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Bridging the gap between education and practice, pharmacy residencies are crucial to pharmacists wishing to improve their skillsets and patient care. To simplify and help students navigate the application process, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy (SOP) alumna Kristen Ingold, PharmD, created informative videos filled with wisdom and best-practice advice.

Ingold, of Freeburg, graduated with a Doctor of Pharmacy from SIUE in May 2021. While participating in the SOP’s Improving Patient Care for Tomorrow (ImPACT) program, she was inspired to develop a resource to assist her peers in gaining residency experience.

As defined by the American Society of Health System Pharmacists, a pharmacy residency is an organized, directed, postgraduate training program in a defined area of pharmacy practice. Residencies provide the knowledge and experience that pharmacy practitioners need to face challenges in today's complex healthcare environment, while also providing essential skills to meet the practice demands of the future.

“Pharmacy residencies are highly sought by new graduates,” said Ingold. “Interested individuals competing for limited residency positions want to better their skills as a practicing pharmacist and improve patient care. Providing a new, valuable video resource to these individuals will help prepare and educate those who are interested in pursuing a pharmacy residency.”

Ingold’s videos feature virtual interviews with residency program directors (RPDs) nationwide on numerous topics, including GPA and electives, curriculum vitae, pitfalls with the Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service, letters of intent, residency characteristics, meetings and showcases, appropriate follow-ups, and the power of social media. Reflecting differences in RPDs across the nation, video topics are available for the western, southwestern, midwestern and eastern regions of the U.S.

“RPDs are the individuals who oversee the residency program at their institution,” explained Ingold. “They play a large role in deciding who to select from the applicant pool for their program each year. Therefore, the purpose of interviewing RPDs was to better understand their advice and opinions on what they look for and expect out of residency applicants.”

Ingold chose to pursue pharmacy because of her strong affinity for STEM subjects. “I have always been interested in the healthcare field,” she shared. “Pharmacy combined my passion for anatomy and physiology with my interest in medicine and chemistry. A career in pharmacy provides me the ability to care for patients, educate future healthcare professionals, and continuously learn in the ever-growing field of healthcare.”

Ingold is currently a post-graduate year 1 (PGY1) pharmacy resident at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk, Va. As a PGY1 resident, she is training as a clinical pharmacist in multiple disciplines such as transplant, infectious disease, emergency medicine and more.

“I am currently training under board certified pharmacy specialists to enhance my knowledge as a new pharmacist in a health system,” explained Ingold. “I also provide case presentations, topic discussions and continuing education opportunities throughout the year for the hospital. At the end this residency, I will be better equipped to care for patients and be a valuable asset to the healthcare team.”

Ingold’s videos are publicly available on the SIUE Pharmacy YouTube channel.

Photo: SIUE School of Pharmacy alumna Kristen Ingold, PharmD.