College Builds on Legacy of Excellence to be in Top 20 of All Colleges
The UGA College of Pharmacy residency match rate for the 2024 Doctor of Pharmacy graduates exceeded the national average for placement by almost 10%, according to officials with the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, the organization responsible for overseeing the placement process.
With 76 of the 126 Doctor of Pharmacy students actively participating in the process, 69, or 90.8%, were matched for post-graduate residencies with healthcare institutions across the country, the highest match rate for the College in recent history. The national average of the 142 accredited pharmacy programs was 81.2%. In addition to the high match rate, the College had an unprecedented number of students pursue residency training – 54.8% of the 2024 graduates accepted a PGY1 residency after graduation. Further, the College had the highest Post Graduate Year 1 (PGY-1), or first year match rate, among the four pharmacy schools in Georgia and was in the top five in the southeast among peer and aspirational institutions.
“Our overwhelming match rate speaks volumes to the outstanding pharmacy education that is delivered by the faculty of our college,” said Dean Kelly Smith. “Beyond the classroom, we provide future pharmacists with superior experiential learning curriculum in clinics, hospitals, community pharmacies, and many other healthcare settings. I am extremely proud of this outcome.”
Data indicates that UGA College of Pharmacy students are interested in pursuing advanced training and specialization within the practice of pharmacy, with almost 55% of the graduating class moving onto residencies. “This confirms that we have the faculty and resources to guide students along a path towards residency programs.”
Complementing the PGY-1 match rate was the number of residents who sought an additional year of specialized training, or a PGY-2 residency. Almost 95% of UGA graduates from previous years seeking a PGY-2 residency were matched, exceeding the national average of 84.3% and the highest rate at UGA since records were kept.
Following graduation on May 10, the newly matched residents of the Class of 2024 moved to hospitals, clinics, community pharmacies, and other sites in 16 states across the country, including Georgia, where 34 of the residents were placed.
Dr. Chris Bland, the Albert W. Jowdy Professor in Pharmacy Care, who teaches at the College of Pharmacy’s extended campus in Savannah, coordinated the match day announcements. He remarked, “I am very proud of all our students who worked tirelessly over many months to secure a residency match. This is a testament to the students as well as the many mentors they are fortunate to have, including family, friends, faculty, preceptors, and employee supervisors.”
Dr. Noah Gurr, who was matched with a community pharmacy residency at Moose Pharmacy in Charlotte, which is affiliated with the University of North Carolina’s Eshelman School of Pharmacy in Chapel Hill, spoke about his placement. “I am super excited to be able to work with such an amazing program for this upcoming year,” he said. “Community pharmacy is an ever-evolving field, and getting to hone my clinical experiences while also forming relationships with patients and coworkers will not only make me a better pharmacist but a better person.”
Dr. Rachael Clark, who hails from Cumming, GA, recently graduated from the College of Pharmacy, and was matched with the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital to complete her PGY1 residency. “I am looking forward to exploring all the specialties UAB has to offer, and I am hoping to discover new areas of interest in clinical pharmacy. UAB was my first choice for programs, so I am excited about my match. I would not have been able to get here without all the support and guidance from my UGA faculty members on the Savannah Campus. They prepared us very well to take on the match.”
For more information about UGA-affiliated residency programs, see here.
Pictured: Dr. Noah Gurr with Dean Kelly Smith at PharmD Commencement
