In response to an increasingly competitive market for residency positions, ACCP recently held its first offering of the program “Emerge from the Crowd: How to Become a Standout Residency Candidate.” More than 80 students registered for the new, 2-day program designed to educate first-, second-, and third-year students on how to maximize their ability to secure a residency position upon graduation.

On the basis of verbal and written feedback, the “Emerge from the Crowd” program was not purely motivational, but also provided students with valuable advice, concrete ideas, and solid action plans. The faculty panel that provided the 12 hours of interactive programming over 2 days was made up of leading clinical pharmacy residents, practitioners, educators, and scholars. They presented expert advice on developing leadership skills, gaining valuable work and professional experience, networking, engaging in scholarly activity, writing CVs, achieving academic success, interviewing, selecting a residency program, and navigating the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting.

The program’s effectiveness is best represented by some of the anonymous feedback from student participants.

• “Great conference. It was very insightful and beneficial.”
• “AWESOME! Answered all my questions and actually made me feel good about what I am doing while pushing me to better myself.”
• “I liked the chance to learn what residency programs are looking for in candidates and being able to talk to actual residents.”
• “I like the variety of the topics presented and all of the speakers gave very helpful insight on how to become a competitive residency applicant.”

Watch for dates for the next “Emerge from the Crowd” conference on the ACCP Students page at www.accp.com/stunet.

To reach a broader audience with this important information, ACCP is developing The ACCP Field Guide to Becoming a Standout Pharmacy Residency Candidate. The guide will offer a multiyear, stepwise approach for students to maximize curricular and extracurricular experiences. Executive Editor Jerry L. Bauman, Pharm.D., FCCP, FACC; Associate Editor Keri A. Sims, Pharm.D., BCPS; and an expert team of authors and reviewers will provide valuable insights and advice to students seeking to position themselves as standout residency candidates. Look for this publication to be available from the ACCP Bookstore in late 2012.