Residency and Fellowship Placement of Texas A&M Pharmacy Students and Alumni

"I secured a PGY-1 position right after graduation with my first-choice program. However, I struggled with completing my MPJE exam within the allotted time to maintain my PGY-1 status. At first, it was disheartening to lose my position after working so hard to achieve it. However, I didn’t let that stop me from achieving my goals. The same mentors that helped me achieve a PGY-1 were my same support system. I also reached out and got additional law assistance from Dr. Frank North. I went through the application process again and was so excited to re-match! My advice to students would be, always be willing to reach out to professors and preceptors because they are so helpful! They become some of your biggest supporters. Find opportunities in your area of interest to get involved. Lastly, sometimes school/life gets hectic but always keep a positive attitude and continue striving towards your goals, you’ll get through it!"

"Being accepted into pharmacy school meant I was one step closer to reaching my goal of becoming a community pharmacist. I had no knowledge of all the other opportunities available to me, but that all changed entering my fourth year of pharmacy school. At the peak of a pandemic, I began my fourth year rotations and got to see the true impact a pharmacist could have within a healthcare team. Through A&M, I had the opportunity to have faculty as mentors and even preceptors for some of my rotations. It is because of these faculty members at the COP that I was able to succeed on APPE rotations, secure a PGY-1 residency at DHR Health, and ultimately match to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center for a PGY-2 in infectious diseases. I would like to thank Dr.’s Rene Verduzco, Daniela Bazan, Andrea Mora, and Anne Mingle who are faculty members at the college as well as Dr. Natalie Rosario for all their help throughout my pharmacy career. I’m grateful to be part of A&M and be guided by such an excellent group of pharmacists."

"Throughout my didactic curriculum at Texas A&M Rangel College of Pharmacy, I was able to learn more about the various specialties’ pharmacists practiced in. Coming into pharmacy school, I had a limited background on pharmacy residency, therefore I never imagined it to be a part of my career as a future pharmacist. The college provided numerous opportunities, such as residency workshops and residency showcase, to help students explore and prepare for the residency application process. In addition, the faculty members and preceptors provided constant support and resources to help me become a competitive applicant. Although residency applications can be an overwhelming process, my mentors, preceptors, and faculty members truly made the process more manageable to navigate."

"Entering APPE rotations, I was still relatively undecided as to which pharmacy career path to pursue. During my time at Texas A&M Rangel College of Pharmacy, I was drawn into the more clinical aspect of pharmacy through the IPT courses, where the outstanding faculty helped to open my mind to the role of a clinical pharmacist. While on APPE rotations, I worked to enhance my clinical knowledge in order to become a well-rounded future pharmacist. Through this process and through positive feedback I received while on rotations, I became increasingly interested in pursuing a career as a clinical pharmacist. With the help and encouragement of faculty preceptors such as Dr. Ivy and Dr. Farris, I applied to Phase II Match at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Temple. I thank the Texas A&M College of Pharmacy for preparing me and providing me with the tools needed to continue this next step in my pharmacy career."

"Prior to beginning my trajectory at the Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, I initially had my mind set on becoming a community pharmacist given my past experience working as a pharmacy technician. However, little did I realize that the countless opportunities offered by the school would encourage me to think-outside-of-the-box and discover new passions. During my P2 year, I discovered my passion for Critical Care during my institutional IPPE – a passion inspired by my interaction with one of the clinical pharmacists at Memorial Hermann Greater Heights, Dr. Julin Mathew, Pharm.D., BCCCP, a TAMU COP alumni. As a result, my initial career goals were redirected towards becoming an aspiring Critical Care Pharmacist. The settings of TAMU COP, undoubtedly, paved the way for me to achieve this vision by equipping me with the tools, resources, and opportunities (i.e., CV workshops, organizational events, leadership experiences, interdisciplinary collaboration, LAPPE) needed to become the best, well-rounded applicant for PGY-1 residency. Moreover, my experiences allowed me to paint a picture in my mind and imprint on my heart the patient interactive skills necessary to have a meaningful impact on someone's quality of life and well-being. I am grateful for the faculty, mentors, staff, and residents I met during my time at TAMU COP and LAPPE at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center (BSWMC). Even when life’s inevitable circumstances threatened to derail my progress, TAMU COP and my LAPPE team went above and beyond to support me during difficult times and throughout my academic endeavors. As a result of such supportive faculty members and cohort – or rather PHARM-ily – and a program that has enriched my critical thinking, sharpened my clinical judgment, and bolstered my personal and professional development, I have transitioned into into a well-rounded individual and pharmacy candidate with the confidence to excel in my future endeavors as a PGY-1 resident. The experiences I had at TAMU COP have left a staggering, lingering influence on me which I will never forget. Thank you TAMU COP, BSWMC, and my PHARM-ily, for inspiring and empowering me to always dream big – Next stop, PGY-2 in Critical Care!"

