PGY1 Residency (UC Medical Center)

 

Post Graduate Year One (PGY1) Pharmacy Residency 

Program Code: 44200

National Matching Service Code: 180213

Start date: Mid-June, exact date to be communicated post match

Number of positions: 7

The following outline represents general program design and requirements for the ASHP-accredited PGY1 Pharmacy Residency at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. The program includes a variety of direct and non-direct patient care, research, and teaching opportunities and will be tailored to meet the needs of an individual resident based on the resident’s customized development plan.

Program requirements 

Entrance into the PGY1 Pharmacy Residency requires the following:

  • Doctor of Pharmacy degree from an ACPE – accredited College of Pharmacy
  • Pharmacist licensure in the state of Ohio
  • Ohio pharmacy intern license for orientation activities, if the resident does not anticipate having an active Ohio Pharmacist License by mid-June

The PGY1 Residency Certificate will be awarded upon successful completion of all established program requirements, including achievement of ASHP Required Competency Areas, Goals, and Objectives for PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency.

Clinical learning experiences

All experiences are one calendar month in duration, unless otherwise noted

Required

  • Orientation (6 weeks)
  • Critical Care
  • Drug Information and Drug Use Policy Development
  • Internal Medicine
  • Pharmacy Practice Management
  • Surgery
  • Research (focused month)

Selective (resident must choose two of four rotations)

  • Ambulatory Care
  • Cardiology
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplant

Elective

  • Neuroscience
  • Neuroscience ICU
  • Neonatal ICU
  • Trauma Surgery
  • Solid Organ Transplant
  • Renal Medicine
  • Medical Infectious Disease
  • Critical Care Anesthesia Team
  • Orthopedic Surgery
  • Psychiatry
  • Medication Use Safety
  • Specialty Pharmacy
  • Addiction Sciences
  • Transitions of Care

Longitudinal

  • Ambulatory Care Clinic (one half day per week for 6 or 12 months); day of the week varies for each resident)
    • Resident may choose six months or a full year depending on level of interest
  • Pharmacy Practice Service (every other weekend beginning in August)
  • Research (longitudinal completion of Research Project)

Research 

PGY1 residents will participate in a longitudinal research project of their choosing that originates from either resident interest or research ideas generated by the preceptor group. A research timeline is established to ensure the resident stays on schedule for completion of residency.

 

June/July Research question and research team selected
August Research question and objectives presented to Pharmacy Research Subcommittee
September Submission of protocol to the Investigational Review Board (IRB)
November Development of Vizient abstract and poster (presentation at ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting optional)
December Presentation of research question and methods at Vizient Residency Poster Session held in conjunction with the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting; focused data collection/analysis
January/March Data analysis, Great Lakes Pharmacy Resident Conference (GLPRC) abstract submission
March/April GLPRC presentations
April-June Manuscript preparation and submission

 

Teaching Certificate Program/Education opportunities 

PGY1 residents have the opportunity to participate in the University of Cincinnati James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy Teaching Certificate Program. The program is available for all residents in the greater Cincinnati area and consists of a two-day seminar along with longitudinal didactic, co-precepting and small group teaching requirements. The program offers both an academia and a preceptor track so each resident may more closely tailor the experience to their future goals.

Education of pharmacists and other healthcare professionals is integrated longitudinally throughout the program including inter-professional grand rounds presentations, resident-led clinical presentations, nursing education, and other opportunities.

 

Pharmacy Grand Rounds 

PGY1 pharmacy residents will develop two 60-minute ACPE accredited presentations for presentations at Pharmacy Grand Rounds. Residents also have the opportunity to obtain ACPE accredited continuing education hours through attendance at Grand Rounds each week.

 

Pharmacy Morbidity, Mortality, and Improvement 

PGY1 pharmacy residents will present one pharmacy-specific process improvement opportunity at the Monthly Pharmacy Morbidity, Mortality, and Improvement (MMI) case conference.  A written summary will be prepared for inclusion in the quarterly MMI continuing education publication. This provides the resident with a unique opportunity to participate in a process improvement initiative.

 

Medication use evaluation (MUE)

PGY1 pharmacy residents will conduct an MUE coordinated through each resident’s assigned committee. The MUE is completed during the resident’s Drug Policy and Development rotation and will be presented by the resident to the Drug Policy Development or other relevant committee.

