Career Pathways for PharmD Students

Talk with your faculty advisor and others about how to best prepare to make yourself competitive. 

Bring your CV to your advisor for help. Be prepared to discuss your experiences, projects, student organization involvement, and post-graduate plans including career goals.

Perfect your letter of intent to show your originality and stand out to a potential employer or residency program.

Take advantage of professional staff and resources at UB's Career Services who can assist with practice interviews, resume critiquing, job searching assistance and more. There are also outside resources to help you prepare.

A pharmacy residency is an organized, directed, postgraduate training program in a defined area of pharmacy practice. It provides the knowledge and experience that pharmacy practitioners need to face challenges in today's complex health care environment, while also providing essential skills to meet the practice demands of the future.

The secret to future success is getting involved, early and often! You should be networking and demonstrating your involvement outside the classroom. We strongly encourage you to network. Most jobs are found by making connections with professionals and alumni.

Each year, we offer a free networking event. This is a meet and greet event with area pharmacy leaders. This event is for you to learn what pharmacists in different disciplines do. This is a great way to make connections and hone your interpersonal networking skills.

We also offer Career Day, an annual event that gives students the opportunity to network with potential employers and obtain information about career and employment options.

For more information about these events, contact the Office of Student Success and Engagement.

In order to be a teaching assistant (TA), students must apply. TA credits count as electives and students register for PHM 798 Supervised Teaching. There are about 85-90 TA openings each year. If you are taking PHM 599, please register for 2 credits if you are in the Scholars Program and 1 credit if you are not. There is no limit on the number of elective credits you can earn as a TA (you can TA multiple times if you choose).

Pharmacy Professionalism Courses
As part of the PharmD curriculum, you will learn basic fundamentals of professionalism, individual development, and pharmacy practice through PHM 577, 578, 677, 678, 777 and 778. Topics include networking and interviewing, professional organizations, critical thinking and problem solving, effective communication, strategies for pharmacy school and more.  

Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and Co-Curriculum Activities
Start developing your Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Plan. CPD is a self-directed, ongoing, systematic and outcomes-focused approach to lifelong learning that is applied into practice. Each year, students identify something they would like to further develop and use the CPD process to work towards that goal. Students are encouraged to seek experiences that complement what is learned in the curriculum. These experiences may include activities involving service learning, professional and leadership undertakings, career exploration, wellness and patient care events.

Electives
Elective courses provide students with an opportunity to enhance their knowledge, skills and professional attitude beyond that provided by the core curriculum.

Micro-credential Programs
Micro-credential programs provide you with specialized knowledge in research, teaching, and professional development beyond that provided by the core curriculum, preparing you for postgraduate training.

Interprofessional Education
Interprofessional Education (IPE) prepares UB health professions students to work in a collaborative team environment to provide highly effective care.

Dual and Collaborative Degree Programs
Want to distinguish yourself? Add a degree to get a career edge! Our dual and collaborative degree programs combine multiple interests into one degree, allowing you to save time, money, and enhance career opportunities.

Experiential Education: Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPE)
The IPPE sequence takes place during your second (P2) and third (P3) years. It provides the opportunity to observe and practice a variety of professional activities in multiple settings, including inpatient and community pharmacy.

Pharmacy Series: Success in Program and Profession
The purpose of our Pharmacy Series is to provide important program information, career pathway opportunities, and networking events with practicing pharmacists and professionals.

As you transition to your P4 year, preference Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPE) experiential education rotations thoughtfully, to build on your previous academic experience and align with your career goals.