"I have always challenged myself to change the world through its billion definitions, one person, one decision at a time. Earning a residency position would provide me with the tools that would further my knowledge and leadership abilities to advance my practice and help me achieve my goals. Through some of the faculty and preceptors at the Rangel College of Pharmacy, I received valuable guidance and motivation that helped secure my residency. The support I received from my family, friends, and the Lord truly helped me reach where I am today. Whether it was GroupMe messages saying thanks, an angel delivering black tie mousse cake to my door, or just committing tax fraud in Dungeons & Dragons with the boys, all of it is cherished. The mantra I followed throughout my years at our pharmacy school was "Conviction Requires Sacrifice." A&M truly evolved my leadership at lightspeed; I stepped up when someone needed to stand up for what's right, spoke up when something needed to be said, and encouraged others to do the same. Despite all the sacrifices I endured, I remained faithful and was blessed to earn a residency spot at a world-class institution in a tropical destination."

"Since the beginning of the P1 year, Texas A&M Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy provided me with invaluable resources and support which helped me explore various areas of pharmacy and find my area of interest. During my time at Rangel College of Pharmacy, I contributed to my professional development by participating in numerous leadership, research, and community service activities. During my APPE rotations, My mentors helped me to develop and practice strong clinical skills. These opportunities allowed me to become a competitive applicant and match with my dream program. I am grateful to all the faculty, staff, and mentors at Texas A&M Rangel College of Pharmacy who guided me throughout the residency application process and helped me to achieve my dream."

"Like many students, I entered pharmacy school unaware of the multitude of opportunities that exist in the world of pharmacy. Through involvement in organizations and utilization of resources that the college has made available, I realized that residency was something I wanted to pursue following graduation. I might not have had the highest GPA, but I was surrounded by supportive friends and helpful alumni, tackled various leadership roles that enabled me to grow and empower others, and took advantage of the awesome resource that we have in the faculty and staff at the college. Each of these components played a huge role in getting me to where I am today. My advice to future students: remain consistently involved in organizations, maintain your grades and soak up all of the knowledge being presented to you, immerse yourself in research opportunities, and, most importantly, find your unique niche or passion within pharmacy and discover how you can best serve your patients. Finally, don’t be hesitant to ask for help. Whether it is a member of the faculty or administration, college alumni, a network connection, or even a peer – everyone is truly here for you. Be confident in stepping forward into your future and have faith in yourself."

"When I entered pharmacy school, I had very little knowledge on the world of pharmacy outside of community and hospital. Looking how far I’ve come since then; I’m pleasantly surprised at all the opportunities I was afforded thanks to the college. The college and the faculty provided an excellent environment which allowed me to become a more competitive and well-rounded student. The wide variety of student led organizations, networking with faculty, residency showcase, CV and letter of intent workshops, research opportunities, and so much more come to mind. Taking all these factors into account alongside the didactic curriculum and pharmacy practice experiences, I was able to shift my career path towards my new goal of becoming a clinical pharmacist, starting with a PGY-1 residency. My recommendation to all pharmacy students seeking to pursue a residency is to utilize the resources the college has provided. Talk with your faculty, preceptors, and upperclassmen as they can provide great insight into the world of pharmacy. In doing so, you may find out a lot about yourself and where you want to direct your pharmacy career path."

