PharmD Class of 2022 Has a Successful Phase 1 Residency Match

83% of School of Pharmacy students who participated in Phase 1 were accepted to first-year pharmacy residency programs across the United States.

By Becky Ceraul
March 21, 2022

With the first round of the matching period for pharmacy residency and fellowship programs across the country on March 16, thousands of fourth-year student pharmacists learned the next step in their career path when the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) announced its Residency Match Day results. There were 5,128 students and graduates from across the country competing for 3,688 post-graduate year 1 (PGY1) positions, for a national match rate of 72 percent. Forty students from the Class of 2022 at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (UMSOP) – 83% of those who applied –were matched to residency positions in 14 states at institutions such as CVS Health, Johns Hopkins Hospital, the Cleveland Clinic, University of Maryland Medical Center, and Kaiser Permanente.

Students from UMSOP matched to programs in community pharmacy, managed care pharmacy, and pharmacotherapy.

“Pharmacy residencies offer students a wonderful opportunity to continue developing their knowledge and skills in a variety of environments where they can be mentored by experienced pharmacists,” says Cherokee Layson-Wolf, PharmD, BCACP, FAPhA, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science (PPS) and associate dean for student affairs at the School. “The number of employers that require applicants to have one or two years of advanced training beyond the completion of their Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree continues to increase. To stay competitive in the ever-changing job market, many students now actively pursue opportunities that allow them to gain this specialized training.”

The School of Pharmacy’s match rate of 83% is well above the 72% national average.

Residency training plays a critical role in helping pharmacists obtain more specialized roles within the health-system setting, and current students now understand the value that this additional training can add to their careers.

One fourth-year Maryland student pharmacist who matched for a PGY1 residency was Rachel Shelton, who will be training with CVS Health Specialty Division in Rhode Island.

“The School of Pharmacy prepares students for residency interviews from the first day of the Professionalism in Pharmacy course during the first year,” Shelton says. “I also completed the elective course Post-Graduate Training Prep, which provided opportunities to practice answering interview questions and presenting during an interview. Outside of this elective, I took every opportunity I could to participate in mock interviews arranged through the School’s Career Navigation program and our Student Government Association organizations. I felt very confident going into all of my residency interviews.

“The field of pharmacy that I am pursuing – managed care – does not require a residency for entry-level positions, but I wanted to complete one to ensure that I am a well-rounded clinical pharmacist entering this arena,” says Shelton. “The knowledge I will gain in one-year of residency will equate to three years’ worth of work experience.”

The School of Pharmacy’s joint residency program with the University of Maryland Medical Center also had a successful match. Twenty-six residents and fellows will join or continue in the program in July to advance their knowledge and skills in a number of specialty areas, including cardiology, oncology, pediatrics, and psychiatry.

“Our residency and fellowship programs offer a wide range of innovative educational, research, and practice settings in which our trainees  gain the knowledge and skills necessary to become successful practicing pharmacists and obtain competitive positions in their respective specialties,” says Sandeep Devabhakthuni, PharmD, associate professor in PPS and director of post-graduate training for the University of Maryland Residency and Fellowship Programs. “We are tremendously proud of this year’s successful match and look forward to welcoming all of our new residents and fellows this summer.”

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