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Official Newsjournal of the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists

Rosalind Franklin University College of Pharmacy
My Experience at the ICHP Annual Meeting Residency Showcase

College Connection

by Mickey Hathuc, P-3, ICHP Professional Chair Rosalind Franklin University of Science & Medicine, College of Pharmacy

As I near the completion of the didactic portion of my Doctor of Pharmacy program at RFU, I have been thinking about what I would like to pursue after I graduate. There are numerous career opportunities available out there for me when I graduate pharmacy school in two years. As I was going through school, I was beginning to become interested in doing a residency program. After attending the residency showcase during my second year of pharmacy school it helped solidify my decision to pursue a residency.

My interests in completing a residency developed through the idea of applying the clinical knowledge learned in pharmacy school in a collaborative effort as part of a health care team. During my P2 year, I had the opportunity to attend the residency showcase held at the 2017 ICHP Annual Meeting. I was encouraged to attend by classmates in their P3 and P4 years in order to prepare for when I would be applying for a residency by learning how to talk to the residents and knowing what questions to ask. I was not sure what to expect and was overwhelmed with the process. Being a P2, I was too intimidated to talk to any of the residents. After the meeting, I decided I would attend the following year as a P3 student. I wanted to get a better understanding of the process and be prepared to talk to the residents and residency directors. I followed through on my plan and attended the 2018 ICHP Annual Meeting this past September. This time I had the opportunity to talk to a few programs.

Just like the previous year, the residency showcase was crowded with P4 students interested in pursuing residency training after graduation. As I made my way through the crowd, I stopped at a few booths and spoke to current residents and program directors. Even though I was a P3 student, many of the residents were happy to talk to me about their daily activities including their patient care activities. In addition, they gave me advice on how to prepare a well-written CV and the importance of a letter of intent when applying for residency programs. Some residents even took the time to explain the interview process and how programs select residents. I was able to get information about various programs and how residents select elective rotations. The ICHP residency showcase was a great experience for me, which helped me to feel more prepared for attending the ICHP Annual Meeting and ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting next year as a P4 student.

My experience attending the ICHP residency showcase has been very enlightening. I would encourage students in their first and second years to attend the ICHP Annual Meeting. The ICHP meeting exposes students to many pharmacy practice opportunities in the health-care systems. It also introduces students to the process of finding a residency. I hope others will take advantage of the tremendous opportunity and start early so that they can be prepared in their P4 year.