Internal medicine pharmacy residency programs: Residents’ pursuit of post-residency positions and job market perceptions

Abstract

IntroductionPostgraduate year 2 (PGY2) internal medicine (IM) pharmacy residency programs have significantly grown over the past several years, and there is a perception that the IM clinical pharmacist job market is saturated. Thus, there is a need to confirm that the job market can support these graduates.ObjectivesTo characterize PGY2 IM pharmacy residency programs and PGY2 IM residents’ pursuit of post-residency positions.MethodsA cross-sectional, online, anonymous, and voluntary survey was developed, pilot-tested, and sent to PGY2 IM pharmacy residency graduates from 2015 to 2019 across the United States. Specific aims were to identify and characterize initial jobs PGY2 IM-trained clinical pharmacists obtained post-residency and to describe residents’ perceptions of the job market and how it influenced the positions they applied for.ResultsOf the 96 PGY2 IM pharmacy residency graduates who received the survey, 62 residents completed the survey (64.6% response rate). All residents accepted a job within 3 months post-residency. Additionally, 82% of residents agreed that their initial job matched the skills learned during their PGY2 IM pharmacy residency program. Almost half of the residents perceived that the IM clinical pharmacist market had equal supply and demand. Thirty-nine residents (62%) disagreed or strongly disagreed that overall, they had difficulty finding a job. The top four areas of focus for PGY2 IM pharmacy residency programs were academia, infectious disease, cardiology, and critical care. The areas of focus during residency influenced initial job applications for more than half of the residents.ConclusionAmong a cohort of PGY2 IM pharmacy residency graduates from 2015 to 2019, most were successful in finding employment in a job that matched the skills obtained during residency. Residents perceived that job market supply and demand were equal.