PGY1 Pharmacy Residency

Rotation Schedule

At a minimum, each resident will spend two thirds or more of their time involved in direct patient care activities and at least half of the residency year is scheduled in required learning experiences inclusive of longitudinal experiences.  Rotation blocks are 6 weeks in duration for a total of 8 blocks throughout the residency year. All residents will be assigned the 6 required learning experiences and may select 2 elective learning experiences.

Sequencing of Learning Experiences

Learning experiences are sequenced such that areas of possible PGY2 specialization occur prior to the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting. Sequencing and scheduled experiences are modified during the year based on changes in resident interest and customization based on interests and/or performance.

Sample Schedule

pgy1_schedule-at-a-glance.pdf

Required Rotations

• Orientation

• Ambulatory Care

• Critical Care (Medical, Surgical, Cardiac/Cardiothoracic, Neuro)

• General Medicine

• Medication Use & Outcomes

• Leadership & Management (Focus Area: Clinical Services, Operations or Informatics)

• Elective #1

• Elective #2

Ambulatory Care Clinics

For ambulatory care, each clinic is available 1-5 days per week, therefore residents may select up to 3 clinics to create a complete M-F schedule.

• Anticoagulation

• Bariatric Surgery

• Cardiology

• Cystic Fibrosis

• HIV

• Multiple Sclerosis

• Oral Chemotherapy

• Pre-Abdominal Transplant

• Pre-Thoracic Transplant

• Transitions of Care

Electives

Residents must select 2 electives to allow for experience and practice with diverse patient populations with a variety of disease states. Only 1 elective may be selected from Pediatrics, Solid Organ Transplant and Surgery. Residents may also elect to complete one of their electives in ambulatory care for an additional concentrated 6-week rotation block.

• Ambulatory Care (additional block)
• Cardiology
• Emergency Medicine
• Hematology/Oncology
• Infectious Diseases
• Investigational Drug Service
• Medical Oncology
• Neurology/Neurovascular
• Poison Control
• Psychiatry
• Pediatrics
  • General Pediatrics
  • Hematology/Oncology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Transitional Care Unit
• Solid Organ Transplant
  • Heart Transplant
  • Kidney Transplant
  • Liver Transplant
  • Lung Transplant
• Surgery
  • Cardiothoracic Surgery
  • General Surgery
  • Neurosurgery
  • Orthosurgery

Longitudinal Learning Experiences

• Operational Staffing / Code Coverage (52 weeks)
• Research Certificate Program (52 weeks)
• Teaching Certificate Program (52 weeks)
• Hospital Committee (52 weeks)
• Continuing Pharmacy Education (4 weeks)
• Small Group Teaching (6-8 weeks)

Operational Training

All residents receive comprehensive training in each of the operational areas during orientation, including formalized training in sterile compounding and aseptic technique. At the beginning of the residency year, residents are paired with an experienced preceptor who will oversee their operational staffing learning experience throughout the year and provide residents with summative feedback. Residents staff in conjunction with a clinical pharmacist until they are licensed at which point they will staff independently, typically starting in September. Residents receive focused operational training for their upcoming staffing area during orientation and before each transition in October and March. 

Staffing Blocks

PGY1 Pharmacy residents staff in 3 different areas – oversight of sterile compounding/unit dose, serving as the Pharmacist-In-Charge (PIC) in the main pharmacy, and clinical order verification. Operational staffing occurs longitudinally and takes place approximately every third weekend spanning throughout the residency year for a total of 16 weekends. Additionally, the residents staff a 4-hour evening shift approximately every 2 to 3 weeks in the main pharmacy. 

Clinical Pathways

Residents are able to select a clinical pathway for the order verification portion of their staffing. Available pathways include surgery/neurology or cardiology/solid organ transplant during which residents work closely with the clinical pharmacist to answer drug information questions and facilitate order approval.

Project Selection

The Research Advisory Committee receive project proposal submissions from clinical pharmacists and faculty for consideration as a resident research project on an annual basis. Projects are rigorously reviewed for feasibility, and appropriateness of timeline for the resident research process. The list developed in this forum focus on projects that demonstrate the value of clinical pharmacist services, and/or focus on quality improvement initiatives such as drug safety, optimal medication use, cost effective drug use, and efficient, safe and effective medication preparation, delivery and administration. The Principal Investigators of the vetted projects present their proposals to the PGY1 Pharmacy 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

PGY1 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 UCSF Department of Clinical Pharmacy Spring Research Poster Session. They are also presented as posters at the Vizient residency session that precedes the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting. The final platform presentation occurs in spring at the UC Collaborative Conference in California.