"When beginning pharmacy school, I was overwhelmed by the many different career paths I could take as a pharmacist. The wide variety of student organizations, experienced faculty, and preceptors provided me with insight into the different career paths that were available to me. Ultimately, I decided to pursue a career as a critical care pharmacist. Faculty, preceptors, and student organizations have helped me to understand how residency programs can open the door to many unique and fulfilling career opportunities. The Texas A&M College of Pharmacy has created an environment that allowed me to become a more competitive and well-rounded applicant including offering research and leadership opportunities, CV and letter of intent workshops, and mock interviews. I am thankful for the college, faculty, staff, preceptors, and my peers who have helped me to achieve my career goals. I am looking forward to continuing my education and furthering my career as a PGY2 Critical Care Resident."

"Throughout my time at Texas A&M’s pharmacy school, I made it my goal to be very active as a pharmacy leader in student organizations including being Vice President of APhA, Medication Safety Co-Chair of SSHP, and Peer Mentoring Program Chair of PLS. I also engaged in a longitudinal research project with a faculty member for the purpose of advancing the profession of pharmacy through research. These leadership and research activities, along with maintaining good academic performance in school, helped me gain the opportunity to be a P4 student in the Longitudinal Clinical Experiential Program at Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center. This longitudinal program helped me gain the skills I needed for a career as a clinical pharmacist, and ultimately helped me get accepted into a great residency program at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Temple."

"When I started as a P1, I had limited knowledge about the role of a pharmacist outside of retail pharmacy. As a student, I gradually was exposed to a variety of pharmacy specialties through various organizations such as SSHP and APHA as well as my professors who would describe the impact they were making in their patients' lives. As I began to reflect on where I wanted to practice after pharmacy school, I was drawn toward enhancing my clinical skills in a diverse practice setting by obtaining a post-graduate residency program. Texas A&M College of Pharmacy provided me with an ample number of resources coupled with faculty support that made me build upon my residency application. The COP encouraged us to prepare early for the residency process by sending us deadlines, setting up networking opportunities, preparing faculty-led workshops, and supporting us to attend local and national conferences. I am grateful to have been surrounded by such supportive mentors, professors, and administration that challenged me as a student early on to envision where I saw myself as a future healthcare professional. I encourage anyone who is interested in residency to utilize the resources present at Texas A&M and reach out to the Aggie network for any and all areas of help!"

"When beginning pharmacy school and having no prior pharmacy experience, I was overwhelmed by the many career paths I could take as a pharmacist. After being exposed to various careers in pharmacy through Student Forum and exploring several career options, I decided to pursue a residency and become a clinical pharmacist. Throughout pharmacy school, faculty members, preceptors, and student organizations helped me to become a more competitive and well-rounded student by offering research and leadership opportunities, CV and letter of intent workshops, and mock interviews. I am extremely grateful to the Texas A&M College of Pharmacy for providing me with several opportunities to develop both academically and professionally. I want to thank everyone at the college who helped guide my growth, supported me through the toughest moments and helped me develop into a strong candidate for residency and will always be grateful to you for encouraging me throughout my pharmacy career. I am looking forward to continuing my education as a PGY-1 resident and furthering my career."

"Texas A&M certainly provides quality education and influences the lives of its students. The knowledge and skills I gained have been invaluable for my professional career and, most importantly, for the health of the patients and communities I serve. My professors were outstanding educators in all respects and it was evident they wanted us to succeed. The sense of community at Texas A&M is uniquely strong and everyone I encountered was nothing short but encouraging and supportive. The student organizations gave me a sense of belonging and shaped me professionally and personally. I received an abundance of help with navigating ASHP Midyear, editing my CV, and applying for residencies. Pursuing my pharmacy education at Texas A&M was an extremely rewarding and unforgettable experience."

“I knew very early on in my pharmacy career I wanted to pursue a future professional career in clinical pharmacy. The supportive staff and faculty have always encouraged and pushed me to step out of my comfort zone and take on challenging roles beyond my academics to become a more well-rounded residency applicant. Having the chance to be a part of the Texas A&M Health Science Center gave me unique opportunities to participate in different interprofessional events and build a comprehensive set of skills to be a successful APPE student and ultimately stand out as a residency applicant. I am thankful to have had resources and faculty support during a rigorous residency application process to help me achieve my goals.”

