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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Pharmacy Program

How to Apply: PGY1

2026-2027 hiring cycle (for the 2027-2028 residency year)

Application deadline: Applications and required documents must be uploaded and submitted to USAJobs and PhORCAS by 1:59PM ET on January 2, 2027. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Process: Applicants who meet the January 2, 2027 deadline AND submit all required materials will be reviewed by an IHS Human Resource Specialist for eligibility and qualification. If you are selected for an interview, the Residency Program Director from the individual site(s) will contact you. Not all applicants will be granted interviews. IHS residencies do NOT participate in the ASHP Match process. Every effort will be made for IHS residency selections to be made in advance of the ASHP Match process, so that in the event of a non-selection for an IHS Residency, candidates can still proceed with the ASHP Match.

EACH ITEM ON THIS CHECKLIST IS REQUIRED (sections A, B)
Please read and follow all instructions carefully. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure the application is complete. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. Other questions should be directed to the contacts listed below.

All applications will be considered for the Civil Service or Tribal employment system unless the applicant ALSO applies separately to the USPHS Commissioned Corps.
Application to the Corps is OPTIONAL and may not be granted to all IHS residency selectees. Corps application is NOT required to apply for IHS residency.

To apply for the USPHS Commissioned Corps:
If you are selected for an IHS Residency and you are interested in applying to the USPHS Commissioned Corps [PDF - 1.9 MB], the process will begin immediately upon residency selection. Your decision to apply to the Corps must be made immediately after being selected for a program. Please do the following if you are considering applying to the USPHS Commissioned Corps:

SECTION A. USAJobs online application for Federal Employment (#1-5 below)

Fill out the online USAJobs application by 11:59 PM ET on January 2, 2027.

  • Link for USA Jobs announcement for PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Programs will be posted as soon as it is available. Please check back mid to late November.

Review this video for further instruction on completing this application Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov . The applicant is responsible for ensuring the application is officially submitted. You will receive a notification or control number from USAJobs when you have fully completed the application. Incompletely submitted applications will not be considered. To complete the USAJobs application(s), you will need:

  1. Letter from school verifying program enrollment and anticipated graduation date.
  2. Curriculum Vitae (it is suggested you submit CV instead of using the online "resume builder")
  3. Form BIA-4432 Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  [PDF - 4.8 MB] only if requesting consideration of Indian Preference for employment
  4. If you are a licensed pharmacist, you must submit a copy or include license number and state on your CV.
  5. ANY other documents requested in the announcement

SECTION B. PhORCAS Application

The National Matching Services Inc. Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service (PhORCAS) will be used for PGY1 residency program applications. The PhORCAS portal will open early November 2026, and close on January 2, 2027 for IHS Pharmacy Residency Programs. To complete your application in PhORCAS, you will need to create an account. Once this is done, complete the online application including selecting which programs you want to apply to. Instructions and information regarding PhORCAS accounts and applications can be found at the PhORCAS Applicant Help Center (liaisonedu.com).Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov 

PhORCAS charges $110 for the first four program applications, and $43 for each additional program application. Each IHS Pharmacy Residency Program is considered a separate program. To use PhORCAS, a $160 fee to the National Matching Service is also required even if you are only applying to IHS residency programs, this is outside of our control.

With your PhORCAS application, you will need to upload and submit the following:

  1. Required by PhORCAS
    1. Three (3) letters of recommendation
    2. Pharmacy school transcripts
    3. Personal statement
    4. Current CV
  2. Additional documents required by IHS:
    1. Prospective Resident Survey (link to survey will be available early November)

    The IHS Pharmacy Residency Programs do NOT participate in the general ASHP Match but conduct an internal match process prior to the ASHP Match. Candidates that do not match with an IHS Pharmacy Residency Program will be able to continue with the ASHP Match if they had also applied to non-IHS residency programs.

    For application questions: please contact IHSPharmacyResidencyInquiries@ihs.gov.