PGY2 Oncology

Rotation Schedule

All residents receive orientation and training in July before embarking on clinical rotations. Rotation blocks are 4-5 weeks in duration, for a total of 10 blocks throughout the residency year. All residents will be assigned 9 core blocks, and may select 1 elective learning experience. Longitudinal clinics are scheduled as two blocks that are approximately 12-14 weeks in length. Longitudinal administrative responsibilities and committee work extend throughout the year. Residents receive 9 calendar days for research, which are generally scheduled in late December.  Residents receive 15 calendar days for administrative and quality improvement projects, which are scheduled throughout the year.  

Sequencing of Learning Experiences

The PGY2 oncology resident receives orientation to oncology specific activities and operations in the first month of the program. Core rotational learning experiences are scheduled prior to elective courses. The oncology resident will be exposed to a broad range of supportive care topics, chemotherapy and immunotherapy, and other treatment modalities employed in the treatment of different malignancies. Elective rotations will supplement the resident’s professional interests. Longitudinal learning experiences in administration, research and teaching will fortify the resident’s understanding of different facets of oncology pharmacy seen within the healthcare system.

Core Rotations

• Orientation (4 weeks)
• Inpatient Malignant Hematology (5 weeks)
• Inpatient BMT/Cellular Therapy (5 weeks)
• Inpatient Medical Oncology (4 weeks)
• Ambulatory Hematology/BMT Clinic (5 weeks)
• Ambulatory Breast and Melanoma Oncology Clinics (4 weeks)
• Ambulatory Gastrointestinal and Gynecologic Oncology Clinics (5 weeks)
• Ambulatory Thoracic, Sarcoma, Genitourinary Oncology Clinics (4 weeks)
• Investigational Drug Services (4 weeks)

Longitudinal Experiences

• Oncology Operations
• Oncology Practice Administration & Quality Improvement
  • (MUE, P&T monograph, QI project, Medication Safety Evaluation)
• Weekly Roundtable Topic Discussions (supportive care, disease states)
• Research
• Teaching

Longitudinal Clinical Rotations

• Oral Oncolytics/Specialty Pharmacy (1/2 day for 12-14 weeks) 
• Symptom Management Clinic (1/2 day clinic for 12-14 weeks)

Electives

• Immunocompromised Infectious Disease Service
• Pediatric BMT
• Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
• Symptom Management Clinic
• Any rotation offered as a required experience
• Off-site oncology practice

Operational Training

All oncology residents receive comprehensive training in the inpatient chemotherapy and outpatient infusion center areas during the orientation block, including formalized training in sterile compounding, aseptic technique, and hazardous drug compounding.

Staffing

Operational staffing occurs longitudinally and takes place approximately every third weekend spanning throughout the residency year for a total of 16 weekends. This is inclusive of 1 major holiday and 2 minor holiday weekends. PGY2 Oncology Pharmacy residents staff in 2 areas – the inpatient chemotherapy pharmacy at Parnassus and the outpatient infusion center at Parnassus.

Project Selection

All projects are of a scope suitable for publication. The oncology residents receive project proposal submissions from the oncology pharmacy preceptors and faculty for considerations as a research project. Projects are reviewed for feasibility and appropriateness of timeline for the resident research process by residency leadership. The list developed in this forum revolve around clinical outcomes in the management of hematology/oncology patients, the value of clinical pharmacist services, and/or focus on quality improvement initiatives such as drug safety, optimal medication use and cost effective drug use. The vetted projects are presented to the oncology residents during orientation for consideration. Residents rank the research projects based on interest prior to selection and assignment by the Residency Program Director.

Research Training

PGY2 oncology residents participate in the UCSF Research Certificate Program and will gain skills in: adhering to a research timeline, creating an appropriate study design and methodology, completing data collection and analysis and summarizing research findings. Residents are enrolled in the Designing Clinical Research course that is part of the Summer Clinical Research Workshop. This interprofessional curriculum within the Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics guides residents through modification of their research proposal and creation of a version suitable for submission to the UCSF Institutional Review Board. For projects requiring more advanced statistics, residents also receive support to work with the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) in order to complete analysis.

