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Internal Medicine

Internal Medicine

About this PGY2 Pharmacy Residency Program

Program Overview

The University of Utah Health's Postgraduate Year Two (PGY-2) Internal Medicine Pharmacy Residency is an organized, directed, postgraduate training program in internal medicine pharmacy practice and academia. One PGY-2 resident position will be available each year. Required experiences include two general internal medicine rotations, two faculty internal medicine rotations focusing on precepting fourth year pharmacy students, one cystic fibrosis (CF) transitions of care rotation supporting inpatient and outpatient services, one pulmonary internal medicine rotation, and one CF/pulmonary internal medicine capstone rotation. The resident will provider clinical pharmacy services by rounding with Internal and Pulmonary Medicine teams at the University of Utah Health. Three months of the year will be spent in elective experiences of the resident's choice that may include but are not limited to: cardiology, drug information, neurology, infectious disease, medical intensive care, and solid organ transplant. Residents will provide longitudinal clinical pharmacy services at the University of Utah Adult CF Transitions of Care and Asthma clinics. The resident is required to complete a clinical research project of his or her choosing. A list of Residency Advisory Committee (RAC)-vetted projects will be provided during orientation, or the resident can submit a unique project idea for RAC approval. Academia opportunities are required throughout the year, including precepting, mentoring, lecturing, and recitation facilitation for University of Utah College of Pharmacy students as well as the Master’s in Athletic Training students. The resident's program will be individualized based on his or her previous experience.

Site Description

University of Utah Health is the only academic medical center in the intermountain west with 5 hospitals, 16 community pharmacies supporting 12 community health centers. The University of Utah Hospital is a level I trauma center that serves critical and acute care patients with 806 total beds, including the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) and is a referral hospital for a 5-state region. There are almost 400 pharmacy staff within the department who serve the patients of University Hospital and HCI, and the residents are a part of patient care and multi-disciplinary teams. The HCI also serves patients with an infusion center and several clinics. Clinics at the hospital and surrounding communities serve patients with pharmacy care both through retail pharmacies, MTM services, thrombosis services, and clinic-based services. The University Health Care system also includes a Drug Information Service. The University of Utah Adult CF is accredited by the CF Foundation and provides care for 385 adult's patients throughout a 5-state region (Utah, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Wyoming). The University of Utah Adult CF Center is also a designated Therapeutics Development Network (TDN) center with demonstrated expertise in clinical research, recruit study participants and conduct clinical trials. The University of Utah College of Pharmacy is ranked in the top fifteen Colleges of Pharmacy in the United States. The College's vision is to carry out its academic and service missions through pharmaceutical education programs which are nationally recognized for teaching and learning innovations; research which is recognized by peer-review for its excellence; and service/outreach programs which are valued by the various constituencies of the College. It is envisioned that the College will serve as a focus for academic leadership for the profession of pharmacy in Utah and will contribute to the state's economy through technology transfer.

Highlights of Experience

The PGY-2 Internal Medicine Pharmacy Residency at University of Utah Health will provide a diverse experience balancing clinical, academic and research experiences in an academic medical center. Residents will learn the skills necessary to develop a patient-centered, evidence-based, collaborative practice to advance internal medicine pharmacotherapy throughout the state and country. Residents will receive patient care experiences and skills necessary to become proficient and innovative internal medicine pharmacy practitioner and gain experience in academia by providing education to patients, pharmacy students, athletic trainer students, and other health care professionals. Residents will become integral members of interdisciplinary internal medicine team(s) that includes physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, dietary specialists, and social workers. Residents will develop the skills necessary to become a highly effective clinician, project manager, scholar, and educator. Residents are encouraged and provided support in becoming a Board-Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS). The University of Utah Adult CF Center is accredited by the CF Foundation and provides care for 385 adult's patients throughout a 5-state region (Utah, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Wyoming). The University of Utah Adult CF Center is also a designated Therapeutics Development Network (TDN) center with demonstrated expertise in clinical research, recruit study participants and conduct clinical trials.

Purpose Statement

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.

Program Educational Outcomes, Goals, and Objectives

The program uses the required ASHP PGY-2 Internal Medicine Pharmacy Residency Outcomes, Goals and Objectives. In addition, resident will complete the required ASHP PGY-2 Internal Medicine Pharmacy Residency Academic Elective Goals and Objectives (i.e., E1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 5.1)

The summary of the Outcomes, Goals and Objectives selected for the year are included as a printout from PharmAcademic for each resident after planning for the program year.

