Match Day Elation For Fourth-Year PharmD Students

April 18, 2024
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A map of the U.S. with highlighted states to show where the College of Pharmacy students matched for their residencies.

 

Anticipation abounds the third Friday of March each year as the results of Match Day begin to arrive. This culminates a months-long effort by Doctor of Pharmacy students seeking placement within pharmacy residency programs at healthcare institutions nationwide. 

Match Day 2024 Results

Arizona - 32
California - 3
Ohio - 3
Arkansas - 1
Georgia - 1
District of Columbia - 1
Idaho - 1
Massachusetts - 1
Michigan - 1
Pennsylvania - 1
Wisconsin - 1
Wyoming - 1

The process begins during the fall semester of students’ fourth year when they apply for positions within residency programs. By January and February, they start interviews with program directors, faculty and residents. At this time, students reap the benefits of participating in the Residency-Fellowship Preparation Program, led by Dr. Amy Kennedy, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science and clinical pharmacist. As part of this program, students attend sessions led by faculty and preceptors, as well as former and current residents, to discuss topics about the residency/fellowship application process, including program selection, application and document preparation, and interview skills. Students are then paired with designated faculty or preceptor mentors regarding the application process, candidacy, strategies in application and program selection, and finally interviewing.

“It is a privilege to chair the RF prep committee now in its 12th year. The goal of the program is to pair students with mentors consisting of faculty, clinical partners and alumni to provide students with guidance for completing the residency and fellowship application process. We are thrilled that our students have been matched with residencies and fellowships throughout the country and we look forward to their contributions to the profession!” says Dr. Kennedy.

Program participants continue to see consistent positive results. While PGY1 students have a broader choice in their focus, it’s not until PGY2 that students select residency programs with a specialty in mind such as emergency medicine, oncology or pediatrics. In early March, students submit their choices in order of preference to National Matching Services. Only as Match Day commences do PharmCATS learn if they secured positions in pharmacy residency programs within the state, across the country or even internationally.

For Match Day 2024, of the 84% of the PGY1 & PGY2 students that successfully matched, 68% will do their residencies in Arizona. This year alone, 5 students selected residency in rural settings and 61% of those who matched will be working with medically underserved populations and in designated health professional shortage areas. 

A priority of the Coit College of Pharmacy is to develop the pharmacy workforce to address the access challenges of Arizona’s rural and medically underserved communities. Access to healthcare services is directly related to health outcomes and how a state’s healthcare workforce is distributed affects access to care, particularly in rural and remote areas. Arizona’s rural communities face considerable challenges in accessing pharmacy care; Arizona workforce surveys determined that only 7% of Arizona’s pharmacists practice in rural areas, yet approximately 15% of Arizona’s population lives in rural communities. 

Accordingly, the college strives to address workforce distribution issues through its Rural Health Profession Program and Professional Certificate in Pharmacy-related Health Disparities, which have dramatically impacted students’ exposure and decision to practice in rural and underserved communities.

“Our College is committed to meeting the healthcare needs of all populations, and we’re so excited that our students demonstrate that value by seeking post-graduate training experiences in rural and underserved populations. Not only are they furthering their knowledge and skills, they’ll be providing care to those patients who really need them. We’re especially pleased to have our Rural Health Professions Program participants continue their training in rural communities -- four such communities are gaining pharmacists!” says Professor Elizabeth Hall-Lipsy, assistant professor, Department of Pharmacy, Practice and Science, and director of the PharmD Forward program.

 

Student Match Spotlight

Lola Botero
PGY1 - Ambulatory Care 
Full Circle Health
Boise, ID 

“I was drawn to Full Circle Health because, throughout my pharmacy career, I have become committed to advocacy and education. Working with an underserved community will allow me to give back to those often overlooked in the healthcare system, giving them the voice and care they deserve.” 

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Lola Botero