PGP Fundamentals: Fellowship Series: Fellowship versus Residency

The Post-Graduate Pharmacist

We begin our series on fellowships discussing the fundamental differences between residencies and fellowships, introduce the basic types of fellowships, requirements of a fellowship and what you should do now if you are potentially interested in a fellowship.

Fellowships are highly individualized postgraduate programs that are designed to prepare the fellow to become an independent researcher. Thus, the majority of time spent during training is honing these research skills versus patient care skills that are more typical of a residency.

Key Take-Aways:

1. Fellowships may be 12-months long, but often are 2 or even 3 years of training.
2. Some fellowships will require residency training prior to entrance in the program as a pre-requisite, but some may not have a pre-requisite and may be completed right out of pharmacy school depending on the type of fellowship (industry vs academic)
3. Fellowships are highly variable and all offer very unique experiences, so it is important to do your due diligence up front to research the pre-requisites, activities, and outcomes for each individual fellowship

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References:

1. American Society of Hospital Pharmacists. Definitions of pharmacy residencies and fellowships. Am J Hosp Pharm. 1987; 44:1142–4.
2. Albert E. Fellowships 101: Q&A with a Residency and Fellowship Director. Pharmacy Times. https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/fellowships-101. Published 2015. Accessed June 10, 2022.