title: Preparing Students to Enter the Race for Postgraduate Training.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Exposure of pharmacy students to postgraduate training prior to clinical practice is currently endorsed by national professional organizations. To meet this goal, colleges and schools of pharmacy are developing residency preparation programs. In this descriptive report, we review published studies of curricular activities and structured programs from academic institutions across the United States aimed at preparing students for residency training and promoting postgraduate education. Additionally, we discuss our experience developing a residency preparation program at Touro College of Pharmacy (TCOP).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A literature search yielded 15 residency preparation programs. While the format, content, and length of programs varied, there were common components such as curriculum vitae critique, mock interviews, and focused sessions on the residency application process. At TCOP, a 5-themed residency preparation workshop series was implemented during the third and fourth academic year. The workshops were modeled after existing programs and included several of the core components. One feature unique to the TCOP program was the addition of multiple mock interviews.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The growing focus on residency training has led to increased competition among applicants. To better prepare students for this rigorous application and interview process, development of structured residency preparation programs, similar to TCOP's, should be encouraged.
authors.affiliation: 1 Global Health Science, The Medicines Company, Parsippany, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Levita
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hidayat
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Pharmacy Practice, Touro College of Pharmacy, New York, NY, USA.|3 Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, Bronx, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Charnicia E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Huggins
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research, University of Florida College of Pharmacy, Gainesville, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Veena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Venugopalan
authors.affiliation: 5 Department of Social, Behavioral and Administrative Sciences, Touro College of Pharmacy, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Evangelina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Berrios-Colon
mesh_terms: D004512:Education, Pharmacy / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D064172:Pharmacy Residencies / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D012580:Schools, Pharmacy / Q000639:trends; D013339:Students, Pharmacy
keywords: pharmacy education; pharmacy students; postgraduate training; residency