How to Prepare for ASHP Midyear: 5 Tips for Pharmacy Students

ASHP Midyear will be here before you know it, and if you plan on attending, now is the time to start preparing.

Whether you're looking for a residency, fellowship, job opportunity, or you're simply going to network and see what's out there, there is A LOT happening at Midyear. There are hundreds of residency programs, employers, vendors, networking opportunities, and events happening over just a few days.

You won't be able to do everything or talk to everyone, and honestly, you shouldn't try to.

The best thing you can do is prepare ahead of time so when you get there, you already know what you want to accomplish.

Here are five ways you can start preparing for ASHP Midyear now.

1. Develop a Plan

First things first, have a plan.

In the months leading up to Midyear, start reviewing the list of vendors, employers, residency programs, and fellowship programs that will be in attendance.

There are hundreds of programs and companies there, and you only have so much time. You won't be able to visit every single booth or talk to every program.

Make a list of the ones you really want to meet and learn more about.

I would even separate them into your must-visits, would-like-to-visits, and those you'll stop by if you have extra time.

Then, once the official schedule is available, start figuring out when you need to be where.

This doesn't mean you need an itinerary planned down to the minute. You want to leave yourself some room to explore, and for things you didn't plan for.

The point is to be strategic.

You don't want to get to Midyear, walk into a room with hundreds of booths, and then start trying to figure out where you should go first.

Do some of that work beforehand.

2. Sign Up for Mock Interviews

If mock interviews are offered, sign up for one!

This is a great opportunity to practice your interviewing skills before the real thing.

You can get feedback on how you're answering questions, practice talking about your experiences, and identify things you may want to work on before residency or job interviews start.

But something else to think about is that a mock interview can also be a networking opportunity.

Many programs may use pharmacists, preceptors, residency committee members, or other pharmacy professionals to conduct the interviews.

You never know who you're going to meet.

If you apply to their program later, they may remember you. Or maybe you hit it off with the person interviewing you, and it opens the door to another opportunity.

Of course, the goal isn't to go into a mock interview trying to impress someone because you think they can get you a residency. Go to practice and learn.

But remember that at Midyear, you are constantly meeting people in pharmacy.

You never know when one conversation may come back around later.

3. Review Your CV

Now is also the time to pull out your CV and go through it with a fine-tooth comb.

Make sure everything is updated. Add your most recent rotations, work experience, leadership positions, presentations, research, organizations, certifications, and anything else that belongs there.

Then have someone else look at it.

This could be a mentor, professor, preceptor, pharmacist, or someone from your school's career services.

Sometimes we look at our own work so many times that we don't notice the little mistakes anymore. Another person may catch something you completely overlooked or even point out an experience you should highlight more.

Once you've finalized it, save a PDF copy somewhere you can easily access it from your phone.

And yes, I would still bring physical copies.

Everything is digital now, but I'd rather have a few copies in my bag and never touch them than have someone ask for one and not have it.

4. Perfect Your Elevator Speech + Prepare Your Questions

Midyear is basically one big networking opportunity, so be prepared to introduce yourself a lot.

Whether you're speaking with a residency program, fellowship, potential employer, or simply another pharmacist, you should be able to confidently explain who you are, what you're interested in, and what you're looking for.

If you haven't developed your elevator speech yet, now is the time.

Once you have it, practice it out loud.

Something can sound great in your head and then sound completely different when you actually have to say it to another person.

You don't need to memorize a script word for word. You actually don't want to sound rehearsed.

You just want to be comfortable enough with what you're going to say that you're not trying to figure it out while someone is standing in front of you.

You can review how to create your elevator speech here: The Elevator Speech.

But don't just prepare what you're going to say. Prepare what you're going to ask.

Research the programs and companies you're interested in before Midyear and come up with a few thoughtful questions.

And try not to use your limited time asking questions you could have answered by looking at their website.

You have someone from the program standing right in front of you. Take advantage of that opportunity and ask something that will help you determine if the program is a good fit for you.

Remember, you are interviewing them as well.

5. Prepare for the Conference Itself

There's preparing professionally for Midyear, and then there's preparing to actually survive Midyear.