Program Requirements

  1. 1) Required 4-week rotations include:
    1. Orientation, Acute Internal Medicine 1 & 2, Acute Internal Medicine Faculty 1 & 2, Internal Medicine Cystic Fibrosis Acute & Continuous Care, Pulmonary Acute Internal Medicine 1 & 2.
  2. Required 11-month longitudinal rotations include: Academic Didactic, Residency Project, Staffing
  3. Required 8-month longitudinal rotation: Cystic Fibrosis Transitions of Care and Asthma Clinic, Leadership & Academic Professional Development, and Medication Use & Policy.
  4. Three 4-week Elective rotations will be individualized based on the resident's previous experiences, resident's interests, and identified resident needs.
  5. A foundational set of experiences are required. The following summarizes the rotation experiences.
    1. Foundational Required Experiences
      Rotation Primary Preceptor Duration
      Orientation Kristine Gray 4 weeks
      Acute Internal Medicine
      1 & 2
      Kristine Gray, Jennifer Wiederrich, Amanda Gallegos, Keith Chow, Ashley Crosby, Ashley Cline, Christian Gabriel, Tamara Cisowska, Lauren Williams, Katie Scerbo, or Adya Mishra 4 weeks (x2)
      Acute Internal Medicine Faculty
      1 & 2
      Heather Nyman, Jennifer Babin 4 weeks (x2)
      Internal Medicine Cystic Fibrosis Acute & Continuous Care David Young 4 weeks
      Pulmonary Acute Internal Medicine
      1 & 2
      Zubin Bhakta, Brian Spence 4 weeks (x2)
      Leadership & Academic Professional Development David Young 8 months
      Cystic Fibrosis Transitions of Care and Asthma Clinic Longitudinal Hollyann Jacobs 8 months
      Academia Didactic Longitudinal Jennifer Babin or Heather Nyman 11 months
      Medication Use & Policy
      Longitudinal
      Lauren Williams 8 months
      Residency Project
      Longitudinal
      Varies based on project selected 11 months
      Staffing Longitudinal Kristine Gray, Jennifer Wiederrich 11 months
    2. Elective Experiences
      Rotation Primary Preceptor Duration
      Electives are arranged based on the resident's interests and preceptor availability. The following are established PGY-2 Internal Medicine electives. Additional electives are available.
      Cardiology Acute Care Teshia Sorensen, Josh Sessions, John Dechand 4 weeks
      Drug Information Erin Fox, Michelle Wheeler 4 weeks
      Infectious Diseases Consult Russell Benefield, Brandon Tritle, Karen Fong 4 weeks
      Medical Intensive Care Brianne Wolfe 4 weeks
      Neurology Acute Care Benson Sederholm, Chad Condie 4 weeks
      Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis (CF)/Infectious Disease (ID) – Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital Jeff Zobell 4 weeks
      Solid Organ Transplant Bhanupriya Sirandas 4 weeks
      Thrombosis Service Sara Vazquez 4 weeks
  6. Rotation Descriptions
    1. Example rotation descriptions are available here. PGY2 rotation descriptions are in PharmAcademic.
  7. Goals and objectives for each rotation
    1. The goals and objectives are assigned for each learning experience. PharmAcademic is used as a tool for managing this process.
    2. Completion of Goals and Objectives
      1. i) 85% of all goals and objectives marked "Achieved for Residency" (AChR) are required for completion in the program. All R1 goals must be marked "Achieved for Residency" (AChR). All other goals and objectives must be marked as "satisfactory progress" or "achieved" in PharmAcademic.
  8. Internal Medicine Disease State Appendix
    1. Resident and Preceptor to sign off throughout the year (via PDF checklist or appendix in PharmAcademic)
  9. Research Project
    1. Completion of a residency research project is required. A presentation of this project is required at Mountain States Residency conference.
  10. Publication
    1. Complete a research project and written article suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed medical journal
    2. Review an article to be published in a peer-review journal (if available)
  11. Presentations
    1. Prepare and deliver an ACPE-accredited continuing education presentation for pharmacists in the Fall
    2. Prepare and present research abstract and poster at Mountain States Residency Conference in May
    3. Prepare and deliver an in-service presentation for members of the multidisciplinary team
    4. Optional
      1. Prepare and present research abstract and poster at Vizient University Health System Consortium Pharmacy Network Meeting in December or equivalent national meeting (determined in collaboration with RPD)
  12. Staffing requirements
    1. Primarily staff weekend swing shifts as the pharmacist responsible for the acute internal medicine teams, attend emergency response codes, and assist multidisciplinary team questions
    2. Secondarily staff weekday internal medicine pharmacy swing shifts as scheduled
    3. All University of Utah pharmacy residents are required to staff 48 -eight-hour shifts during their residency year (average 4 shifts per month). A draft of all scheduled staffing shifts will be given to the resident during the first 2 months of each resident year. Residents can trade shifts with other residents and clinical pharmacists who have been trained to work internal medicine.
  13. Academic
    1. Develop and modify a teaching philosophy is collaboration with your academic longitudinal preceptor and/or RPD.
  14. Didactic
    1. Prepare and deliver at least two (2) lectures to College of Pharmacy students.
    2. Prepare and participate in at least three (3) recitation per semester sessions (at least 6 per year) to College of Pharmacy students.
  15. Precepting/Mentoring
    1. Serve as a mentor and role model to pharmacy students and residents
    2. Serve as the primary preceptor for at least two (2) pharmacy students deemed appropriate by the RPD and the resident.
  16. Residents' Conference
    1. Attend weekly Residents' Conference when deemed appropriate via the RPD/preceptor and resident.
  17. ACLS
    1. Certification is required. For those not already certified, RQI Healthcare Provider online modules and hands-on skill sessions must be completed every quarter. quarterly certification
  18. Recruitment
    1. Participate in the recruitment and selection of future residents.
  19. Meetings
    1. Attend and participate in the ASHP Clinical Midyear Meeting