2023-2024 PGY1 Pharmacy Resident Research Projects

Teaching Instruction

Teaching is a focus of the residency at UCSF, and residents participate in the UCSF Teaching Certificate 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 (optional)
• Interprofessional education 
• Small group facilitation (6-10 weeks, depending on course schedule)
• Precepting IPPE and APPE students on clinical rotations and project-based work

Overview

PGY1 Pharmacy residents are integral members of the interprofessional emergency response care team. All PGY1 Pharmacy will become certified in Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), and receive hands-on code training by the Critical Care Pharmacy team. In addition, the PGY1 Pharmacy resident in the pediatric environment will become certified in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS). Residents respond to Code Stroke, Code Sepsis and Code Blue to ensure appropriate drug selection and administration, timeliness of medication retrieval and preparation, adjusting medication dosages and monitoring for response.

Code Coverage

PGY1 Pharmacy residents staff a minimum of 30 code shifts per year. A yearlong schedule is provided during orientation for all shift assignments, which include weekend code coverage aligned with the clinical order verification shift, and weekday code coverage aligned with the critical care rotation. 

Simulation

The UCSF Residency Training Program has developed and implemented a longitudinal simulation curriculum for PGY1 Pharmacy residents to increase confidence and competence during various emergent situations. The program utilizes the Kanbar Center for Simulation and Clinical Skills, a high-fidelity simulation center within UCSF. Throughout the residency year, residents participate in 4 simulation lab sessions, each covering 4 cases. The clinical case scenarios become increasingly complex as the residency year progresses, and is intended to meet the advancing skill set of the residents. A clinical pharmacist content experts are invited to the sessions to lead the residents through a debrief of the simulation session and allow for discussion of advanced clinical topics.

Appointment

June 24, 2024 to June 30, 2025 (53 weeks)

Positions Available

• PGY1 Pharmacy (NMS 176613) 

Recruitment

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

• UCSF Open House Events (Virtual)
• ACCP & SNPhA Residency & Fellowship Showcase (Virtual)
• California Society of Health-System Pharmacists (CSHP) Annual Seminar
• American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Midyear Clinical Meeting

Requirements for Admission

Applicants must be graduates or candidates for graduation of an accredited pharmacy degree program (or one in process of pursuing accreditation), or have a Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Committee (FPGEC) certificate from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). Applicants must be licensed or will be eligible for both intern and pharmacist licensure in California by the start of the residency program. 

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. Applications are due by Thursday, January 2, 2025 at 8:59pm PST. 
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 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 with in a clinical setting, related to an APPE 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.
5. Supplemental Application Materials: A response to the following essay statement is required for acceptance. The essay response should be no longer than one page in length. An application will not be reviewed if this statement is missing. Please note that the essay is separate from your cover letter. (NOTE: The essay response should be uploaded in the Supplemental Information section in PhORCAS. Space is limited to a max of 5 MB and must be provided in the following format: .pdf, .doc, .txt, .rtf.) 

Reflect on a challenging situation at any point in your life (personal or professional) that required you to question your values or assumptions. How did you deal with the situation? What did you learn from the experience?

Application Reviews

Each PGY1 applicant packet is screened and scored by a member of the Resident Selection Committee. Screeners assess the following: communication skills, clinical experience (breadth, performance, scope of activity), personal/environmental factors (maturity, confidence, motivation, and adaptability), work experience, aggregate letters of recommendation, leadership/initiative, teaching (interest and/or experience), research (interest and/or experience), extracurricular involvement and academic performance. The screening score is used to determine if an interview will be granted. Interviews are offered to approximately 50 applicants each year.

Virtual Interviews

All interviews will be conducted virtually via Zoom. The interview process consists of two 30-minute panel interviews, and a personal interview with the Residency Program Director. Applicants are asked to prepare in advance a 10-minute presentation on a topic of their choice (not related to pharmacy or healthcare).

PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Interviews 2025: 

• Tuesday, February 3, 2025
• Thursday, February 6, 2025
• Tuesday, February 11, 2025
• Thursday, February 13, 2025
• Tuesday, February 18, 2025