Residency scramble: program directors' experiences with the Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service.

PURPOSE Residency program directors' perceptions of the scramble process in 2013 using the Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service (PhORCAS) were evaluated. METHODS After the ASHP Resident Matching Program ("Match") results were released in 2013, programs were asked to not extend offers to applicants until the following Monday, allowing a week for programs and applicants to evaluate their options and make the best decisions. A survey consisting of open-ended and structured response questions was sent electronically to 1905 program directors. Adherence to the recommended one-week moratorium before extending an offer to applicants for unmatched positions was also assessed. RESULTS A total of 531 completed surveys were returned (28.2% response rate). Programs with 119 of the 133 unmatched postgraduate year 1 positions were represented in the results. The ma jority of directors were satisfied with the use of PhORCAS overall, rating it easier (60.3%) or at least the same (24.8%) as processes used in the past. Programs with unmatched positions thought using PhORCAS made it easier to fill positions (64.5%). Sixty percent of program directors contacted applicants the week after the Match. Most directors (79%) followed the recommendation of waiting until April 1 or later to make offers; however, 49% thought others did not follow the guidelines. Program directors offered many concerns about the stressful nature of the scramble process and offered several recommendations for improvement. CONCLUSION Residency program directors found that the use of PhORCAS and guidelines from the ASHP Commission on Credentialing improved the scramble process and facilitated the filling of unmatched residency positions.