    2. Attend and participate in the Mountain States Residency Conference
    3. Optional
      1. Attend and participate in the Vizient University Health System Consortium Pharmacy Network Meeting.
      2. Attend and participate in the North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference or equivalent national meeting (determined in collaboration with RPD)
  20. E Portfolio
    1. Resident is responsible for continually documenting program and rotation requirements on the UUH shared drive
  21. Timeline of longitudinal requirements
    1. July
      1. Orientation
        1. Meet with the RPD and Residency Coordinators to develop an individualized plan based on the Self-Evaluation and Planning Form
        2. Read Common Residency Manual
        3. Select longitudinal research project
          1. Select potential project from RAC-vetted project list
        4. May also brainstorm with RPD preceptors and/or interdisciplinary professionals to develop a project idea.
        5. Identify College of Pharmacy lecture topics for fall semester (at least 1 lecture)
    2. August
      1. Develop Fall College of Pharmacy lecture(s) with RPD and/or preceptor review
      2. Identify topic and mentor for ACPE-accredited CE presentation
        1. Develop CE objectives with RPD and/or preceptor review
        2. Prepare CE slides and review with RPD and/or preceptor
      3. Develop longitudinal research project proposal (with RPD and/or preceptor review)
    3. September
      1. Submit completed ACPE-accredited CE presentation slides to USHP
      2. Present longitudinal research project proposal to the Internal Medicine Residency Advisory Subcommittee
        1. Make recommended edits (if necessary)
    4. October
      1. Complete and review evaluations and customized plan
        1. Review residency outcomes, goals, and objectives
        2. Review residency project progress
        3. Review core disease state competency tracking form progress
      2. Practice ACPE-accredited CE presentation with RPD and/or preceptors
      3. Optional
        1. If presenting poster at Vizient University Health System Consortium, submit residency project abstract (with RPD and/or preceptor review) for poster presentation at ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting
        2. Attend and participate in the North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference or equivalent national meeting (determined in collaboration with RPD)
      4. Submit longitudinal research project to the University of Utah IRB for approval
    5. November
      1. Present ACPE-accredited CE and review feedback with RPD and/or preceptor
      2. Identify College of Pharmacy lecture(s) for Spring semester (at least 1 lecture)
      3. Optional
        1. Construct (with RPD and/or preceptor review) and print poster of longitudinal research project for Vizient University Health System Consortium Pharmacy Network Meeting and Resident Poster Session at ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting or equivalent national meeting (determined in collaboration with RPD)
      4. Begin data collection for longitudinal research project once approved by the IRB
      5. Identify a clinically relevant medication use evaluation (MUE) with RPD/preceptor and/or pharmacy management
    6. December
      1. Attend and participate in the ASHP Clinical Midyear Meeting
      2. Assist in recruiting residency candidates at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting
      3. Optional
        1. Attend and participate in the Vizient University Health System Consortium Pharmacy Network Meeting
      4. Develop Spring College of Pharmacy lecture(s) or pharmacotherapy case with RPD and/or preceptor review
      5. Collect and analyze data for selected MUE
      6. Complete and review evaluations and customized plan
        1. Review residency outcomes, goals, and objectives
        2. Review residency project progress
        3. Review core disease state competency tracking form progress
    7. January
      1. Review resident candidate applications
      2. Residency Program Retreat
      3. Review and analyze project data
      4. Review College of Pharmacy Scholarship applications as a member of the College of Pharmacy Scholarship and Financial Aid Committee.
    8. February
      1. Prepare and submit abstract of longitudinal research project (with RPD and/or preceptor review) for presentation at the Mountain States Residency Conference
      2. Participate in resident candidate interviews and ranking meeting
      3. Participate in College of Pharmacy Scholarship and Financial Aid Committee ranking meeting(s)
    9. March
      1. Complete and review evaluations and customized plan
        1. Review residency outcomes, goals, and objectives
        2. Review residency project progress
        3. Review core disease state competency tracking form progress
      2. Present College of Pharmacy Spring lecture or facilitate pharmacotherapy case discussion
    10. April
      1. Prepare Mountain States Residency Conference slides and handout of longitudinal research project (with RPD and/or preceptor review)
      2. Practice Mountain States Residency Conference presentation
      3. Select and prepare lecture(s) for Master of Athletic Training Program
    11. May
      1. Attend and present results of the longitudinal research project at the Mountain States Residency Conference and review feedback with RPD and/or preceptor
      2. Prepare manuscript of the longitudinal research project (with RPD and/or preceptor review) for publication in appropriate peer-reviewed journal
    12. June
      1. Attend and participate in the Residency Program Retreat
      2. Present Master of Athletic Training Program lecture(s)
      3. Complete and review evaluations and customized plan
      4. Complete residency outcomes, goals, and objectives sign-off in PharmAcademic
      5. Complete core disease state competency tracking form
      6. Complete residency project checklist
      7. Complete Program Completion Checklist
      8. Complete residency closeout evaluation
  22. Optional experience
    1. Complete requirements for teaching certificate program.
    2. Prepare and sit for the Board-Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist exam

