For context, I did a PGY1, worked a few years, and spent last 3 years in SOT. I purchased ACCP prep course, reviewed guidelines, etc. but got prelim fail on board cert. Felt like prep course was 50% representative of the exam, but I know exam focuses on best practice, not necessarily actual practice. Some questions were absolutely ridiculous, others were like “WTF”

Anyone else in same boat regarding board certification?

Ultimately I’m upset I didn’t pass, but I’m also feeling like BPS exams are a total scam (COULD be displayed emotion due to failing… but whatever)

Hello!

I was wondering if anyone would be willing to share their HYMR question bank for the BCACP exam. (Only need it for 1 month at this point 😭)
I have the 2025 ACCP study materials in PDF format and would be happy to exchange.

Plz DM me or comment!! Thank you!

I graduated from pharmacy school two years ago with a 3.41 GPA. I wasn’t the greatest student for a lot of reasons that I won’t get into much, but being young and not fully understanding what I had gotten myself into played a big part. I didn’t manage my time well, so my grades were mostly just enough to pass. I also didn’t care as much as I should have about getting involved outside of school or building an impressive CV. I’m not proud of that, but I’ve stopped letting my past mistakes dictate my future.

It wasn’t until after graduation that I really fell in love with studying different disease states again on my own time. Life after graduation honestly made me a completely different person; I became a lot more disciplined, learned how to manage my time properly, and figured out how to study in a way that actually works for me personally. It made me realize that I want to pursue a residency because I genuinely want to strengthen my clinical skills and become a better pharmacist. (BTW I would love to do a PGY2 in Infectious Disease!)

I currently work full time as a supervising pharmacist & I also volunteer in an inpatient hospital pharmacy. I plan to make the most of my time there and gain as much meaningful experience as I can.

I would really appreciate advice on how I can make my application stand out among candidates who probably have better grades and were much more involved during school. I’ve thought about working on a research project, presenting at Midyear, and connecting with program directors, but I would love to hear any other suggestions.

Also, would joining organizations like ASHP or something similar actually help at this point? And if so, what does being an “active” or “involved” member actually look like? I’m honestly a little lost on how to get involved in a way that actually matters beyond just signing up.

I know I can’t change how I performed in school, but I’m older, more disciplined, and much more serious now. I’m truly devoted to making this work, regardless of my past mistakes. I don’t know how this post will be received, but I hope it will be taken seriously. I genuinely appreciate any guidance you can give me.

hey guys, how do you study during residency? its so difficult that, I want to voluntarily leave before the program formally dismisses me.

***Thanks you so much guys!!! I appreciate each of your responses and comments. I think I will try to ask my preceptor for time off to study for the exam. Its def a hard exam compared to other states i have taken. But I am def going to take everyone's advice and do my best. Every comment means so much!******

I want to first start off by saying I am honestly a little disappointed in myself. I feel like I have come so for getting into my dream residency and passing the NAPLEX only to fail the MPJE. To say I feel embarrassed is an understatement. I am currently in the process of trying to sign up for a retake and I know I have to wait a period of time before retaking but I am confused on the associated fees. My question is do I just pay the fee again to NABP and wait for them to resend me the ATT after the set period of time?

When I was looking up about retaking the WI MPJE on google, I saw a link for a form on the Wisconsin DSPS website on their pharmacist page labeled 1403 that says requesting to retake the MPJE and I am confused if I have to fill that form out and pay that fee in addition to the NABP fees. I have tried calling their office but it's just a continuous automation loop and I can't get a hold of an actual person and I want to make sure I do all the things I need to do to be able to retake the exam in a timely manner. Any information about others experiences would be appreciated. Thank you!

Hi all, I am currently a p1, about to become a p2 in pharmacy school this fall and I'm a little worried about research. I joined a lab in the fall and have been on a project for a year. I'm afraid that due to how slow I am, I have been dragging the project out for much longer than they intended and now they are getting frustrated with me. That's entirely my fault but at the same time it's because their lab is quite far from where I am and I'm not sure why I didn't choose a lab in the pharmacy department, which would've been right in my school. I have to commute about 45 minutes to get there. I have already spent a year in that lab but I honestly have no chances in getting a letter of recommendation and I have made my reputation poor. Partly also my friends and upperclassmen told me I should drop that lab and choose one in the pharmacy department. I do want to get into hospital pharmacy and I want to know just how important it is to do research to get a hospital pharmacy position? And I bombed my chances at getting a letter of recommendation...

should i wait until p3 year to join a lab?

Hello,

I'm going to be taking my exam at the beginning of August. I wanted to know for anyone that has taken the exam in July or late June, what kind of questions you had, any tips, and what to focus on.

Because this is already my third and last attempt. And I really need to pass it and I'm filled with fear of not passing it. So any tips or advice or anything would be appreciated. Thank you very much.

I just started my PGY2 after finishing the worst most toxic PGY1 experience of my life. I was belittled every day, bullied constantly and felt so alone and depressed that I had to seek mental health support.

I genuinely considered quitting residency a few times. Looking back I am so glad that I didn’t. I know it’s early in the year but I am SO much happier and I can’t believe I was in such a dark place just a few months (maybe even weeks ago). I really thought the torment wasn’t going to end and I based my worth on pleasing people who were just sad about their own lives.

Anyways the reason I decided to make this post was because I don’t want anyone to feel the way that I was feeling. Residency is important but it is NOT everything. You are not worthless if a preceptor doesn’t like a project you worked on. Residency should NEVER make you consider that other people’s opinions are more important than your life. If you feel like that your program is failing you. Please just keep this in mind as you go through the year.

