The College of Pharmacy at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center excelled in the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) residency match for PGY1 (Postgraduate Year 1) and PGY2 (Postgraduate Year 2) pharmacy students, achieving 66 PGY1 and 28 PGY2 matches for the 2025 cycle, totaling 94 matches from both 2024 and 2025 graduates.
The College of Pharmacy continues to rank among the best in the country for residency matches compared to other pharmacy schools, securing the No. 8 position for PGY1 matches and No. 10 for PGY2 matches. The College remains the No. 1 pharmacy school in Tennessee for the number of PGY1 and PGY2 matches, consistently ranking in the top 10 for PGY1 matches since 2021, with two years in the top five (2023 and 2024).
Leslie Hamilton, PharmD, FCCP, FCCM, FNCS, BCPS, BCCCP, a professor and residency coordinator at the College of Pharmacy, emphasized the vital importance of residencies for the college. “Residencies offer our students invaluable opportunities to enhance their training and effectively apply the skills they have developed during their education. They also allow students to specialize in diverse areas of pharmacy. The impressive residency match rate highlights the competitiveness of graduates from the UT Health Science Center College of Pharmacy and reflects the thorough preparation they receive here for their future careers. Residencies are an excellent method for our students to deepen their training and practice the skills acquired in school while also enabling them to specialize in various pharmacy fields,” she said. “A notable residency match rate truly distinguishes our students seeking post-graduate training; it signifies that those from the UT Health Science Center College of Pharmacy are competitive and that our program effectively equips them for their future pursuits.”
Students matched in 22 states at hospitals, community pharmacies, and behavioral health institutions, landing residencies in various inpatient and outpatient fields, including ambulatory care, health system administration and leadership, oncology, community pharmacy, critical care, infectious disease, psychiatry, and more.
Graduating student Sarah Crowell received the PGY1 community-based pharmacy residency at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, North Carolina. “My ultimate goal is to serve patients in an ambulatory care setting, and the diverse outpatient opportunities offered by this program will equip me with the skills needed to succeed in this field,” she said. “The UT Health Science Center College of Pharmacy encouraged me to explore my passions and provided avenues to engage with the profession in ways I never anticipated. Through various curricular and leadership opportunities, I’ve developed both personal and professional skills. I now have a clear sense of my place within the pharmacy profession, and I am excited for my future while being grateful for the opportunities provided to me throughout my pharmacy journey.”
Rachel Austin, also a graduating student, secured a PGY1 residency position at HCA/UT Health Science Center College of Pharmacy in Nashville. This new role will provide her with valuable experience in pharmacy management and acute care across HCA hospitals in Nashville. Austin views the residency as an opportunity to help her become a well-rounded pharmacist, furthering her interests in behavioral health, research, and academia. She praised the UT Health Science Center College of Pharmacy for preparing her for her current achievements. “The consistent exposure of pharmacy practice in hospital, community, and ambulatory care settings during lectures and professional experiences helped me envision my future as a pharmacist. Discussions that required me to expand upon my problem-solving skills and clinical knowledge gave me a glimpse of what resident training would be like,” Austin said. “My decision to apply to residency was cemented during advanced practice rotations, where I was able to see my medication recommendations in action. I’m incredibly grateful for the guidance from preceptors and the College of Pharmacy faculty as I searched for a program that aligned with my goals and prepared my personal statements and interview skills to present myself as an excellent candidate.”
Christian Phillips has been placed in a PGY1 residency at the University of Illinois, Chicago, marking a significant step toward becoming an autonomous clinical pharmacist with a focus on developing his clinical and teaching experience. “My time at the UT Health Science Center College of Pharmacy truly laid the foundation for my learning and skills through its enriching curriculum, hands-on clinical rotations, and supportive guidance,” Phillips said. “I am excited to build on everything I learned as I transition into residency and my career.”
The consistent top ranking in ASHP Residency Matches reinforces the college’s status as a premier destination for pharmacy education. Similar to the support the college provided to students like Crowell, Austin, and Phillips, the UT Health Science Center College of Pharmacy is committed to training exceptional pharmacists and guiding them toward their dream careers in pharmacy. Those interested in more information on applying to the College of Pharmacy can visit uthsc.edu/pharmacy/whyuthsc.