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Sin et al
beneficial to encourage collaboration and relationships
between residents from these various institutions. This would
provide a broader support network among the residents to
augment their training and cultivate an environment to promote work-life balance. We describe our 2-year experience in
the formation and development of a citywide Pharmacy
Residents' Collaborative Committee (PRCC) through a city
chapter of an ASHP state affiliate.

Committee Structure
The New York City Society of Health-System Pharmacists, a
chapter of the New York State Council of Health-System
Pharmacists, represents the interests of pharmacy professionals who practice in health care facilities throughout New
York City. Pharmacy residents are no exception, and the
chapter actively promotes resident involvement in professional networking, educational programming, leadership,
legislative advocacy, and community outreach opportunities.
The goal of the PRCC was to create a forum that fosters professional networking and education, social and personal networking, and volunteering and community outreach among
postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) and postgraduate year 2 (PGY2)
pharmacy residents in the immediate area. By creating a
dynamic support system, individuals have the ability to
exchange clinical and residency pearls, gained from their
respective practices, and to develop interpersonal relationships with colleagues outside of their institutions.
Two co-founders, who also served as the PRCC's first cochairs and liaisons to the Board of Directors (BOD), developed the initial concept and structure of the initiative in
conjunction with members of the BOD. The PRCC was
officially recognized as a chapter committee and thus, was
required to follow the constitution and by-laws set forth by
the city chapter and the state affiliate. An annual budget was
allocated from the BOD to support the activities of the PRCC.
The responsibilities of the co-chairs included, but were
not limited to, contacting program directors to inform them
of the initiative and to encourage resident participation,
recruitment, creating and maintaining a master listserv of
resident members, planning and promoting events, managing the allotted annual budget, and serving as the primary
liaisons between the PRCC and the BOD. In regard to budget management, with approval from the chapter treasurer,
the budget could be used to reimburse expenses needed to
plan and host events and activities. Examples of such
expenses included food and beverages, reserving meeting
spaces, transportation, and attending professional and social
group events.
Members of the PRCC met monthly before or after the
city chapter's formal BOD meetings. Agendas would typically involve welcoming new members and introductions,
planning future networking and community outreach events,
and allocating budget expenses. During the formal BOD
meetings, co-chairs were allotted time to provide monthly

updates to the chapter and discuss potential collaboration
opportunities with various other committees.

Networking and Collaboration
Sara J. White, a pharmacy leadership coach, once wrote,
"Every pharmacist must have a professional network to be
truly successful." As pharmacy residents will come across
countless health care professionals during their training, residency is a prime time to expand one's network, whether it be
to explore career options, to bounce ideas off another individual, for professional collaboration, or for career
satisfaction.5

Professional Networking and Education
One of the PRCC's main objectives was to promote professional networking among the residents. This was accomplished by inviting resident members to attend a variety of
activities, with the 2 most popular being continuing education (CE) presentations and non-CE networking dinner
events. CE programs were coordinated by the BOD to meet
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education standards
and criteria. Invited CE speakers were most commonly clinical pharmacy practitioners and pharmacy administrators who
were active members of the city chapter and/or the state affiliate. Non-CE networking events were educational presentations by guest speakers invited by pharmaceutical industry
collaborators. Residents were highly encouraged to attend
both types of events, as they would have the opportunity to
meet and network with pharmacy professionals from around
the city. During numerous events, time was also allotted for
residents to deliver brief presentations on a clinical pearl of
interest.
The PRCC hosted several professional networking events
targeted specifically toward resident development. This
allowed for more personal one-on-one interactions with
nearby residents, program preceptors, and pharmacy administrators in the region. A variety of topics were discussed
during these sessions including clinical pearls, career
advancement, involvement in professional national or local
organizations, and tips regarding job placement and postresidency opportunities. PGY1 residents interested in pursuing a second-year residency could obtain guidance from
PGY2 residents currently training in that specialty. PGY2
residents searching for postgraduate positions could, likewise, speak with current practitioners for advice during the
career-searching process.

Social and Personal Networking
The PRCC also provided venues for social and personal networking among the residents. The objective was to promote a
healthy work-life balance while being able to spend time with
like-minded individuals who may be undertaking similar

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