Infectious Disease

Infectious Disease

About this PGY2 Pharmacy Residency Program

Purpose

Our PGY2 pharmacy residency programs build on Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and PGY1 pharmacy residency training to develop pharmacist practitioners with knowledge, skills, and abilities as defined in the educational competency areas, goals, and objectives for advanced practice areas. Residents who successfully complete our PGY2 residency programs are prepared for advanced patient care or other specialized positions, and board certification in the advanced practice area, if available.

Description

The University of Utah Health PGY2 Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Residency is a structured, 12-month learning program that will provide the resident with the skills to practice as an Infectious Diseases specialist in a variety of settings.  Graduates from our program are well-prepared for careers in academia, antimicrobial stewardship, HIV/AIDS, industry, and traditional acute care roles, as well as for board certification in infectious diseases pharmacy.  One PGY2 resident position is available each year.  Foundational learning experiences include clinical rotations with the adult general and immunocompromised infectious diseases consult services, antimicrobial stewardship, outpatient infectious diseases/HIV, hematology/oncology intensive care, and clinical microbiology.  Additionally, administrative, teaching, leadership, and research skills will be developed through various longitudinal projects and activities throughout the year.  The program is intended to be customized to the individual resident’s goals and interests.  Elective learning experiences include pediatric infectious diseases, solid organ transplant, bone marrow transplant, inpatient hematology, and cystic fibrosis.  The program is accredited by ASHP through the 2026-2027 academic year.

Highlights of Experience

Microbiology experiences will occur at ARUP laboratories, a national reference laboratory, offering the resident practical experience with highly specialized assays.  Teaching opportunities in a variety of settings are available through our affiliation with the University of Utah College of Pharmacy.  Several opportunities for scholarship are available beyond the required longitudinal research project.  Additionally, work-life balance is encouraged and Salt Lake City’s proximity to the mountains allows for convenient outdoor recreation.

Requirements

Core Learning Experiences:

  1. Orientation/Research (4 weeks)
  2. Adult General Infectious Diseases Consult Service (2 separate 4-week experiences)
  3. Adult Immunocompromised Infectious Diseases Consult Service (2 separate 4-week experiences)
  4. Antimicrobial Stewardship (2 separate 4-week experiences)
  5. Outpatient Infectious Diseases/HIV (4 weeks plus longitudinal)
  6. Hematology/Oncology Intensive Care Unit (4 weeks plus longitudinal)
  7. Clinical Microbiology (2 weeks)
  8. Completion of the University of Utah Teaching Certificate program if a similar program has not been completed as a PGY1 resident

Longitudinal Learning Experiences:

  1. Antimicrobial Stewardship – Administration (12 months)
  2. Clinical Research (12 months)
  3. Leadership (12 months)
  4. Teaching (12 months)
  5. Antimicrobial Stewardship – Inpatient Clinical Staffing Commitment (12 months)
  6. Outpatient Infectious Diseases/HIV (Approximately 9 months)
  7. Hematology/Oncology Intensive Care Unit – Inpatient Clinical Staffing Commitment (Approximately 10 months)

Elective Learning Experiences:

  1. Pediatric Infectious Diseases Consult Service and Antimicrobial Stewardship at Primary Children's Hospital (2 weeks)
  2. Solid Organ Transplant (2-4 weeks)
  3. Inpatient Hematology (2-4 weeks)
  4. Bone marrow transplant (2-4 weeks)
  5. Cystic fibrosis/Pulmonology (2-4 weeks)
  6. Gastrointestinal/Hepatology Clinic (2-4 weeks)
  7. Immunocompromised Infectious Diseases – Administrative (2-4 weeks)
  8. Advanced Leadership (6 months )
  9. Alternatively, any of the core learning experiences may be repeated as an elective

Additional Experiences

  1. Infectious Diseases Conferences:
    1. Weekly: ID clinical core conference, ID clinical case conference, ID fellows case conference, HIV journal club, Transplant ID conference
    2. Monthly: ARUP microbiology combined clinical case conference and journal club
  2. Pharmacy Resident Conference:
    1. Weekly 1-2 hour meetings on various topics such as teaching, literature evaluation, leadership, and other topics as requested by residents
  3. Presentations:
    1. ACPE-accredited continuing education for local pharmacists in the fall
    2. ID clinical core conference presentation in the spring
    3. ID journal club in the spring
    4. Project presentation at Mountain States Conference
  4. Service Commitment:
    1. To average 16 hours/month (generally every 3rd weekend) in Hematology/Oncology Intensive Care
    2. Shared evening (not overnight) and weekend coverage of the restricted antibiotic approval pager
  5. Meetings:
    1. IDWeekTM in October
    2. ASHP Midyear and Vizient Conferences in December
    3. Mountain States Resident Conference in May
  6. Research:
    1. Complete an ID-related research project and submit manuscript for publication
    2. Additional opportunities for research, medical writing, and other scholarly activities depending on the interest of the resident
  7. Teaching:
    1. Facilitate pharmacy student recitations at the University of Utah College of Pharmacy in the spring
    2. Direct precepting of PGY-1 pharmacy residents in the spring
    3. Other teaching experiences available depending on the interest of the resident

Mentorship Program

The mentorship program is a newly instilled component of the University of Utah Health PGY2 Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Residency. The resident will be connected with a mentor pharmacist preceptor outside of the ID program who shares the resident’s interests and experiences. The mentor meets periodically with the resident to ensure the resident has the tools and resources needed to succeed, and serves as an advocate for the resident throughout the year.

