The Number of Co-residents in a PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency: Why it’s Important and How to Decide!

I just wanted to quickly talk about one of the ways you can filter out programs you want to apply to for residency based on your personal preference and personality starting with the number of residents at the program!

Take a look at the photo below, It’s a collage of 4 different PGY-1 pharmacy programs. When you start searching for residencies you’ll see this as well.

Four different programs with the Number of Positions/Residents being highlighted

For the purposes of this blog post, I just want you to focus on the number of positions. This basically means the number of total residents that will be in the same position as you aka your co-residents! As you can see there is a HUGE variation.

So why is this important? It is a key difference between many residencies. Some places will only have 1 resident (i.e. only you) and some places will have 20+ PGY-1 residents all in the same hospital and reporting to the same residency program director and preceptors. Keep in mind, that while searching for PGY-1 positions, the hospital may also have PGY-2 residents at that same hospital which would add to the number of total residents on site.

When narrowing down where to do a PGY-1, you should decide: do I prefer to have a large residency class, a smaller one, or a sweet spot right in between? It all comes down to YOUR personal preference and YOUR personality! This is going to be a long and difficult year so definitely choose what you feel is best for YOU!

Some Things You Want to Ask Yourself:

Do I like meeting a lot of people?
Do I like the feel of a smaller tight-knit community?
Do I want the maximum opportunity to expand my network?
Am I flexible in the experiences/rotations I will have if there isn’t enough room for me to get experience in an area of interest of mine?
Do I want to make a lot of friends and have a bigger support system?
Do I like individualized attention?
Do I perform well in groups?
Do I have comparison issues and would a bigger group impede me from focusing on my own lane?
Do I often get “lost in the mix”?
If I need to switch my staffing schedule, is there enough backup?
Do I have a hard time making connections with people?
Does competition phase me?
Am I moving to a new place and would like a big support system and the opportunity to have community?

For me, I had a range that I would be okay with, and I suggest you create a range too and start thinking about it as you narrow down the residency program list that you want to apply to.

Smaller programs may not be everyone’s preference and large programs may not be your preference especially since there are so many other factors that go into what programs you select.

So what’s right for you? Truly there is no right or wrong, I think I could have done both a small and big program. There are so many factors that go into your ranking list, this is just one piece of the puzzle. One of the pros of a larger program is that there are more chances of matching because there are more seats but that could also mean more applications. Looking back, since I moved to a new place during residency and literally knew no one, I think a bigger program might have helped me meet more people BUT I LOVED having a small residency class size (there were three of us total)! Our residency year was really able to be customized to our needs/interests.

If you have any questions, feel free to refer to the original post and my Instagram page! I wish you ALL the best! For more Residency content, check out the rest of my residency blog posts on here and on Instagram. I have created guides and have an Instagram highlight called ‘Rx Resi Help.’

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Philippians 2:3-5 NLT