College of Pharmacy Match Ceremony Shares Next Steps for Seniors, Alumni
| Twenty-seven seniors and alumni from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ (UAMS) College of Pharmacy announced their postgraduate residency, fellowship or graduate training positions at a May 15 ceremony in Little Rock.
Upon completion of their Doctor of Pharmacy degree, students are able to join the workforce or continue to develop their skills in a specific area through residencies, fellowships or graduate programs. Residents further develop their professional competencies beyond entry-level practice, as well as build leadership skills to improve services and patient care outcomes.
College of Pharmacy students pose with their placards showing their postgraduate residency, fellowship or graduate training.Evan Lewis
“Being accepted into a residency program or any postgraduate training program is no small feat,” said David Caldwell, Pharm.D., associate dean for academic affairs. “It reflects your commitment to advancing your clinical expertise and serving patients with excellence.”
Caldwell talked about his own experiences striving for perfection in his postgraduate work, which he warned can be both motivating and draining.
“I encourage you to approach this next phase with compassion, not just for the patients you serve, but also for yourselves,” he said. “Strive for excellence in your practice, but recognize that you’re still learning, and that you’ll always be learning. Embrace mistakes as opportunities for growth, and allow yourself the grace to evolve.”
Caldwell also thanked the families and friends present for supporting the students as they undertake the next step in their pharmacy careers.
Michelle Hernandez, Pharm.D., assistant professor of pharmacy practice, read off each person’s name, and students walked onstage with large red signs where they had written the name and location of their match.
The UAMS seniors and alumni competed along with 5,973 other applicants nationwide for postgraduate year one (PGY-1) and year two (PGY-2) residencies. Twenty-four of 28 (86%) UAMS pharmacy students and alumni obtained a residency position, which was ahead of the 81% national rate.
Most residencies are accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, and positions are filled through a process called matching. Through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), seniors apply in the fall before graduation to dozens of programs, then interview with several of them. In the spring, seniors each send a ranked list of their choices to the NRMP. The residency programs also submit a list of their preferred candidates, and an NRMP computer uses an algorithm to reconcile the lists.
“We are so proud of our P4 students for making it through this highly competitive process and obtaining these coveted positions,” said Megan Smith, Pharm.D., associate professor of pharmacy practice and chair of the Postgraduate Training and Opportunities Committee. “We know that you will continue to excel as you prepare for the pharmacy profession.”
In addition, two seniors are pursuing fellowship or graduate school training to develop specialty skills.
Seniors matched to PGY-1 residencies or accepted fellowship/graduate training in five states: Arkansas, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin and Virginia, with 70% of the matches occurring in Arkansas. One alumnus matched with a PGY-2 residency in Arkansas, with two others joining programs in Oklahoma and South Dakota.
Jake Wingfield, Pharm.D., told students and alumni to push through hardship, rely on the pharmacy community for help and enjoy the journey along the way.Evan Lewis
Since 2021, UAMS College of Pharmacy students and alumni have matched to programs in 22 states, Smith said.
Jake Wingfield, Pharm.D., Class of 2023, was the keynote speaker. He completed a PGY-1 residency with Walmart last year. After his residency, he practiced as a pharmacist before accepting a position on the Walmart Health and Wellness Talent team, where he supports operations for more than 370 Walmart stores in 15 states.
“You have made the decision and have put forth that effort to pursue postgraduate training,” Wingfield said. “You have a lot of proud people in this room and out of it, so congratulations.”
Wingfield, an amateur photographer in his spare time, used the development cycle of a photograph from film as an example for postgraduate training. First, a photograph has to be taken in focus, then developed in a darkroom before finally being a cherished photo.
He said that the students and alumni present were currently in focus, and encouraged them to stay that way. Then he talked about the unknown of being in a darkroom — not knowing how the photos will turn out. That uncertainty, he said, will test everyone.
“There’s going to be a moment in your residency where you’re alone, your colleague walks out the door, and you’re going to be the one with the answers — and sometimes that’s a little scary,” Wingfield said. “While you used to have a safety net as a pharmacy student, now you have a safety light. Now you have a group of people who are designed to invest in you as part of your learning experiences within a residency.”
Finally, he reminded anyone pursuing postgraduate work to enjoy the journey along the way.
“You’re going to have your ups and downs, your trials and errors, but at the end of it, you’re going to get a photograph,” Wingfield said. “What I’m encouraging you to do is, don’t forget to enjoy that photograph.”
PGY-1 Residencies
Jessica Allred — Columbus, Ohio (Nationwide Children’s Hospital)
Monica Badillo Velez — Little Rock (Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System)
Kaitlyn Beavers — Jonesboro (NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital)
Addison Black — Little Rock (UAMS Medical Center)
Morgan Davis — Little Rock (Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System)
Peyton Dodd — Rogers (Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas)
Austin Dorman — Jonesboro (St. Bernards Medical Center)
Manuel Gamboa — Joplin, Missouri (Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas)
Alexander Heringer — Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center – Aurora Health Care Metro)
Hayden Hyman — Little Rock (Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System)
Claire Mosley — Little Rock (UAMS Medical Center)
Gaurav Ohol — Bentonville (UAMS College of Pharmacy Community-Walmart)
Jenae Powell — Little Rock (UAMS Medical Center)
Priya Rana — Little Rock (CHI St. Vincent Infirmary)
Mitchell Rotenberry — Little Rock (Baptist Health Medical Center, Little Rock)
Megan Sander — Jacksonville, Florida (University of Florida Health Jacksonville)
Madison Stumbaugh-Tate — Springfield, Missouri (Mercy Hospital Springfield)
Jordan Turner — Jacksonville, Florida (University of Florida Health Jacksonville)
Rilie Vote — Columbia, Missouri (University of Missouri Health Care)
Meagan Wallace — Little Rock (Arkansas Children’s Hospital)
Morgan Ware — Searcy (Unity Health – White County Medical Center)
Alaina Wilcutt — Little Rock (UAMS College of Pharmacy Community-UAMS Outpatient Pharmacy)
Fellowship
Olgaaurora Rodriguez — Arlington, Virginia (NACDS Foundation Executive Fellowship)
Graduate School
Alexis Crutchfield — Little Rock (William H. Bowen School of Law, J.D. program)
PGY-2 Residencies
Alexa Ramick — Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy / OU Health-Critical Care)
Amanda Russell — Little Rock (UAMS College of Pharmacy-Ambulatory Care)
Whitney Austin — Sioux Falls, South Dakota (Avera McKennan Hospital-Critical Care)