Program Faculty

Russell Benefield, Pharm.D., BCPS-AQ ID
Clinical Coordinator, Infectious Diseases, University of Utah Health
Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Utah College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacotherapy

Zubin Bhakta, MS, Pharm.D.
Clinical Pulmonary Pharmacist

Kavish Choudhary, Pharm.D., M.S.
Senior Director, Inpatient and Infusion Pharmacy Services

Alyson Clough, Pharm.D., BCOP
Clinical Pharmacist, Hematology/Bone Marrow Transplant

Anthony Dalpiaz, Pharm.D
Clinical Pharmacist, Gastroenterology and Hepatology Clinic
Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Utah College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacotherapy

Kathryn Disney, Pharm.D., BCCCP
Clinical Pharmacist, Critical Care

Karen Fong, Pharm.D., BCIDP
Clinical Pharmacist, Infectious Diseases and Antimicrobial Stewardship, University of Utah Health

Gary Huynh, Pharm.D., M.S., AAHIVP, BCPS
HIV Pharmacist, University of Utah Health

Hannah Imlay, M.D., M.S.
Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases

Christine Jamjian, Pharm.D., AAHIVP
HIV Clinical Specialist, University of Utah Health
Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Utah College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacotherapy

Jared Olson, Pharm.D., BCPS
Clinical Pharmacist, Infectious Diseases and Co-Director of Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, Primary Children’s Medical Center
Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Utah School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics

Stacy Prelewicz, Pharm.D., BCOP
Clinical Pharmacist, Hematology/Oncology

Stephanie Sanders, Pharm.D., BCOP
Clinical Pharmacist, Oncology Intensive Care, University of Utah Health
Adjunct Instructor, University of Utah College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacotherapy

Bhanupriya Sirandas, Pharm.D., BCPS
Clinical Pharmacist, Solid Organ Transplant

Emily Sydnor Spivak, M.D., M.H.S.
Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
Medical Director for Antimicrobial Stewardship

Brandon Tritle, Pharm.D., BCIDP
Clinical Pharmacist, Infectious Diseases and Antimicrobial Stewardship, University of Utah Health

Crystal Truax, Pharm.D., BCPS
Clinical Pharmacist, Solid Organ Transplant

Program Alumni

2020-2021
Rosemarie Dawn Tagare, Pharm.D.

2019-2020
Meredith Oliver, Pharm.D.
Clinical Pharmacist, Pediatric Infectious Diseases, University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital

2018-2019
Brandon Tritle, Pharm.D., BCIDP
Clinical Pharmacist, Infectious Diseases and Antimicrobial Stewardship, University of Utah Health

2017-2018
Amanda Gibson, Pharm.D., AAHIVP
Senior Medical Science Liason, Medical Affairs, Janssen Infectious Diseases

2016-2017
Brian Buss, Pharm.D., BCIDP
Infectious Diseases Pharmacist, University of Wisconsin Health

Selected Resident Publications

Oliver MB, Fong K, Certain L, Spivak ES, Timbrook TT. Validation of a Community-Acquired Pneumonia Score To Improve Empiric Antibiotic Selection at an Academic Medical Center. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2021:65(2):e01482-20.

Tritle BJ, Timbrook TT, Fisher MA, Spivak ES. Penicillin as a Potential Agent for Dual β-Lactam Therapy for Enterococcal Endocarditis. Clin Infect Dis. 2020;70(6):1263-1264.

Erickson RM, Tritle BJ, Spivak ES, Timbrook TT. Impact of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Bundle for Uncomplicated Gram-Negative Bacteremia. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2019;6(12):ofz490.

Sbaih N, Buss B, Goyal D, et al. Potentially Serious Drug Interactions Resulting From the Pretravel Health Encounter. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2018;5(11):ofy266.

Buss BA, Baures TJ, Yoo M, et al. Impact of a Multiplex PCR Assay for Bloodstream Infections With and Without Antimicrobial Stewardship Intervention at a Cancer Hospital. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2018;5(10):ofy258.

Site and Facilities

The University of Utah Health (UUH) provides regional referral for five states. UUH is a level 1 trauma center, specialized services are provided in burn, surgical, medical, oncology, and neurosurgical intensive care. Outstanding programs include critical care, transplant, cystic fibrosis, neurology, HIV/AIDS, primary care, oncology, and medical/surgical services. UUH is a research-oriented tertiary medical center. It is affiliated with the colleges of pharmacy, nursing, health, and the school of medicine. Laboratory services are provided by ARUP laboratories, a national clinical and anatomic pathology reference laboratory. The Salt Lake metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1 million people. It is located at the base of the Wasatch Front of the Rocky Mountains. The city and region provide cultural and four-season recreational activities.

Qualifications

Candidates must graduate from an ACPE-accredited pharmacy program with a doctor of pharmacy degree (or equivalent combination of education and clinical experience) with a minimum GPA of 3.1 on a 4.0 scale.  Residents must have completed an ASHP-accredited PGY-1 pharmacy residency program.  Applicants must be eligible for Utah licensure and are expected to obtain licensure as a pharmacist in Utah within the first 90 days of the start of the program year.  Candidates must be eligible to work in the United States prior to July 1st (the UUH program does not sponsor visas).

Recruitment and Selection

The following information must be submitted via PhORCAS by the date specified on the residency application for the applicant to be considered for an onsite interview:

  1. Completed PhORCAS application
  2. Letter of intent
  3. Curriculum vitae
  4. College of pharmacy transcripts
  5. Three professional letters of recommendation

Please submit all required materials as early as possible.  All application materials must be received by the application deadline to be considered.  Completed applications will be reviewed, and competitive applicants will be invited to attend an on-site, full-day interview.  The program participates in the Resident Matching Program of ASHP.

Program Director

Contact Information

Russell Benefield, Pharm.D., BCPS-AQ ID
University of Utah Department of Pharmacy Services
50 N Medical Drive, Room A-050
Salt Lake City, UT 84132
(801) 587-0587
Russell.Benefield@hsc.utah.edu