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 accredited PGY1 pharmacy residency program. Applicants must be eligible for Utah licensure and are expected to obtain licensure as a pharmacist in Utah by September 30th of each program year. The University of Utah Pharmacy residency programs do not sponsor visas.

Fringe Benefits

Residents receive 18 days of paid time off for vacations & sick leave; however, residents are limited to 10 days of vacation/interview per year. Residents are required to staff 3 holidays per residency year, including 1 major and 2 minor observed holidays, and have 8 additional days of holiday leave. Residents are considered full time exempt staff and receive medical and life insurance.

 
Recruitment and Selection

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

  • Completed PhORCAS registration
  • Curriculum vitae, including previous work/rotation experience, research/scholarly activities, leadership positions held (appointed, required, or volunteered), and community service
  • Letter of intent, including clinical interests, career goal(s), and a patient experience illustrating motivation to pursue a PGY2 Internal Medicine Pharmacy residency.
  • College of pharmacy transcripts
  • Three recommendations using the PhORCAS standard form

All residency programs at University of Utah Health use the Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service (PhORCAS). No paper applications will be accepted. Completed applications in PhORCAS are reviewed, and competitive applicants are invited to attend a half-day virtual interview in January or February. The program participates in the ASHP Resident Matching Program.

 


 

Program Director

Contact Information

David Young, PharmD
Professor of Pharmacotherapy (Clinical)
University of Utah College of Pharmacy
L.S. Skaggs Pharmacy Institute
30 South 2000 East Rm 4916
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Office: 801-581-8510
David.Young@hsc.utah.edu

Program Coordinator

Contact Information

Kristine Gray, PharmD, BCPS
Acute Internal Medicine Clinical Pharmacist
University of Utah Health
Department of Pharmacy Services
50 N. Medical Drive, A-090M
Salt Lake City, UT 84132
Kristine.Gray@hsc.utah.edu
 

Program Coordinator

Contact Information

Jennifer Wiederrich, PharmD, BCPS
Acute Internal Medicine Clinical Pharmacist
University of Utah Health
Department of Pharmacy Services
50 N. Medical Drive, A-090M
Salt Lake City, UT 84132
Jennifer.Wiederrich@hsc.utah.edu