Midyear involves a LOT of walking, talking, standing, and meeting people.

The last thing you want is to be worried about your phone dying while you're trying to pull up a contact or realizing halfway through the residency showcase that your shoes were a terrible decision.

So, while you're working on your CV and researching residency programs, think about what you're actually bringing with you too.

A few things I would have in my Midyear bag:

• Comfortable but professional shoes

• Portable charger

• Professional bag or tote

• Water bottle

• Snacks

• Mints or gum

• Pens and a small notebook

• Copies of your CV

• Business cards

• Folder or portfolio to collect materials

• An organized way to keep track of who you spoke with

  
  

And please leave some room in your schedule.

Don't plan every minute of every day.

You may meet someone who invites you to an event. You might run into a former preceptor.

Someone may tell you about a program you didn't originally consider. Or you may simply need 30 minutes to sit down, eat a snack, charge your phone, and regroup.

It's okay.

Give yourself some breathing room.

A Few More Tips

Okay, I know I said five, but here are a few more things I think are worth doing before Midyear.

Begin Drafting Your Letter of Intent

If you plan to apply for residency, don't wait until after Midyear to start thinking about your letter of intent.

You don't have to have every letter completely written before you go because you'll want to personalize your letter for each program.

But you can start working on a strong draft.

Think about your experiences, career goals, what you're looking for in a residency, and what you want a program to know about you.

Then, after Midyear, you can go back and personalize it for each program.

This is also where those conversations you had at Midyear can come in handy.

Maybe a resident told you about an experience that really interested you. Maybe you learned something about the program that wasn't obvious from the website.

These are the details that can help you explain why you're interested in that particular program instead of sending a generic letter to everyone.

Update Your LinkedIn

You are about to spend several days networking, so make sure your LinkedIn is updated before you go.

Update your photo, headline, education, work experience, rotations, leadership positions, certifications, and anything else that needs a refresh.

People may look you up after meeting you.

You want your LinkedIn to match the person you just introduced them to.

Have Digital and Physical Business Cards

Digital business cards are convenient, and I definitely think you should have one.

But I would still bring a few physical business cards too.

Some people may prefer a physical card, and technology doesn't always cooperate when you need it to.

Also, remember to get their information too.

Don't spend the entire conference handing out your contact information and forget to collect anyone else's.

Take Notes After Important Conversations

This is a big one.

Take notes immediately after speaking with programs you're really interested in.

You may think, Oh, I'll remember that.

You probably won't.

After you've talked to your fifth, tenth, or twentieth person, some of those conversations may start blending together.

Write down who you spoke with, what you talked about, what stood out to you, and anything you want to remember.

Those little details may come in handy later when you're narrowing down your program list, writing your letter of intent, or preparing for an interview.

Follow Up

Last but definitely not least, follow up with the people you meet.

If you had a great conversation with someone, send them an email or connect with them on LinkedIn.

You don't need to write a five-paragraph message. Keep it simple and genuine.

A simple message reminding them where you met, thanking them for taking the time to speak with you, and mentioning something from your conversation is enough.

Remember, networking isn't just about collecting contacts.

The point is to engage with people and build relationships.

Someone accepting your LinkedIn request isn't the end of networking. It's really just the beginning.

If you need a refresher, start with Let’s Talk About Networking (The Real Kind), where I talk about making genuine connections, and then head over to Let’s Talk About Networking (The Sequel) for more on what comes next.

Because making the connection is only the first step. Cultivating the relationship is where the real networking begins.

Final Thoughts

Midyear can be overwhelming, especially if this is your time attending.

There is so much happening at once, and it can feel like you need to see everything, meet everyone, and make the perfect impression.

You don't.

Prepare ahead of time, know which opportunities are most important to you, and go into the conference ready to learn and meet people.

And keep an open mind.

You may go to Midyear convinced that you want one thing and leave interested in something completely different.

That's part of the experience.

Do your research. Get your CV together. Practice your elevator speech. Prepare your questions. Pack your portable charger.

Most importantly, enjoy the experience, make those connections, and remember—you’re one step closer to where you’re trying to go.

You’ve got this!