PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Applicant Screening and Ranking Process
Resident Qualifications
At minimum, the resident candidates must meet the following criteria to be considered for selection:
• Graduates or candidates for graduation of an Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education
(ACPE) accredited degree program or one in process of pursuing accreditation, or have a Foreign
Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Committee (FPGEC) certificate from the National Association of
Boards of Pharmacy (NABP).
• Current GPA of ≥3.0 on the standardized GPA scale or a “Pass” grade on each class and rotation if
from a “Pass/Fail” program
• Ability to be fully licensed as a pharmacist in Wisconsin within 90 days of the beginning of the
residency.
• Ability to travel to our hospital for onsite interview, if chosen
• Application submission via PhORCAS™ must include:
o At minimum, 3 Letters of Recommendation
o Transcripts from College of Pharmacy
o Personal Statement/Letter of Intent
o Updated Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Registered for the ASHP “Match” program
General Timeline of Selection Process
• September: RPD to register site for upcoming Match:
https://natmatch.com/ashprmp/programs/index.html
• October: RPD will update ASHP’s Residency Site to include changes and deadlines to upcoming
selection: https://accreditation.ashp.org/
• November: RPD to login to PhORCAS™ to transfer and update any changes to the grading criteria,
and update the list of approved members of the Review/Selection Committee
• January:
o Jan 7
th
: RDP will assign candidate applications to the committee for review
o Jan 21
st
: RDP will invite selected candidates for on-site interviews
• February: Onsite interviews
• March: Ranking submitted to Match program
Advertising of Residency
Annually in the Fall Season, the RPD and support staff will review residency brochure and all residency
websites to ensure accuracy and continuity. All printed residency materials must clearly state: “This
residency site agrees that no person at this site will solicit, accept, or use any ranking-related information
from any residency applicant.”
Additionally, the RPD and other support staff will be expected to attend various Residency Showcases.
These generally include the ASHP Mid-Year and local colleges of pharmacy.
Resident Selection Process
Section Overview
The program utilizes PhORCAS™ for all selection and decision-making assistance. Annually, the RPD will
assess and update the current selection and voting members of the Selection Committee and will
disseminate this policy and other educational material to assist the members of the committee on how
to appropriately use the PhORCAS™ software. This may include a pre-recorded “How To” video on how
to effectively evaluate and rank candidates.
Candidate Evaluation
Upon receiving applications within the PhORCAS™ system, the Residency Selection Committee must
evaluate each candidate based on two overarching properties: paper application scores and interview
scores (if accepted for interview).
Phorcas Application Review
Each candidate must be both subjectively and objectively evaluated based on their application
submission:
• Objective – worth a total of 50 points:
o Work Experience (5 points)
o Research/Posters (5 points)
o Presentations (5 points)
o Leadership Experience (5 points)
o Volunteerism (5 points)
o Letters of Recommendation (5 points)
o Personal Statement (5 points)
o CV Quality/Organization (5 points)
o Transcripts/Grades (5 points)
o Managed Care Experiences (5 points)
• Subjective – no points given. This section is solely for discussion purposes:
o Ranking based on perceived “fit” into our program
1: Must interview
2: Interview
3: Interview if necessary
4: Do not interview
Upon completion of the ‘paper’ PhORCAS™ review, the individual scores will be summed and an initial list
based on the average scores of each candidate will be developed. The voting members of the Selection
Committee will then be unblinded to the scores of the individual candidates and any comments from the
review committee. The committee will then discuss the candidates and may move candidates up or down
in the ranking of candidates invited to interview by no more than 3 spots based on perceived “fit” or lack
of “fit” with the program. Candidates will be invited to interview in order of final ranking. A total of 5
applicants will be interviewed for each residency position offered. If a candidate turns down an interview
offer, the RPD may offer that slot to the highest ranking candidate who did not get an initial interview
offer. The residency policies and requirements for successful completion of the residency will emailed to
each candidate invited to interview.
On-Site Interview Review
Candidates will be critiqued based on 3 evaluations performed by members of the Resident Selection
Committee and other staff that will be interacting with the resident. These evaluations will be based on:
• Interview Scores (25 points). How well does the candidate perform in a formal interview setting:
o Verbal Communication (5 points)
o Non-Verbal Communication (5 points)
o Team “fit” (5 points)
o Professionalism (5 points)
o Questions asked (5 points)
• Presentation Scores (40 points). Interviewees are instructed to come prepared with a clinical
presentation of their choice. Evaluations are based on:
o Confidence (5 points)
o Avoid Filler Words (5 points)
o Eye Contact (5 points)
o Presentation Flow (5 points)
o Speaking beyond slides (5 points)
o Ability to “Think on Feet” (5 points)
o Response to Audience Questions (5 points)
o Topic Appropriate for Audience (5 points)
• Clinical Case Score (20 points). The candidate will be given a traditional Case Presentation and
expected to create a SOAP Note-like review. Two pharmacists will be blinded and evaluate each
candidate’s case based on the following:
o Clinical Skills (10 points)
o Written Communication (10 Points)
Ranking of Candidates
Upon successful completion of both paper and interview evaluations, the individual scores will be
summed and an initial rank list based on the average scores of each candidate will be developed. The
voting members of the Residency Selection Committee will be unblinded to all scores and comments for
each candidate. The Residency Selection Committee may re-order the initial rank list before finalizing
based on resident’s fit with program. The Residency Selection Committee reserves the right to decline
ranking an individual if a candidate is deemed unfit for the residency program. If a consensus is not able
to be reached by the Residency Selection Committee, the RPD will finalize the final Rank Order List. The
RPD will enter the Rank Order List into the National Match Service system prior to the due date.
Post Match Process
Phase II Match / Scramble
The program will participate in the Phase II Match Process and/or Scramble if necessary. The process as
describe above will remain largely intact, other than the timeline will be condensed and on-site interviews
may not be necessary. A phone or video interview may replace the on-site interview process. Although
not absolutely necessary, the program seeks to fill all open residency positions each year. For more
information on the Phase II match timeline and process, please visit:
https://natmatch.com/ashprmp/schedule.html
Communication to “Matched” Residents
Upon successfully matching, the RPD will send an official letter of acceptance to the upcoming resident(s)
detailing information on the pre-employment requirements (e.g., licensure and human resources
requirements, such as drug testing, criminal record check) and other relevant information (e.g., benefits,
stipend), requirements for successful completion of the residency, expectations of the residency program,
upcoming timelines, including ‘applying’ for the job within the organization, start dates of the residency,
and an introduction to the residency itself.
After completing the application for employment, the resident will receive an official Job Offer of which
they must accept and send back prior to beginning their Residency year.
