1. Make an Excel Sheet of Programs

Above is a screenshot of my Midyear Google Sheet. Why Google Sheets? I sent a link of this file to all my letter writers which enabled them to see any updates I made in real time. It's convenient and it'll be there if anything were to happen to your laptop - hopefully not though! It's also accessible from your phone so whenever I had downtime during my APPE rotations, I could edit my list!

I would suggest starting your research in September/October since that's when most programs update their fellowship brochures and deadlines. It definitely doesn't hurt to start earlier but know that the positions you're vying for at certain companies may not be considering candidates.

2. Research Position(s) that Interest You
I've read so many different posts on SDN about how applying for more than one position hurts your chances of nailing a fellowship. I applied for both Clinical Development and Clinical Pharmacology positions at three programs: UOP, Rutgers and USC. I was fortunate to secure reception invites to all these programs for both positions however, the director will ask you either during your last interview or at reception which one you prefer. If you decide to choose more than one position, be able to defend each one because they will ask at each interview session.


3. Duration and Relocation
Be cognizant of how long the program lasts. Most require a TWO year commitment while a handful are only ONE year. Being able to move to a new city or state is exciting but make sure it aligns with your personality and what you want to take away from your time there. Can you see yourself spending the next year or two there? What can you do for fun? Is the food good? How's the weather? Location was one of the main reasons I didn't apply to certain programs... I just couldn't imagine myself living there... no matter how appealing the school or position was.

Don't quote me on this but I believe all programs pay for your relocation up to a certain amount. If you didn't already come across this in your research, the average salary for a fellow is around $50,000 ± 6,000 depending on the company and location so remember to factor that into your decision.

4. Begin Drafting Your Letter of Intent (LOI)
Start as early as you can (I started late September). DO NOT PROCRASTINATE. You'll soon realize how much APPE's drain you both physically and mentally. My method was to jot down EVERYTHING I could think of during my first sit-down. I then returned to it a week later with a fresh pair of eyes. I repeated this process until I was content. Granted, I began to memorize my LOI and things began to mesh together. However, I was happy with the result.

For those who have been following me on my journey through pharmacy + fashion, you may have noticed that I LOVE writing. My personal tip for your Letter of Intent? Tell a story. Make sure your statement isn't a choppy mess that regurgitates information on your CV. Polish up your writing skills and use a thesaurus if you want to vary your word choices. Be honest and convince the fellowship committee why you'd be an exceptional candidate for the position. It may be hard to communicate your message through a jungle of text but prove to your readers that it would be a loss for them not to invite you in for a first-round interview.


5. Choose Letter of Recommendation (LOR) Writers
Make sure you let them know you're requesting a letter on your behalf. I would tell them in August - Early October that way they'll have ample time to produce a strong LOR. Most deadlines are in November however, I know some programs have earlier deadlines. Give them all the information they need, like the excel sheet in Number 1 above. Try to follow up with your letter writers as much as possible without being a nuisance. It's hard to draw the line sometimes but I sent a Word Document to make it even easier with names, emails and deadlines. Each fellowship program runs things differently so be on top of that. Some use portals and let you know when your LOR has been received while some never send email verifications. Be on top of it!

6. Update Your CV
Depending on how often you edit your CV, this may take some time. Make sure you get another set of eyes on it! Not going to lie, there was a major error on mine after I printed 50+ copies 😖 I went through everything with a fine tooth comb but the one thing I neglected? MY PHONE NUMBER AT THE TOP! I was off by a digit 😭 This caused so much unnecessary anxiety and stress that could have been easily avoided. 

I'll go into more detail in my next few posts but I made it my mission to connect with as many fellows as I could before Midyear. Why? So I could get a better understanding of their role, the program and so they could also know me! I'm so thankful the Rutgers Fellow I spoke to prior to Midyear (who also happened to interview me) still had my number because that's how he contacted me about my Reception Invite. He was also kind enough to share it with another Rutgers Fellow at a different company so they could invite me to their reception as well. I literally didn't realize my phone number was wrong until my second to last day at Midyear 😭😭😭 Moral of the story: DOUBLE CHECK EVERY SINGLE THING.