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Dr. Giae Dérissé, PharmD

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in Pharmacy Residency Central· Residency: Applications & Interviews

I Came Back from ASHP Midyear, Now What? | GDPharmD

You made it past midyear! Midyear is definitely a whirlwind but I hope you had time to have fun. Now it’s time to get those apps in! I remember how stressful those three weeks were and I wanted to write a short blog post to help you all with tips about what to do post-midyear. I talk about tips for your Letter of Intent, CV, PhORCAS, Letters of Recommendation, and more!

If you’re new to my page, here’s a little about me: I graduated from Rutgers pharmacy school in 2020 and matched at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center (which was my #1 choice since the beginning of the residency process) for residency by the grace of God!

1. Send Those Post-Midyear Thank You Emails!

Include any follow-up questions IF you have any. Keep the emails short and sweet and include anything you may have talked about. PRO-TIP, you can schedule emails in Gmail to go out on Monday after midyear or even the Friday of the same week of Midyear

All the screenshots above are from my Instagram’s ‘Rx Resi Help’ Highlight! Check it out HERE for the tips I’ve shared over the years!

2. Narrow Down Your List of Programs

I have a blog post on how to narrow your list down but since I have A LOT to say about this topic haha here’s more info! So, you’ve visited numerous booths and talked to so many programs, now what? By this point, there are probably programs you have your heart set on and some you’re just not certain of. I know the feeling of thinking every program is the same. I would say first use OBJECTIVE data about programs such as, how long has the program been around, is the program accredited or not, staffing requirements, location, rotations (required, elective, optional), opportunities available, how the research project is done, and how the program aligns with your future goals while ALSO keeping in mind that your goals may change. Therefore, it is important to evaluate if there is room for changing your schedule/rotations in that program so ask yourself if there are a variety of rotations and flexible schedules (don’t forget to read this post for more details). Then, use subjective data such as how you perceived the residents liked their program, the “vibe” and gut feelings you have about the program, etc. During mid-year after the residency showcases, I IMMEDIATELY wrote down how I felt about each program so that I would remember it before the day was over.

I seriously cannot stress enough the importance of evaluating a program based on your future goals and career aspirations. The opportunities a program provides will be the very things that go on your CV when it’s time to get a job or apply for a PGY-2 (if you so choose). If you’re not sure what you want to do within your career, programs that have a wide variety of rotations vs a focused program would be good to think about.

Remember, you should choose a program that’s right for YOU because you and only you will be going through this residency. A program that is best for one person, may not be good for you. This next tip may be more so for your rank list post-interviews, but I’ll say it here anyway: although it may be hard, try not to pick a program based on one rotation or one preceptor. Have multiple reasons/preceptors/locations that you like about a program because things change. Preceptors may leave, rotations may get eliminated, and leadership can change as well so keep that in mind.

For more info on specific factors see both the Staffing and Residency Class Size blogs.

Throwback to ASHP 2019 as a student

3. Contact Your Letter Writers

See my other blog post on Letters of Recommendation where I go VERY in-depth on all things letters of recommendation and on what to give to your letter writers to make sure you set yourself up for success. In your communication with them, emphasize deadlines and any special considerations to them and also give your final list of programs that you’re applying for, and ensure they received the email from PhORCAS about writing your letter. If you’re looking for a template of what to send to your letter writers, check out THIS template.

4. Start and Finish Your Letter of Intent

This was probably the HARDEST part for me. My first tip is to contact your career services center at your University/College. They have paid and trained professionals who are there to review things like letters of intent/cover letters/CVs…etc., so take advantage of that.

Similar to any paper, create an outline so the letter flows succinctly. For me, I had an introduction paragraph, a few body paragraphs, and a conclusion paragraph (my conclusion was just a couple of sentences). Your letter of intent should address the RPD/RPC properly. If the person is a PharmD and their name is Jane Smith, it should be addressed to Dr. Smith. In your letter, you need to emphasize your goals and how those fit with the program (think about how you’re a match for them and how they are a match for you). If you want to be an emergency medicine pharmacist, talk about the trauma level at that particular hospital and the emergency medicine rotations available that will help you gain experience, talk about your APPE rotation in the ED and some interventions you made and how that particular hospital will help you gain more experience to help more patients. SHOW, don’t just tell examples of your attributes that make you a good candidate. In your letter, there will likely be certain things about yourself that you want to highlight. Let’s say you choose to focus on four attributes: your clinical abilities, leadership, patient counseling, and volunteer work, each of those topics would be the main focus of one of the body paragraphs. Have examples for each attribute and connect the program with those abilities and how the program can further help you achieve/refine them. Also, remember that residency is not all about you so include things about what you can/will bring to the program and even how you look forward to giving back to the program and hospital during your time there and beyond.

Lastly, my letter of intent was one-page.

