From Pharmacy Student to Resident: Dr. Eileen Shannon, PharmD

In this interview, Dr. Shannon discusses the various aspects of her pharmacy residency program and all the moving parts that make it both challenging and highly rewarding. This video is great for anyone curious about the real-life aspects of a general PGY-1 pharmacy practice residency! Topics covered include the process of conducting a PGY1 residency project, tips for selecting a PGY2 program, and practical aspects such as how many hours a day residents spend in the clinical setting. Dr. Shannon shares her inspiring advice on how to stay motivated throughout trying times as a resident, and brings students along the journey to be inspired to become patient advocates and pharmacy leaders. Thank you to Dr. Shannon for her time and insight provided through this interview.

Interview Questions:
0:14 Why did you choose pharmacy as a career path?
1:50 What has been your educational path in pharmacy up to this point?
2:54 What extracurricular activities were you involved in as a pharmacy student that helped prepare you for residency?
7:18 What led you to choose to pursue clinical pharmacy and pharmacy residency?
9:18 For those who might not know, what does being a pharmacy practice resident entail? How many hours a week do you work?
14:28 What skills are the most important to possess as a resident?
16:43 What makes your residency program unique?
18:32 What was the process in selecting your residency project? What is your project?
23:05 What steps have you taken to complete your residency project?
27:20 How can students prepare themselves for completing a residency project?
29:43 What specialty residency program have you chosen for your PGY2? Why did you select this?
29:58 What factors did you consider when thinking about pursuing this specialty PGY2?
34:19 Residency is a lot of work and can be stressful at times. What has been your motivation as a resident, especially during difficult moments?
38:00 How do you spend and manage your time outside of your residency hours to maintain work-life balance? (e.g. community service, professional organizations, mentoring students, etc.)
40:18 If you could go back to your first year of pharmacy school, what would you do differently? What do you encourage students to do to prepare themselves for a career in clinical pharmacy?
42:04 What final words of advice would you like to share with students who are considering pharmacy residency?

About Dr. Shannon:
Pharmacy School: University of Wisconsin
Residency Program: PGY1 Pharmacy Practice, UW Health
Residency Project: Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis quality initiative: electronic documentation tool and electronic reporting of
CMS measures
Career Interests: Critical care and emergency medicine
Hobbies: Running, biking, visiting my two adorable nieces, and exploring Madison’s fantastic ice cream, beer, and cheese curd scene

Filming Credits: Katie Windschitl
Interview Date: Feb. 12, 2016