Poster & Platform Presentations

All projects are of a scope suitable for publication. Projects are presented as posters at the Vizient Pharmacy Network Poster session that precedes the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting, as well as the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association annual meeting.  Residents will provide a platform presentation of their research in the spring at the Northern California Oncology Pharmacy Network Annual Residency Forum.  Final project write-up should be in a format suitable for journal submission.

Resident Research Projects

Teaching Instruction

Teaching is a focus of the residency at UCSF, and residents receive a Teaching Certificate upon program completion if they complete the required elements of the program. The certificate recognizes the significant contributions and skills that are attained during the residency year. Residents receive training in teaching methodology, precepting and small group conference facilitation through a variety of educational seminars that are planned during the year.

Teaching Experiences

Teaching opportunities may include the following:

• Large group teaching
  • Oncology Therapeutics Lecture (School of Pharmacy)
  • Continuing Pharmacy Education, UCSF Health
  • Regional Journal Club/Case Presentation (Northern California Oncology Pharmacy Network)
• Interprofessional education
  • Rotation based in-service presentations to nursing and provider staff
• Small group facilitation
  • Conference leader in the Oncology Therapeutics courses (School of Pharmacy)
• Conducting an OSCE exam (School of Pharmacy)
• Precepting IPPE and APPE students on clinical rotations and project-based work

Appointment

Monday, July 8, 2024 to Friday, July 11, 2025 (53 weeks)

Positions Available

PGY2 Oncology (NMS 512060) – 3 positions

Recruitment

The Residency Program Director and residents recruit potential residency applicants at the following events:

• American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Midyear Clinical Meeting
  • Residency Showcase
  • Personnel Placement Services (PPS)
    • Participation at PPS is highly encouraged

Requirements for Admission

Applicants must be a graduate of an ACPE-accredited college of pharmacy or otherwise be eligible for licensure in California. Additionally, applicants must be participating in, or have completed, an ASHP-accredited PGY1 pharmacy residency program or one in the ASHP accreditation process (i.e., one with candidate or preliminary accreditation status).

Non-US and US Citizens from Foreign Schools of Pharmacy

Non-US citizens must be eligible to work and live in the US by obtaining an appropriate visa and must be eligible to work as a licensed pharmacist in California. We do not sponsor visas for foreign pharmacy residency applicants. Non-US and US citizens who graduate from a foreign school of pharmacy must first be certified by examination before the process of licensure in the US can begin. The Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Committee ™ (FPGEC®) certificate program operates under the auspices of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy®. The NABP® provides the FPGEC Certification Program as a means of documenting the educational equivalency of a candidate's foreign education, as well as the license and or registration to practice pharmacy. More information about this entire process is provided in these NABP® links: nabp.pharmacy.

1. Match: All applicants must register for The Match – ASHP Resident Matching Program.
2. PhORCAS: Applications will be accepted through PhORCAS (Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service), a web-based pharmacy residency application system. The application deadline is Saturday, December 31st, 2022.
3. Cover Letter: A cover letter describing the elements of the program that most interest you and how each element relates to your personal goals is also required.
4. Letters of Recommendation: We request a minimum of one (two is preferred) of your three references should come from a preceptor who you have worked as a resident within a clinical setting, related to an experience in acute or ambulatory care. The clinical preceptor should be able to comment on your scope of responsibility, total patient load, level of autonomy, clinical abilities, and organizational and time management skills. All 3-reference writers should use the standard PhORCAS template to submit their candidate recommendation. An uploaded letter of recommendation is optional and not required.

Application Reviews

Each PGY2 applicant packet is screened and scored by the RPD + 2 preceptors in the oncology pharmacy residency program. Screeners assess the following: communication skills, clinical experience (breadth, performance, scope of activity), personal/environmental factors (maturity, confidence, motivation, and adaptability), and work experience, aggregate letters of recommendation, leadership/initiative, teaching (interest and/or experience), research (interest and/or experience), teaching (interest and/or experience), extracurricular involvement and academic performance. The screening score is used to determine if an interview will be granted.

Interviews

The interview is a day-long engagement involving activities with preceptors from both Parnassus Heights and Mission Bay campuses. The interview process consists of two 45-minute panel interviews, and a personal interview with the Residency Program Director. Applicants are asked to prepare in advance a 15-minute presentation on an oncology-related topic of their choice. 

PGY2 Oncology interviews will be held in late January and through February for the upcoming interview cycle.