"As a student at the Texas A&M Rangel College of Pharmacy, I was exposed to a variety of opportunities to better understand the roles and responsibilities pharmacists play in a modern healthcare team. By pairing the college’s didactic curriculum with opportunities provided through professional organizations, leadership roles, and networking opportunities, I was able to grow not only academically, but also as a professional. Furthermore, the residency application process can often be overwhelming. Having my mentors, faculty, and staff support me through this strenuous transition was vital in ensuring I was a competitive applicant and prepared for what the future had in store."

"Ever since my P1 year I knew that clinical pharmacy was the path that I wanted to pursue and having heard from other students about the rigors and competitiveness of residency applications, I strove to become the most well-rounded applicant that I could be. The Texas A&M Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy provided me the opportunity to learn from professors who were invested not only in my academic success, but in my professional and personal successes as well. Through my involvement with several organizations on campus (SSHP, SNPhA, PLS, Rho Chi, Phi Delta Chi, Disaster Day) I was able to develop leadership skills in a variety of experiences (Vice President, Historian, Secretary, Worthy Prelate) that spoke to my ability to work on a team, challenge myself, and help develop my peers into leaders as well. I also have the privilege to work as inpatient pharmacist because of the relationships that I developed on my IPPE and APPE rotations, having been hired by the preceptor I had on my Advanced Hospital and Health System Rotation. Although I never anticipated having a non-traditional path to residency, I can confidently say that all of the professors at the Texas A&M Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy who I reached out to for guidance during my application cycle supported me again when I applied for residency the second time. I was able to overcome the challenge of being a non-traditional applicant largely due to the support that my professors and mentors provided to me."

"Going into pharmacy school, my initial goal was to graduate with my Pharm. D, and work at any retail pharmacy. However, my plans had changed when I learned that there are various opportunities offered for pharmacy students post-graduation. During my third year of pharmacy school, when completing my IPPE clinical rotations, I was allowed to practice clinical interactions. I knew then I wanted to do clinical pharmacy and complete a residency. However, I decided relatively late in the game to pursue residency, and I had my doubts knowing how extraordinarily competitive and stressful the residency process is. All I could think was, “there’s no way I can do it; it’s impossible, it’s too competitive, I have no chance.” During my fourth year of APPE rotations, my preceptors and faculty constantly motivated me to apply. They believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. The constant support from Texas A&M college of pharmacy, my wonderful mentor Dr. Farris, and my excellent preceptors helped me throughout this stressful process. They have helped me understand how residency programs can open the door to many unique and fulfilling career opportunities. My advice to students would be, don’t let your doubts stop you from doing what you want to do, don’t let the competitive nature scare you away, REACH OUT to your professors and preceptors; they are your best resources and the most supportive and encouraging people to go to. Last but not least, “ The top of one mountain is the bottom of the next, so keep climbing.”

"Throughout the first three years of pharmacy school, I always imagined that I would work as a community pharmacist. I assumed residency was out of my reach. Then when I began my fourth year clinical rotations, I realized there was a way for me to help my patients in a more direct and clinical role. While I was always interested in Alaska, I did not think I was a top residency candidate. However, I kept in contact with the Residency Program Director throughout my first few rotations. I attended all the residency CV and letter of intent presentations hosted by the school. I worked with Dr. Panahi to publish an article, refine my CV, and strive to be a competitive applicant. By the end of block 3, I realized that I was actually a strong candidate and stood a good chance of matching to a program. I only applied to two programs, got interviews at both, and matched with my first choice. I believe this was a result of my clinical experiences, excellent preceptors, interview etiquette, and strong work ethic during my final year. The residency I have matched with will allow me to work with the medically underserved Alaskan Natives. One of the rotations is tribal health which involves traveling to rural native villages by small plane and dog sleds to provide medical services. Since this population is so underserved, I know my clinical expertise can make a large impact on their health. For those of you who did not consider residency until your final year of pharmacy school, there is hope. Attend all the residency showcases. Attend the CV and letter of intent workshops. Don't work alone, utilize your preceptors. Contact your dream residency early. Work hard in your final year. Show your interviewers that you are a coachable strong applicant. You will succeed."

"Before pharmacy school, I had no experience with working within a pharmacy itself. I found myself pulled towards compounding in the P1 year pharmaceutics lab, and after that it never left my mind. My goal was to always learn more about independent pharmacy and get more experience within compouding itself! I am very excited to be able to pursue my passion and begin this new journey in my pharmacy career."