Pacific Pharmacist Career Pathways
Supported by the Office of Student Affairs
A fellowship is optional postgraduate training that is typically with a pharmaceutical company, academic institution, or a regulatory body. They are commonly 2 years in duration, however, can range anywhere from 1-3 years. Fellowships can focus on various areas including but not limited to business, clinical research, marketing, drug information, business, safety, clinical development, medical affairs and many others. You do not need any previous experience or qualifications besides your PharmD.
Fellows are highly respected amongst pharma companies and have a lot of visibility. This enables fellows to secure mentors easily and connect with high level management. You also will not enter entry-level positions after your fellowship, as many fellows are marked for leadership and can secure manager roles.
This is by far the most common opening question and your opportunity to say whatever is most important for you to express. A general template should include where you're from, your pharmacy school, why you're becoming a pharmacist, and anything unique about you or your experiences.
Imagine that this answer is the only thing that is remembered from your interview. It can be overwhelming to summarize your entire existence in 3 minutes but keep it relative to the position you are applying to. Practice your response to this question.
A fellowship is optional postgraduate training that is typically with a pharmaceutical company, academic institution, or a regulatory body. They are commonly 2 years in duration, however, can range anywhere from 1-3 years. Fellowships can focus on various areas including but not limited to business, clinical research, marketing, drug information, business, safety, clinical development, medical affairs and many others. You do not need any previous experience or qualifications besides your PharmD.
Fellows are highly respected amongst pharma companies and have a lot of visibility. This enables fellows to secure mentors easily and connect with high level management. You also will not enter entry-level positions after your fellowship, as many fellows are marked for leadership and can secure manager roles.
The most typical fellowships are ones sponsored by pharmaceutical companies. Fellowships can be academic-focused, regulator-focused, or industry-focused. Some encompass all three. Common areas to complete a fellowship include; Academia, Clinical/Research, Commercial (business), Health Outcomes, and Regulatory Affairs. Please refer to the list on the right hand side of this page to view all types.
The most typical fellowships are ones sponsored by pharmaceutical companies. Fellowships can be academic-focused, regulator-focused, or industry-focused. Some encompass all three. Common areas to complete a fellowship include; Academia, Clinical/Research, Commercial (business), Health Outcomes, and Regulatory Affairs. Please refer to the list on the right hand side of this page to view all types.
The standard answers of wanting to help people or being interested in math or science are sadly forgettable. Use a specific example from your life to make it memorable.
You may be thinking "because I don't know what else to do" or "I don't want to do retail." This is a good time to avoid being overly blunt. DIscuss how clinically trained pharmacists can push our profession to new heights and your desire to specialize in a certain area of practice. Perhaps you have friends already in residency, so you could talk about the experiences you want for your life. Or maybe it was an outstanding IPPE/APPE or preceptor who sparked your curiosity and pushed you to learn more.This question will require some instrospection to really determine what is it that drives you.
Securing a fellowship is not an easy task. Less than 15% of applicants secure a position but the number of opportunities continues to expand each year. To put things into perspective, fellowships are expected to be approximately 4 times harder to secure than residencies.
Securing a fellowship is not an easy task. Less than 15% of applicants secure a position but the number of opportunities continues to expand each year. To put things into perspective, fellowships are expected to be approximately 4 times harder to secure than residencies.
August
Begin researching programs of interest
Look into maximizing your rotations to favor industry
Update your CV
Start preparing application materials
Reach out to your LOR writers
September
Begin sending your CV to mentors for feedback
Begin reaching out to current fellows with questions
Register for PPS
October
Attend fellowship webinars and Q&A sessions
Finalize all materials (CV, LOI and LOR)
Review the list of positions available in PPS
Once PPS opens, begin applying to programs
November
Begin preparing for the interview
Update your CV
Schedule your interviews
Create quick guides for your interviews
December
Attend Midyear
Schedule on-site interviews
August
Begin researching programs of interest
Look into maximizing your rotations to favor industry
Update your CV
Start preparing application materials
Reach out to your LOR writers
September
Begin sending your CV to mentors for feedback
Begin reaching out to current fellows with questions
Register for PPS
October
Attend fellowship webinars and Q&A sessions
Finalize all materials (CV, LOI and LOR)
Review the list of positions available in PPS
Once PPS opens, begin applying to programs
November
Begin preparing for the interview
Update your CV
Schedule your interviews
Create quick guides for your interviews
December
Attend Midyear
Schedule on-site interviews
Do your research and give specific examples that are unique to each program.
Be honest. Well, not brutally honest. Talk about any positive things you've heard, and its best to skip the negatives. Show that you have done your research or that you have talked to residents and students at that site.
A fellowship is a bridge that will take you from where you are to where you want to be. Fellowships allow you to gain the necessary experiences so you can begin an impactful career. Pharmacists in industry have had multiple roles and each role comes with a bonus, raise, and or more stock options. From a financial perspective, industry has no limits as salaries are commonly significantly higher than any salary in a retail or hospital setting.
