Record number of Auburn University pharmacy students accepted to residencies

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With the academic year coming to a close and students preparing for graduation, 40 members of the Harrison School of Pharmacy Class of 2018 have been the recipients of good news in the past month. Those soon-to-be graduates are part of a record-setting 58 current and former pharmacy students that will be continuing their education and training through residency programs and fellowships around the country.

The residencies are postgraduate training in an organized and directed program that builds upon knowledge, skills, attitudes and abilities gained from the pharmacy degree program. While many are general programs, some allow students to specialize in certain areas, such as managed care, ambulatory care, community pharmacy and health system administration. Some choose to pursue a specialized second-year residency that can focus on those areas, along with others like infectious diseases, oncology, pediatric, and psychiatric.

“I am so very proud of our students that have pursued and matched for residencies,” said Dean Richard Hansen. “These positions are highly competitive and to have such a large number of students match emphasizes the academic and professional strengths of our students. This year represents the largest number of students matching for residences in our school’s history.”

The 58 residents from Auburn are filling some of just 4,833 positions around the country that are accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

In all, a record-setting 39 members of the Auburn Class of 2018 will be moving on to first-year residencies, or PGY-1, topping the previous high of 36 from the Class of 2017. Additionally, one 2018 graduate will be completing a fellowship. One 2017 graduate and a 2016 graduate will be entering into PGY-1 residencies while 16 will enter second-year, or PGY-2, programs.

“As faculty, we are excited to see our students pursue residencies within the state and all over the country to learn about pharmacy practice in different settings and populations,” said Lea Eiland, associate department head and clinical professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice.

Of those entering first-year residency programs, the 42 will be spread among 11 states with 20 in Alabama; five each in Florida and Georgia; three in North Carolina; two each in Tennessee and Washington; and one each in Connecticut, Iowa, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming. The 16 second-year residents represent 12 states with three in Illinois; two in Tennessee; and one each in Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin.

Those in second-year programs will specialize in areas such as Ambulatory Care, Critical Care, Emergency Medicine, Geriatrics, Health-Systems Administration, Internal Medicine, Oncology, Pediatrics and Solid Organ Transplant.

For a complete list of students and their residency matches, visit pharmacy.auburn.edu.

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Auburn University's Harrison College of Pharmacy is ranked among the top 20 percent of all pharmacy schools in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Report. Fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the School offers doctoral degrees in pharmacy (Pharm.D.) and pharmaceutical sciences (Ph.D.) while also offering a master's in pharmaceutical sciences. For more information about the School, please call 334.844.8348 or visit the Harrison College of Pharmacy website.