The University of Florida College of Pharmacy has maintained its top national ranking as the pharmacy school with the most students matching into first postgraduate year, or PGY1, residency programs. With 130 successful matches, the college also reported the second largest total residency placements within the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists, or ASHP, match process.
In this year’s match, 100 UF pharmacy students matched with PGY1 programs, while another 30 graduates matched with second postgraduate year, or PGY2, programs. Gator pharmacists matched with programs in 23 U.S. states and Puerto Rico.
With a 91% PGY1 match rate for the class of 2025, Peter W. Swaan, Ph.D., M.Pharm., dean and professor of the UF College of Pharmacy, said that Gator pharmacy students exhibited excellence and leadership on a national scale.
“In 2025, our exceptional students have yet again demonstrated their capacity, commitment and unique contributions to the field of pharmacy. I am excited to see them continue to grow and evolve as pharmacy professionals in their residency positions,” Swaan said. “Of course, our students’ success would not be possible without the time and care of our faculty, preceptors and everyone in the UF College of Pharmacy, who have guided our students along their educational journeys.”
ASHP’s match program places student pharmacists in a host of pharmacy practice settings for their residencies, including at hospitals, academic health care centers and community pharmacies. Nearly 6,000 residency positions were filled nationwide in this year’s match. For Francis Ameng, a fourth-year pharmacy student at the Gainesville campus, matching with his top choice, Tampa General Hospital, was an occasion to remember.
After a morning spent feverishly refreshing his inbox in anticipation of an email from ASHP, Ameng spent the latter part of Match Day celebrating with family and congratulating his classmates on their matches. As he looks ahead to his residency, Ameng said he’s most excited about learning new skills and showcasing his favorite spots in his hometown of Tampa for his fellow residents, all of whom will be arriving from other states.
“Transitioning from an academic setting to a hospital pharmacy setting is something that excites me. It’s both exhilarating and nerve-wracking, because I’ll be verifying orders, which means I’ll have patients’ lives in my hands. Through residency training, I hope to gain the confidence to make the right clinical decisions based on the knowledge I’ve gained from school,” Ameng said.
“Working on a team is another aspect I’m passionate about. Getting to learn from the seasoned pharmacists, collaborating with my co-residents and teaching pharmacy students are all ways for me to further improve my skills as a new pharmacist. Plus, as the only native Floridian in my cohort, I’ll be showing everyone my favorite restaurants, places to study and some of the fun attractions that we have in the Tampa Bay area,” Ameng added.
Now that the match process is behind him, Ameng has culled some words of wisdom for his fellow students who will soon undergo this months-long journey. Above all else, Ameng credits organization, commitment and endurance as critical ingredients to securing the residency match of his dreams. “It really is true: pharmacy is a small world. The bridges that I formed throughout pharmacy school helped me a lot when I was applying for residency, whether through writing my CV, letter of intent or just getting through the process. I think that maintaining friendships and reaching out to people who have gone through the residency process already is so important,” he said. “Make sure you get involved as much as possible, too. I think that having a diverse CV truly helped me. Try to do things that are meaningful to you and explore co-curricular activities that set you apart from other applicants, which will give you a better chance of standing out to a program.”