Exploring in Vegas ASHP 2019
Residency Showcase Day
When an East Coast girl goes out West

5. Finish your CV

Your CV is very important and by this point, you probably already have a pretty solid version. Post-midyear, you may just need some minor tweaking and that’s perfectly fine! When I was a student, I chose to do residency pretty ‘late’ in the game compared to most (I decided around my third APPE rotation so I had a lot to catch up on). I read A LOT about the residency process and attended multiple webinars and gathered that many (but not all) programs have a grading system in order to objectively evaluate students. The systems in which programs choose candidates for interviewing vary WIDELY across programs, but one thing is for sure, they all look at what you’ve done in pharmacy school and previous to that (if you did undergrad, for example) and your CV is what showcases all your hard work.

Suggested sections (in no particular order of importance):

  • Name on top (large and bold), contact information
  • Education and Training
  • Work experience (this includes work, internships, shadowing, etc)
  • APPEs – the first one I listed was the APPE I was on, following that were the APPEs I already did, and then at the end were my anticipated APPEs. For your APPEs and IPPEs (if you include IPPEs) be sure to have the name of the hospital, name of rotation, and name of the preceptor.
  • Presentations – include the title of the presentation, where it was presented, and who it was presented to (such as pharmacists, physicians, nurses, and/or students)
  • Research
  • Publications/posters/abstracts
  • Leadership & Professional memberships – be sure to include any honor societies here as well
  • Community service
  • Honors and Awards
  • Certificates

If you have unique experiences, include them! For example, I have an interest in public health and policy so I included my public health internship and activities I was involved with in my local government (this was key for me to include because Maryland’s hospital pharmacist chapter was very involved in legislation and very involved in the residency programs in Maryland (so it was another way that I could connect being a ‘fit’ for the programs). While I worked many many jobs in pharmacy school and undergrad like waitressing, fast food, etc I did not include those LOL but I did include my time as a substitute teacher. Be sure to include in your CV if you participated in any clinical competitions in pharmacy school as well.

Other random tips: extend the margins on your CV to get the MOST out of your space, upload your CV as a PDF to the PhORCAS system or else the formatting will be all over the place, include footers with page numbers, and make sure the CV is easy to follow and visually appealing but not distracting.

There’s a lot of debate about including things you did on rotations as bullet points vs. just listing the rotation. I included what I did on rotations but weigh the pros and cons and see what’s best for you.

Lastly, my CV was four pages long! If you want to download a guide and template, click HERE.

Virtual ASHP 2020 as a PGY1 Pharmacy resident
After presenting research

6. Finish the PhORCAS Application

The PhORCAS application is pretty straightforward so there won’t be much to say here but if you have questions or are having technical issues, their customer service is really good, so reach out! For the open-response questions, it’s best to draft them in a Microsoft Word/Google doc to check for any grammatical and spelling mistakes before you submit them. Even though some of the questions may seem to be duplicates of what you already have on your CV, fill it out in its entirety! Don’t leave it blank and think ‘They will just look at my CV.’ Each program has a different way of reviewing applications and there may be different evaluators as well. Some programs/evaluators can review your application in entirely via PhORCAS and some evaluators may only have the chance to look at your CV and some a combination so give yourself the BEST shot by using every opportunity possible. So, take that extra time to explain the awards, scholarships, or whatever else they ask in those free responses. 

Be sure to check out the resources that ASHP and PhORCAS have available on tips for filling out the applications as well.

Lastly, I applied to 7 programs and received 4 interview invites.

7. Celebrate and Relax

You submitted it! Take a sigh of relief and honestly chill out or go do something fun! Making it this far is something to be celebrated. You’ve spent the greater part of the last few months dedicating so much time to this process. Schedule things to do with friends, family, and even solo to help distract you from the angst of waiting for interview invites!

8. Focus on APPEs and don’t bog yourself down in worry waiting for interview invites

Although all that will be on your mind are interview invites, put your energy into focusing on APPEs. Interview invites come out staggered and although you may be on rotations with other students who have gotten invites already, don’t worry! Each program has a different timeline.

9. Gather Sample Interview Questions

There are tons of questions I pulled right from Google searches. This will be a good distraction AND so that when it’s time to actually prepare for interviews, you’re ahead of the game!

10. Check out my other blog posts on residency application prep to be ready for the next steps

  • To-do list for the residency process
  • Interview Preparation

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.’ If you have any other questions or need clarification, feel free to DM me on Instagram and share this post with anyone who you think may need it!

More Resources

  • PhoRCAS applicant presentation
  • PhoRCAS FAQ
  • PhoRCAS what’s new
  • ASHP student residency resource center (you’ll need to sign in to access that content)
  • General resources on PhORCAS
'Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones. ' Psalms 127:1-2 
siganture

Things to Do: Residency Application Process

Pharmacy Residency Search: Finding Programs & Narrowing Down Your List

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

Staffing During Pharmacy Residency: Should it Factor into Your Decision?

