By Stephanie Gartrell, PharmD, BCPS
Hi Ami!
First off, congratulations on your interviews and your decision to attend the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting & Exposition. It’s a great way to explore many different postgraduate opportunities all in one place. I too interviewed at Midyear and many residency programs, so I understand wanting to be as prepared as possible.
Being prepared does mean doing the practice interviews and creating a pristine CV, like you mentioned. I cannot express enough how important it is to make sure that these are well-prepared documents. Proofreading is very important, as these are usually some of the only documents that everyone at your program site will see and evaluate. But I absolutely agree with you about preparing our minds and perceptions as well in this process.
Keep an open mind
My first piece of advice, although I am sure it has been said many times, is to approach these opportunities with an open mind. I applied to many programs, some of which I thought, “I already know I don’t like this program as much as the others.” I was tearing down my opportunities before I even had them. And what was I basing this off of? No more than a 10- minute chat at Midyear or after surfing the program’s website.
When I went onsite for interviews, I found that I enjoyed each location much more than I anticipated. And, had I given each location more of a chance, I probably would have gotten even more out of the onsite interviews.
I do think that following your instincts are important, but still keep in mind that you will likely connect with a program more if you have an open mind.
Understand the mission
When you are gauging programs, people, and work environments, I first believe you must do your research of both the programs and of yourself. Understanding the mission of your workplace is extremely important, as you will be working for the same mission if you accept a position there. Every program I researched had a mission that I would be proud to support, but each had a different focus that I was able to inquire about during my interview.
Be realistic
It is also very important to be realistic with yourself about what type of program would best fit your needs. I am an extrovert, so naturally I wanted a program with lots of residents and various rotations at a large institution. After Midyear and interviewing, it was more apparent to me that I needed a smaller program with more opportunities for one-on-one feedback with preceptors and my program director. If I had realized this sooner, I could have spent more time researching smaller programs that would fit my needs better.
Consider staffing requirements
It is also important to consider the staffing and additional service requirements. Will you be staffing every other weekend in addition to an evening shift and an on-call pager? Or will you be staffing every third weekend with no additional staffing requirements?
Be aware of how much personal time you need for your mental health as well as personal and professional growth outside of working hours, because these are all extremely important aspects that must be kept up with as well throughout your career.
Questions to ask
During your interview, a few important questions I would ask to the residents as well as residency director (or co-workers and manager) would be the following.
What is a typical day like, or what would my day-to-day responsibilities look like? This gives you insight on what to expect as well as hear from your employer on what they expect from you.
What changes do you anticipate for the program over the next year? This is a chance for the program to be very candid with you. Maybe a preceptor is leaving, or a new rotation is being offered, and you can evaluate what you think of these changes.
When checkng for warning signs, I would try to evaluate the relationships of the team and co-workers there as much as possible. Is the pharmacist a vital part of the rounding team? If not, how else are pharmacists incorporated in the health care team? Are physicians or leaders open and receptive to
pharmacist’s input?
I would also ask about past residents and co-workers. What have they gone on to accomplish and pursue? Do their accomplishments line up with what you would like to accomplish? I think you should trust your instincts and stay true to yourself.
If you do those things, you can’t go wrong! Good luck!