Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-6-2026
Abstract
Purpose
The needs of pharmacy students applying for postgraduate training may be changing over time. Residency preparation has traditionally focused on application logistics, which can overlook the confidence and stress-related struggles that some recent pharmacy students have.Description
Over a seven-year period (2019–2026), we implemented a three-part longitudinal residency preparation workshop at a single institution. Pre-survey data from 225 students and post-survey data from 135 students (98 matched pairs) were categorized into an Early Cohort (2019–2022) and a Recent Cohort (2023–2026) to assess perceived barriers and self-reported confidence with the application process. For the Recent Cohort, we added confidence-building exercises to the existing curriculum. Our objective in this reflective piece is to discuss the evolution and impact of our workshop series.Analysis
The Recent Cohort entered with lower self-reported confidence than the Early Cohort. Write-in responses suggested these anxieties reflected interview apprehension, shyness, and fear of being less qualified than peers. After the workshops, the Recent Cohort reported confidence gains in all six surveyed areas (p < 0.001) and the Early Cohort reported gains in two of six areas. Because cohorts were not randomized and concurrent factors cannot be excluded, these comparisons are exploratory. We propose our added confidence-building practice as one contributor and an important coaching philosophy that re-shaped how we mentor.Conclusions
Recent pharmacy residency applicants may be competitive but also vulnerable to confidence-related concerns. More “soft skill” development during residency preparation can bridge this gap.Recommended Citation
Rao H, Fakourfar N. A seven-year reflection on confidence building and the evolving needs of pharmacy residency applicants. Curr Pharm Teach Learn. 2026;19(1):102816. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2026.102816
Copyright
The authors
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Comments
This article was originally published in Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, volume 19, issue 1, in 2026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2026.102816