March 23, 2018 | Karin Whiting Burgess - School of Pharmacy

Pharmacy Match Day Lifts UConn’s School of Pharmacy to a New England #1

Tuesday March 20 was the first day of spring and Match Day in the School of Pharmacy. As medical students do, pharmacy students have a calendar day on which graduates from Schools of Pharmacy learn which pharmacy residency programs they have been matched with. Both the students and programs rank their choices at the start […]

Three UConn Pharmacy students show Pharmacy Residency Notifications on Pharmacy Match Day 2018

UConn School of Pharmacy students (L-R) Danielle L'Heureux, Anthony Renzoni, and Stephanie Rinaldi display their Pharmacy Residency notifications on Pharmacy Match Day 2018.

Tuesday March 20 was the first day of spring and Match Day in the School of Pharmacy. As medical students do, pharmacy students have a calendar day on which graduates from Schools of Pharmacy learn which pharmacy residency programs they have been matched with. Both the students and programs rank their choices at the start of the process and on Match Day, the matches are revealed.

As undergraduates pharmacy students have opportunities to work in the field to complete four core educational experiences (acute care, ambulatory care, community care, and institutional pharmacy) as well as any personal areas of interest.  Some go to hospitals, or pharmacies, others to pharmaceutical companies, or other industry positions where they work alongside preceptors that offer insight and guidance on the job.

We know based on our rates of job placement at graduation, residency match, and fellowship placement that our curriculum prepares our students well for the pharmacy job market.  — Kathryn Wheeler, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Associate Clinical Professor of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy

A pharmacy residency is a post-graduate training program for licensed pharmacists to continue their professional development towards a clinical pharmacy career. In a post-graduate year one (PGY-1) residency, residents will hone and build upon the skills and knowledge they acquired in pharmacy school.  In a post-graduate year two residency (PGY-2), a resident will focus their training to a particular specialty of interest.

Pharmacy residencies are available in a variety of clinical settings, such as, hospitals, community pharmacies, and ambulatory care clinics. The match process occurs in two phases. Phase two will place unmatched sites and candidates from phase one.  The results of phase two will be released April 12th.

This year UConn’s 2018 Post Graduate Year 1 (PGY 1) Phase I match rate was 76.1%, which puts the School of Pharmacy at #1 in New England. This means that 76.1% of students seeking a residency got one.

The School’s 2018 Post Graduate Year 2 (PGY 2) match rate was even better, 85.7%. UConn School of Pharmacy is #1 in New England for the most graduates going on to PGY 2 residencies (12 graduates).

Nationally the PGY 1 Phase I national match rate was 64.2% and PGY 2 Phase I national match rate was 70%.