Finding Your Place as a PGY1 Pharmacy Resident in Portland

By Sydney Damm, PharmD
PGY-1 Pharmacy Resident

I grew up in the suburbs of Portland, 15 minutes outside of the city, and didn’t move far when I pursued my undergraduate degree at Oregon State University (OSU), which is only 90 miles south of my hometown. When applying to pharmacy schools after graduation, I saw an opportunity to move somewhere new and explore a different state. Most of my family vacations were spent backpacking, fishing and hiking, and those interests influenced my desire to apply to pharmacy schools in Colorado and Montana. I envisioned spending free time exploring the outdoors surrounded by mountains and nature. Still, I decided to apply to OSU, too. The pharmacy program there appealed to me because the first two years would be in Corvallis and the remaining two years would be in Portland. One graduate school option was close to home and familiar, while the others were the complete opposite.

The year I planned to start pharmacy school coincided with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Classes transitioned to primarily online, and social distancing was the new normal. I decided to stay close to home and attend pharmacy school at OSU. I knew I would have another opportunity to move out of state after finishing school and applying to residencies.

As I began applying for residencies, the idea of relocating still intrigued me. My sister had recently moved to San Diego, and my close friends in pharmacy school were also considering programs outside of Oregon. Many of the people and reasons that kept me in Oregon had moved away or planned to move away. I thought about the opportunities and growth that moving could offer and decided to apply to programs in various states.

After interviewing with programs outside of Oregon, I started to question whether I even wanted to pursue residency. I struggled to envision myself thriving in those programs and was left feeling unexcited. Then I had my interview with Legacy Health, and everything changed. I felt a genuine sense of excitement about my residency and knew that this was where I wanted to spend my next year, even though it wasn’t the “big move” I had been dreaming about.

I had spent the past year doing my clinical rotations in Portland and developed a deep commitment to the community. One of my clinical interests is psychiatric pharmacy with a focus on substance use and harm reduction. I knew the patient population in Portland was something I wanted to continue to work alongside. I also came to understand that growth isn’t necessarily the result of a “big move.” And since I had never truly lived in Portland before, the city felt new to me. All I needed to do was make Portland my new home.

Since moving to Portland, I have grown more than I could have ever imagined. I walk to work, where I explore my neighborhood and appreciate the time outdoors. I have become more familiar with the bus lines and reflect or enjoy an audio book or music while riding them. I enjoy sunny days where I can bike up to Mt. Tabor, along the waterfront, or to St. Johns for incredible views. I have found a new favorite coffee shop, Rose City, where I can catch up with my friend and enjoy the whimsy of a caramel latte. I have been able to form new connections and memories here while simultaneously maintaining my previous relationships with friends and family from home. Moving to Portland and doing my PGY1 residency at Legacy enhances my opportunities, connections and ties to the city.