Mid-Year Tips (Virtual Edition)

Top Tips for Pharmacy Residency Interviews #InterviewSZN

Guide to Letters of Recommendation

Tips for APPE/IPPE Pharmacy Rotations

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About me

Hi, my name is Giae I'm passionate about helping others navigate through their pharmacy career while sharing my every day life and adventures! This page has tons of resources, so check them out!

I post blogs here and I am most active on Instagram, be sure to follow below for day-to-day updates!

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Here & there 📸 Rest. Quality time. Long Walks. Here & there 📸 Rest. Quality time. Long Walks. Celebrations. Learning. Prayer. Praise. Ups. Downs. And everything in between 🤍
Wholesome Holiday Season 🎁🎄✨ #byeDecember Wholesome Holiday Season 🎁🎄✨ #byeDecember
EOY work things 💼🎄this year was really great EOY work things 💼🎄this year was really great (& busy) and I’m so thankful for it! I learned a ton, got more involved in my team and the company, started on new work streams, met more people in my department and outside of the department, navigated changes and challenges, I mentored someone more senior than myself and learned from those more senior than myself, traveled overseas for a conference, overcame doubts and fears with God and learned to do my job more effectively. Can’t believe I’m almost at the two year mark here. God has been so good and faithful, His timing for my life (and yours!) is the most perfect timing - He hears, He responds, He comforts, He guides & is truly everything. Each season of my life (and yours!) prepares us for what is to come, so continue to lean in and learn wherever you are in life 🤍

Right now, I’m enjoying my time off + company shutdown to end the year rested & with a full heart 🥹 and I hope whatever your break look likes that you find rest, gratitude, and enjoyment in that as well.
For the happy heart, life is a continual feast Pro For the happy heart, life is a continual feast Proverbs 15:15 🤍 ☀️🍁#photodump 📸
It’a all Sunshine & Rainbows (+ Waterfalls) 🌤 It’a all Sunshine & Rainbows (+ Waterfalls) 🌤️🌈🇨🇦

Full on tourist mode at Niagara Falls to spend quality time with family. Fun fact, it’s the fastest moving waterfall in the world 🌎

It was a perfect trip for a long weekend 🤍
Stayed 🛌: Road-tripped to Niagara & stayed On the Canada side
Food 🥘: @swaagat_niagarafalls (so so good!) and @anticaniagara 

Things to Do 📝: 
Boat ride into the falls with @niagaracruises (the “hornblower”)
Guided tour of the Niagara Parks Power Station + Tunnel (would skip if not super interested in the mechanics behind everything, but the views from the tunnel is very worth it). 
Went to the top of the @skylon_tower for amazing views. 
Fireworks right by the Falls are every night at 10pm from May-October. 
Clifton Hills Entertainment District. 
Niagara on the Lake. 
Relax at Queen Victoria Park (also a great view of the fireworks). 
Of course take in the beauty of the Falls. 
Stopped in Toronto. 

Transportation 🚗:
Niagara is very walkable by the main tourist spots! Mostly walked on foot, took an Uber a couple times, and used the Falls incline railway/funicular once. Parking at the hotel was ridiculously expensive, so we found a nearby parking garage. 

Checkout my IG highlight for more 📸

#niagarafallstrip #niagarafallsitinerary #niagarafalls #ontario #travel #thingtodoinniagara
All of those experiences have helped shaped me pro All of those experiences have helped shaped me professionally and personally. Working clinical gave me so many skills that translate well into what I do now and I really wouldn’t change thing.

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬ ‭

#pharmacy #9to5 #worklife #pharmacist #industrypharmacist #clinicalpharmacist #pharmd
Summers on the east coast >>> Summers on the east coast >>>
dreamy summer sunset 🌊🌅🐬🤍# #summer #s dreamy summer sunset 🌊🌅🐬🤍#

#summer #sunset #beach
[summer, sunset at the beach]
I’ve really been enjoying my role & where I am i I’ve really been enjoying my role & where I am in my career and I think a lot of it has to with my mindset shift towards careers/work over the years. This role not only challenges me but also leans into some of my natural skills and abilities. I’m sooo so grateful to be a PharmD which has given me so many options + opportunities. While this page is largely focused on career/professional life, it’s important to point out that jobs come & go, careers fade, but the glory of God is what remains. May we remember to FIX our eyes on things eternal and not earthy, temporal things: “But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either” 1 Timothy‬ ‭6‬:‭6‬-‭7‬. “Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth [which have only temporal value] ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬ 

Stay your post 🤍

#worklife #9to5 #industrypharmacist #insdustrypharmd #pharmacist
Springtime walks are my favorite 🌷🌸🌺 Some Springtime walks are my favorite 🌷🌸🌺
Some bts of my walks 📸 so greatful to be close to so many beautiful places 🤍

#spring #springtime #walking #nature #blooms [springtime flowers plants bloom]

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