Students participated in a faculty-designed residency preparation program, were assigned faculty mentors, and were provided with several residency preparation resources. The primary outcome was change in the median overall perceived level of preparedness, as measured by pre- and post-residency preparation program surveys. A key secondary end point was the correlation between obtaining a PGY1 residency position and the number of residency preparation sessions attended.

RESULTS

Fifty-two students participated in the residency preparation program. The median overall perceived level of preparedness increased following the preparation program. Of the 52 students participating, 37 attended over half of the program sessions. Twenty-one of the 37 (56.8%) students participating in more than half of the sessions matched with a PGY1 program compared to three out of 15 (20%) students participating in fewer than half the sessions. Additionally, students reported value in mock interviews, faculty mentorship, and institution-specific residency preparation guidance delivered via a workbook.

CONCLUSIONS

Participation in an individualized residency preparation program with faculty mentorship and institution-specific guidance improves the perceived level of preparedness for students pursuing residency training. High attendance at sessions, along with other factors, may contribute to a higher rate of success.

Evaluation of a Resident-led Residency Preparation Series for Fourth Year Pharmacy Students

Description of Problem:

The increased interest in residency programs nationwide has made the application process more competitive and complex.

Statement of Innovation:

In 2015, Wake Forest Baptist Health (WFBH) created a resident-led residency preparatory series (RPS) to assist advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) students in preparing for residency applications. This study sought to evaluate the perceived value of the resident-led RPS by fourth year APPE students.

Innovation:

This single-center, survey-based, descriptive study aimed to evaluate the perceived impact of a resident-led RPS. All APPE students during the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 academic years who completed rotations in the Triad region of North Carolina were invited to participate in the RPS. Surveys were sent to eligible students and data was captured for respondents who indicated an interest in pursuing residency and attendance to at least one RPS. Survey questions evaluated satisfaction with the RPS. Survey data was collected and analyzed using Qualtrics^©.

Critical Analysis:

A total of 84 students were invited to attend the RPS. Thirty-three respondents participated in the RPS and indicated an interest in applying for a residency. The resident-led RPS was consistently well received by the majority of students over the course of two years, with over two-thirds of all respondents finding every session extremely or very useful. The majority of students agreed or strongly agreed with all confidence statements.

Conclusion

A resident-led RPS resulted in positive student perceptions and increased confidence in the residency application process.

Curricular Exposure to Postgraduate Residency Training Through an Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience

Objective. To evaluate the impact of a residency-focused introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE) on student perceived knowledge of and attitudes toward postgraduate residency training. Methods. Second- and third-year student pharmacists completed a required four-hour experience at a residency training site. Students completed a five-item survey before and after the experience, indicating their perceived knowledge of residency training components as well as their own postgraduate plans. Students also submitted a written reflection following the experience. Paired t tests were used to compare pre- and post-survey responses. Qualitative analysis was completed to identify common themes in student reflections and code for positive, neutral, or negative student experience. Results. A total of 276 students completed the Introduction to Postgraduate Residency Training IPPE in summer 2016. Post-experience survey responses indicated a significant increase in students' perceived knowledge of residency programs; however, plans to pursue residency training did not significantly change after completing the experience. Twenty-five independent themes were identified in reading student reflections, with the most common theme (included in 55% of reflections) being that the experience "clarified resident day-to-day responsibilities." The majority (95%) of students perceived the experience as valuable. Conclusion. A residency-focused IPPE increased student pharmacists' perceptions of knowledge about postgraduate residency training and was viewed by students as a beneficial experience.

Preparing pharmacy students for postgraduate training through a residency preparedness elective course

OBJECTIVE

To determine the benefit of a residency preparedness elective course and assess the ability of the course to provide students with the knowledge and experiences needed to competitively apply for residency programmes.

METHODS

A pre-/postsurvey study on a 2-credit hour elective course for third-year pharmacy students. This course was designed to provide them with the knowledge and experiences needed to competitively apply for pharmacy residency programmes.

KEY FINDINGS

Students' perceptions of the elective course were captured through pre- and postcourse evaluations utilizing a 15-item survey. The main reasons students participated in this course was to gain a better understanding of the residency application process (median Likert score = 5; 1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree), develop interviewing techniques (5) and enhance clinical competency (5). By the end of the course, students felt more confident with their understanding of pharmacy residency programmes (4 versus 5, P = 0.002) and of the residency application process (2 versus 5, P = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Upon completion of a pharmacy residency preparedness elective course, students felt more confident in their understanding and ability to apply for a residency programme.

Student and School-level Predictors of Pharmacy Residency Attainment

Objective. To identify student and school level predictors of pharmacy residency attainment. Methods. Data were collected from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) and the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Logistic multilevel modeling was used to examine the effects of select student and school level characteristics on pharmacy residency attainment, as indicated by students on the AACP Graduating Student Survey (GSS) from 2013 to 2015. Results. The dataset included 24,351 graduating pharmacy students from 101 schools and colleges of pharmacy. Predictors of residency attainment included working in an institutional pharmacy, female gender, student age, school age, and Research I classification. Nonsignificant variables included curriculum type, class size, and institutional control. Conclusion. Student and pharmacy school characteristics impact the likelihood of pharmacy residency attainment. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms associated with these effects.

Students' versus residency programs' perceptions of a high-quality PGY1 residency applicant

INTRODUCTION

Securing a pharmacy residency position is highly competitive, and pharmacy students must work throughout pharmacy school to ensure their applications are as competitive as possible. Several surveys asking residency programs to describe the most crucial qualities of a high-quality residency candidate have been conducted. However, no study has investigated whether congruency exists between pharmacy students' and residency programs' perceptions of these sought-after qualities.

METHODS

We surveyed pharmacy students to compare their perceptions of important qualities of residency candidates for securing an interview and ultimately being ranked by residency programs. The results were compared to results of an identical previously-published survey of residency program directors.

RESULTS

Student and program perceptions of important qualities of residency candidates were mostly in agreement. Students' perceptions of qualities considered for final ranking of candidates are similar among pharmacy students in professional years 1-3 (P1-P3). However, P3 students' perceptions of qualities important for interview invitations are better aligned with residency programs than P1 and P2 students.

DISCUSSION

Students' and programs' perceptions of important qualities for residency candidates were well aligned on most items. However, only students perceived a letter of recommendation from the dean and North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) scores as an important factor for residency. As the pharmacy curriculum progresses, students' and residency programs' perceptions of the most important qualities used to ultimately rank candidates appear to converge; however, perceptions of important characteristics for an interview invitation were consistent over time.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, perceptions of components of a high-quality residency applicant are congruent between residency programs and students.