You’re a P4 on your APPE rotations. You’ve just discovered managed care pharmacy and are now seriously considering pursuing a residency after graduation. But there’s a problem – you’re worried you don’t have enough experience to make your application stand out.
Don’t stress! I was in the exact same position. I didn’t know much about managed care until my very first APPE rotation. Yet I still matched with my top-choice residency and now work as a managed care pharmacist. Here are four strategies that helped me prepare – and that can help you, too:
1. Recognize that your past experiences matter – even if they aren’t directly managed care related.
Think about your coursework and projects: root cause analyses, drug utilization reviews, medication use evaluations, guideline presentations, or drug literature reviews. These all align with managed care principles. At its core, managed care is about evaluating data and identifying patterns to inform decisions.
When talking about these experiences, go beyond listing them. Share your thought process, how you approached the issue, what data you analyzed, and how you arrived at your recommendations.
2. Take ownership of your APPE rotations.
No matter the setting – ambulatory care, internal medicine, or otherwise – look for ways to tie your rotation back to your interests. If you discover something that sparks your curiosity, ask your preceptor if you can design a project around it. Taking initiative shows motivation and gives you concrete examples to share in applications and interviews.
3. Be upfront with your preceptors about your interests.
Preceptors volunteer their time because they want to help students grow. If you share your interest in managed care, they may have projects waiting for someone to tackle or know colleagues in their network who can connect you with opportunities. There’s really no downside to speaking up.
4. Explore AMCP (Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy).
I cannot emphasize enough how valuable AMCP is for students interested in managed care. The organization provides webinars, toolkits, student chapter events, and residency prep resources that can deepen your understanding of the field.
Even more importantly, by reviewing AMCP’s resources, you’ll start to recognize how your past school projects and assignments connect back to managed care principles. Suddenly, that guideline presentation or drug utilization evaluation won’t feel random – it becomes a direct example you can highlight in your application or interview. This not only strengthens your understanding of managed care but also helps you connect the dots and articulate your interest in managed care in a way that stands out.
Final Thought
You don’t need years of managed care experience to successfully apply for residency. By reframing your past work, taking ownership of your rotations, building connections, and leveraging AMCP resources, you’ll be well-prepared when applications are due in December.
Managed Care Rx Insight 