A Screening Tool to Identify Qualified Pharmacy Residency Candidates

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Residency Program Admissions

Background:

• Increasing competition for postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) pharmacy residency positions.
• Need for efficient and objective methods to evaluate a growing applicant pool.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and assess the effectiveness of a prescreening tool for PGY1 pharmacy residency program applicants.
• To determine if the tool can differentiate between interviewed and non-interviewed candidates.

Main Methods:

• A scoring tool was created to evaluate PGY1 pharmacy residency applicants across six domains: community service, leadership, letters of intent, letters of recommendation, presentations/publications, and work experience.
• The tool was applied to applicants for two PGY1 residency programs.

Main Results:

• Interviewed applicants demonstrated significantly higher scores in most domains (except work experience) compared to non-interviewed applicants.
• Overall scores for interviewed candidates were significantly higher.
• Average applicant scores showed an increasing trend annually.

Conclusions:

• The developed prescreening tool is a valuable asset for pharmacy residency program administrators.
• The tool aids in differentiating candidate strengths and managing competitive application cycles.
• Objective assessment of applicant qualifications is crucial for effective residency selection.