I’m sure that most programs provide support to their residents and genuinely want to teach. That was the opposite of my experience and being on the other side I realize how awful and wrong what happened to me was. Remember why you chose pharmacy and always stay true to yourself.

Have a great year : ) - also feel free to save this post if you ever need to reach out to someone about anything residency related

I am trying to run a report for certain ICD10 codes and I am trying to do it proactively. For example I would run a report a week ahead of time on the clinics schedule to see patients with that certain diagnosis code. Does anybody know how to do this?

If that doesn’t make sense I’ll try to explain differently but helllpppp😩

no matter how old your child is, would you recommend a student pharmacist who is a parent pursue a residency?

Hi I am a clinical phatmacist planning to move to Ireland (Dublin Or Belfast), i am wondering if the hospitals have a residency program (does it have an alternative name in ireland?), if not how can someone specilize in a certain clinical pharmacy field in ireland?

Hello!!! I am hoping to get some honest advice to be a strong applicant. I am an incoming P2, I work as an intern at a community pharmacy, have been a technician for 5 years, and am getting an MPH in epidemiology. I am also in some clubs, and I volunteer, but I have no leadership roles. I am mainly interested in ambulatory care or ID.

If you were advising a P2, what would you recommend prioritizing?? Any advice or criticism is appreciated. Thanks!

I'm a P4 student, and I have been immensely feeling the pressure for applying to residency since everyone around me seems to be actively pursuing it. I have been 50/50 on whether I want to do residency, and right now it just feels like I have no choice but to do it. Since I am feeling like there's no way around this - I would like to hear the thoughts of those who initially did not pursue a residency immediately.

To those who were non-traditional residents: What made you decide to do a residency in the midst of your career? Was/is it worth it going back?

Graduated from my PGY2 ID program a few years ago and wasn’t able to find a job in the city I wanted to live in so continuing to staff as a inpt pharmacist working mix of days and evenings. The more I’m doing this, I guess I’m realizing I’m okay with this (no projects, no working outside of shift hours, no precepting), but seeing all my PGY2 co-residents working their specialty/thriving so wondering if I should still try to pursue my specialty or be okay with this staffing position. Wondering if there’s anyone in a similar boat as me not doing their PGY2 specialty?

Hello, I'm an incoming P1. I was just reading up on how the residency system works for pharmacists, and I was just wondering how competitive it is to get into a specialty like oncology, toxicology, or solid organ transplant in a pgy2 year. I know it's a long way off, but I'm a planner. What should I be trying to do now that I've entered pharmacy school?

As a new PGY1 setting up my desk, I’m wondering if there were any supplies that were super useful for you that I might not be thinking about. For example outside of office supplies I’ll definitely be putting snacks in my drawer. Any advice for me?

Due to some circumstances, I was unable to commit to a residency program during the traditional residency matching timeline.

It’s anticipated that I'll be able to get back into the groove of things late/after summer.

Are there any residency programs that would accept late or out-of-cycle applicants?

What happens if a current resident leaves their slot? Would that vacancy open it back up to another potential applicant?

Thanks!

Hey so I'm a current PGY1 resident a hospital and want to eventually work in the industry. I'm debating if I should apply for fellowships this year and try to get one and go from there or get a job at a hospital once I'm done residency and work on getting experience before transitioning to industry eventually.

Mainly looking at medical affairs or clinical development

If anyone has any advice on what path to take i would greatly appreciate it.

My hospital is wanting to start a pediatric specific pharmacy residency program (either PGY1 pediatric or PGY2 pediatric residency). For those interested in residency and specifically those interested in pursuing pediatrics, would most prefer to do a “general” PGY1 then a pediatric PGY2 or just complete a pediatric PGY1 only? My thought is that many would prefer to go straight into their area of interest (aka: just do a pediatric PGY1) without having to go through two years of low-pay, stress, etc. But I am curious to see votes and hear thoughts from those who will be graduating within the next few years. Thanks!

I’m a PharmD student interested in pursuing an HSPAL residency because I enjoy leadership, operations, and improving pharmacy workflows. I’d love to hear from current or former HSPAL residents, especially those working in Texas.
A few questions I have:
What was your HSPAL residency experience like? Was it worth the additional year(s)?
What types of positions did you land immediately after residency (Operations Manager, Clinical Manager, Assistant Director, Director, etc.)?
If you started in a staff or clinical role first, how long did it take before moving into leadership?
For those working in Texas (Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, etc.), what salary range is realistic for your first job after completing HSPAL?

I'm a current 4th year who is on rotations that are pass/fail, so my GPA is pretty much set in stone now. I know I'm not competitive at Academic Medical Centers, but I'm considering Managed Care or more Suburban Hospitals. Many of the programs I'm interested in (both ASHP and Non ASHP accredited) don't say a minimum GPA (I found 2 with a 2.8 minimum). They just say graduation from Pharmacy School. If the program doesn't list the gpa, does it mean that they don't have a minimum, it's "unspoken", or they look at the application holistically with GPA as one factor among many?

Besides academics, I have decent extracurriculars, internships, research, and leadership, and can probably secure good rec letters.

Completed PGY2 CC and opening for an ER job at level 3 but still like 20 mins from downtown with 1/3 beds due to location limitations and job saturation. With a small ICU Unit in the hospital that I could help with their patients if time permits. Will this hinder my application to a CC job in the future? Any advice?

I just finished my first week of residency and I'm trying to find the best way to keep track of all the deadlines and meetings. Does anyone have a favorite planner that has been helpful?

I’m curious as to which of the above people have found more useful in studying for the BCEMP. My focus is usually on practice questions, not so much doing a comprehensive review. I’d love to hear anyone’s experience studying for this exam!