 

Committee involvement 

Each PGY1 Pharmacy Practice resident will serve as an active member of a UC Health or University of Cincinnati Medical Center multidisciplinary committee.  Examples of committees the resident may serve on include Drug Policy Development Committee, Anti-infective Subcommittee, Medication Safety Committee and the Pharmacy Design Team.

 

Independent practice 

PGY1 pharmacy residents will assist with provision of pharmacy coverage for rapid responses and, Code Blue, clinical situations with support from preceptors. Residents are also integrated into the weekly clinical pharmacist call schedule during the second half of the academic year. The PGY1 resident will spend a month longitudinally working with the Pulmonology Consult Team to ensure safe antibiotic use in cystic fibrosis patients.

 

Professional conferences 

PGY1 and PGY2 residents are afforded the opportunity to attend the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting/Vizient Meeting (December) and Great Lakes Pharmacy Resident Conference (April/May).  Additionally, the PGY1 resident will be expected to attend a Residency Recruitment Showcase to assist with recruitment for the PGY1 Residency Program. A travel stipend is provided for these conferences.

 

Salary and benefits  

Final information regarding salary, benefits, and pre-employment requirements will be provided to matched applicants for the PGY1 programs during residency interviews.

  • Estimated salary of $54,000
  • 28 days paid time off (includes holidays not worked and professional conference travel)
  • Medical, dental, vision plans
  • Individual workspace including a computer
  • Physical and electronic access to the University of Cincinnati Health Sciences Library (adjacent to hospital)
  • Weekly ACPE CE provided through Pharmacy Grand Rounds
  • Financial reimbursement for select professional conferences
  • Advanced Cardiac Life Support certification
  • Free covered parking adjacent to hospital

 

Application process

The following items must be received by January 2 for application to the program. Please submit the following items via PhORCAS:

  • A letter of intent describing your reasons for applying to the program and interests within the pharmacy profession
  • A single page narrative description of a time when you independently identified a problem during your professional pharmacy experience:
    • What was the issue?
    • How did you develop and present a possible solution?
    • What was the outcome?
  • A current Curriculum Vitae
  • College transcripts
  • Three letters of recommendation (utilizing PhORCAS format). Letter of recommendation writers should be asked to comment on these five domains, at a minimum:
    1. Clinical problem solving skills
    2. Independence/resourcefulness
    3. Dependability
    4. Ability to work with peers
    5. Ability to time manage

Letter writer should provide a skill assessment with specific examples

The applicant should share the criteria above with letter writers

Program Contact

Nicole Harger Dykes, PharmD, BCCCP

Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Emergency Medicine

PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program Director

nicole.harger@uchealth.com

 

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: How competitive is the residency application process?
A: We typically receive between 100-125 applications for seven residency positions

Q: How do you decide which applicants receive an interview invitation?
A: Members of the Residency Advisory Committee review all applicants PhorCas submission using an objective screening tool. All scores are calculated and applicants with the highest scores are offered on-site interviews.

Q: Does your PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program participate in Personal Placement Service (PPS) at the Midyear Clincal Meeting?
A: The PGY1 program does not participate in PPS, but PGY2 programs with open positions do participate.

Q: Does your program offer a Teaching Certificate Program?
A: Yes, a Teaching Certificate Program is offered through the University of Cincinnati James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy. Please see “Teaching Certificate Program/Education Opportunities” section above for more details.

Q: What does a typical interview day look like for your program/what can expect during my interview with your program?
A: The interview day consists of a full day with interview sessions with preceptors, pharmacy administrators and current residents as well as presentation of a patient case (no preparation required). The residency candidate will also be given a tour of our facility and have the opportunity to sit in on a resident educational presentation to give the candidate the opportunity to get a feel for the people and culture of our organization.

Q: What are the staffing requirements for a PGY1 resident at your organization?
A: PGY1 residents work every other weekend beginning in August. A majority of the weekends are spent in our Central Pharmacy learning about operations, but every 3-4 weekends each resident works, the resident will instead assist our weekend clinical pharmacy team with clinical coverage.

Q: How flexible is your program with schedule changes throughout the course of the residency year?
A: We pride ourselves in being extremely flexible. We understand that PGY1 residents’ interests and desires change with time and exposure to new things and work to ensure that each resident is afforded all opportunities the resident desires.

Q: What do residents typically do after they complete a PGY1 at your hospital?
A: A majority of our residency graduates go on to complete a PGY2 residency or fellowship. Some of our residency graduates have also gone on to accept clinical pharmacy specialist or clinical staff pharmacist positions post-residency.

  • Refill a Prescription

    Online at My UC Health or call one of our locations listed below.