A fellowship is a bridge that will take you from where you are to where you want to be. Fellowships allow you to gain the necessary experiences so you can begin an impactful career. Pharmacists in industry have had multiple roles and each role comes with a bonus, raise, and or more stock options. From a financial perspective, industry has no limits as salaries are commonly significantly higher than any salary in a retail or hospital setting.
Right off the bat: You are qualified. Your PharmD places you on the same playing field as everyone else. Fellowship directors are looking for individuals who are ready to learn, and not so much the "know-it-all" candidates.
Not having industry experience does not mean you will not be a competitive candidate. During an interview, if you don't have industry experience, do not spend time highlighting experiences you do not have. Instead, try to fill them with other experiences that demonstrate the same/similar transferable skillset.
Generally, the most competitive applicants have the following experiences:
-Industry or non-traditional experience (Payer/Insurance rotation, contract research organization, managed care, P&T committee focused rotation, FDA, and/or CDC)
-Relevant leadership positions held within the past two years
-Scientific publications or ongoing research (especially if it is relevant to the area you are applying)
Lastly, fellowship directors want someone with a positive attitude.
Right off the bat: You are qualified. Your PharmD places you on the same playing field as everyone else. Fellowship directors are looking for individuals who are ready to learn, and not so much the "know-it-all" candidates.
Not having industry experience does not mean you will not be a competitive candidate. During an interview, if you don't have industry experience, do not spend time highlighting experiences you do not have. Instead, try to fill them with other experiences that demonstrate the same/similar transferable skillset.
Generally, the most competitive applicants have the following experiences:
-Industry or non-traditional experience (Payer/Insurance rotation, contract research organization, managed care, P&T committee focused rotation, FDA, and/or CDC)
-Relevant leadership positions held within the past two years
-Scientific publications or ongoing research (especially if it is relevant to the area you are applying)
Lastly, fellowship directors want someone with a positive attitude.
Be specific. RPD's like to hear when a candidate has really thought about their future. It also makes it easier for them to be able to support your goals.
It doesn't matter if these goals change down the road but an employer/RPD wants to see that you have goals and are thinking about the future.
Goldilocks theory: avoid saying you're open to everything but also don't come off as only wanting to do to one specific thing. Express that you have particular interests in 1-2 areas, but that you look forward to a well-rounded PGY1 program.
Think of strengths that are unique to you. If everyone answers that they are dedicated, passionate, and hardworking, those adjectives lose all meaning.
The trick to this question is to objectively identify your weaknesses and show actionable steps in improving. A classic weakness example is "public speaking", but that is only half the answer. The most important part of that answer should be to share that you have asked to do extra presentations on rotations and will continue to do so during residency to gain public speaking confidence.
Don't say you always want to be in charge but don't tell me that you always just follow. Talk about wanting to lead when appropriate but are happy to play a supportive role if someone else is more qualified.
This is a chance to highlight something unique about yourself and your experiences that hasn't yet come up in conversation.
Be prepared to discuss anything on your CV. If you have it on your CV, consider asking about it as fair game.
This can be a tricky question to answer. You always want to avoid blaming others for a poor experience. Consider possible answers related to COVID-19 and altered rotation experiences. For example "My infectious disease experience was during the pandemic. Unfortunately, I was unable to obtain any hands-on experience with patients, but it was exciting to review the emerging treatment options for COVID-19 and relate them back to patient care."
Stress, weakness, and vulnerability are all normal things people experience and are ok. This is a question where you can show your personality. Whether you enjoy spending time with your animals, lifting weights, reading, hiking, its great to show that you are a real person.
Even if you have a strong disdain for change, you need to express how easily you can adapt to changes in schedules and expectations. Giving a specific example of how you adapted to change is key.
It doesn't matter how big or small the experience, talk it up to sound important. If you have no experience in this area, be prepared to talk about your potential research interests, use the question to ask about current resident reseach, and even discuss a recent clinical trial that you reviewed for a journal club.
They want to hear that you listened to the patients' concerns and how you remedied the situation.
The decision isn't important but your process of analyzing a situation and how you acted is.
Everyone fails from time to time but the employer is interested to know how you were able to take failure as information and use it to improve yourself.
The bulk of your time responding to this question shouldn't be explaining the conflict, describe the problem briefly but focus on discussing how you resolved it. Were you argumentative? Did you ignore it? Did you talk it out?
During my reseach, it quickly became apparent that this healthcare organization is run to a very high standard. Coupled with the fact that you have a set of definitive and impressive values, I feel positive I will be supported in my role and everyone I work with will operate to the same high standards that I always strive to maintain.
I would continue to explain to the doctor why I felt the patient would benefit from a different medicine. I would do this in a respectful and professional manner, and I would be confident they would eventually consider my professional opinion.
It would be my goal to build positive relationships with all the doctors and pharmacists and try to keep the dialogue open and moving forward.
We all have a duty within pharmacy to ensure we carry out our duties accurately and in line with procedures, so I would make sure the situation was tackled straight away. I would deal with the problem by speaking to my colleague in private to establish the reason for them making the mistakes. I would be tactful in my communication and I would try to get to the root of the problem quickly. They may be experiencing problems in their personal life, or the mistakes might be the result of a lack of appropriate training. Having anwers to those questions will inform me as how to move forward.