Choosing the right postgraduate path is crucial for pharmacists aiming to specialize and excel in patient care. For those passionate about direct patient interaction and chronic disease management, Pharmacy Residency Programs Pgy1 Ambulatory Care offer an exceptional route. At UI Health Care, our ASHP-accredited PGY1 Pharmacy Residency program provides a focused pathway into ambulatory care, equipping residents with the advanced knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in this dynamic healthcare setting. This comprehensive one-year program is designed to immerse residents in diverse ambulatory care environments within a leading academic medical center, fostering expertise in interdisciplinary teams, specialty pharmacy practices, primary care, and ambulatory pharmacies.
About Our PGY1 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency
Our PGY1 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency program is meticulously structured to cultivate competent and confident practitioners. We believe in providing a robust learning environment where residents gain not only knowledge but also essential abilities, practical experience, a professional attitude, and sharp critical thinking skills. Through a carefully selected series of rotations tailored to individual needs and preferences, residents will hone the necessary practice skills to confidently pursue clinical pharmacist positions or further specialize in a postgraduate year two (PGY2) pharmacy residency.
Upon successful completion of our program, residents will exceed the foundational outcomes established by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). They will be adept at:
- Building Collaborative Relationships: Establishing strong, effective working relationships within multidisciplinary practice settings to optimize patient care.
- Delivering Evidence-Based Patient Care: Providing efficient, evidence-based pharmaceutical care that prioritizes patient needs and positive health outcomes.
- Leadership and Practice Management: Applying leadership and management skills to drive practice improvements, develop effective policies, and optimize medication utilization within healthcare systems.
- Educating Healthcare Professionals: Serving as educators and mentors, effectively teaching and sharing knowledge with other healthcare professionals in various practice and training environments.
- Achieving Board Certification: Preparing for and successfully pursuing board certification in pharmacotherapy to demonstrate advanced expertise and commitment to the profession.
Diverse Rotation Experiences
The residency year at UI Health Care is strategically organized into a variety of rotational experiences, incorporating both blocked and longitudinal formats to provide a well-rounded and immersive learning journey. The program commences with an extensive orientation period, setting the stage for a customized schedule designed around each resident’s specific interests and developmental needs.
The initial eight weeks of orientation are crucial for grounding residents in the fundamental responsibilities of a clinical pharmacist, alongside the essential staffing components of the residency program. This period ensures a smooth transition and a solid foundation for the year ahead.
During each rotation, residents are actively involved in the complete spectrum of patient medication therapy management. This includes critical aspects such as medication selection, thorough patient assessment, meticulous monitoring, medication reconciliation, ensuring patient safety, and promoting medication adherence. Residents function as integral members of multidisciplinary healthcare teams, providing expert guidance and advice to physicians, nurses, and patients on optimal medication use. Rotations typically span four to five weeks, allowing for in-depth learning and engagement in each specialized area.
Core Ambulatory Care Experiences
To ensure a comprehensive and robust foundation in ambulatory care, our residents are required to complete core rotations in several key clinical areas. These mandatory rotations are carefully selected to provide a broad spectrum of experiences and skills:
- Acute Care: Gaining experience in managing medication therapy for patients with acute conditions, often transitioning to ambulatory care settings.
- Anticoagulation Case Management: Specializing in the management of anticoagulation therapy, a critical component of ambulatory care for many patients.
- Family Medicine/Geriatrics: Focusing on primary care in family medicine and geriatrics, addressing the unique medication management needs of diverse patient populations across the lifespan.
- Internal Medicine: Developing expertise in internal medicine, managing complex medication regimens for adults with a wide range of chronic conditions.
- Practice Management: Understanding the operational and administrative aspects of pharmacy practice, crucial for effective ambulatory care service delivery.
- Specialty Clinics: Exposure to various specialty clinics, allowing residents to deepen their knowledge in focused areas of ambulatory care.
This core curriculum is intentionally designed to provide a balanced and comprehensive learning experience, ensuring residents are well-prepared for the multifaceted challenges of ambulatory care pharmacy practice. Furthermore, residents have the opportunity to select one additional elective rotation, allowing for personalized learning and the exploration of specific areas of interest, whether it’s gaining further expertise in a core area or venturing into a new specialty. A mandatory pediatric rotation ensures competency in pediatric pharmacotherapy within the ambulatory setting.
Specialty Rotation Options (Examples)
Residents can choose from a diverse array of specialty rotations to tailor their learning experience to their interests:
- Dermatology
- Digestive Health
- Hepatology/Virology
- Neurology (Epilepsy/Movement Disorders and Multiple Sclerosis)
- Pediatric Specialty Clinics (Dermatology, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Neurology, Rheumatology)
- Pulmonary/Cystic Fibrosis
- Rheumatology
- Substance Use – Medication for Addiction Treatment
- Transplant (Abdominal, Heart, Lung)
- Other rotations may be available based on current offerings and resident interests.
Primary Care Rotations (All Completed)
Every resident will complete rotations in these essential primary care areas:
- Anticoagulation Case Management Service
- Family Medicine and Geriatrics
- Internal Medicine
Pharmacy Management Rotation
- Dedicated rotation focused on pharmacy management principles in ambulatory care.
Acute Care Rotations (Examples)
- Internal medicine
- Medicine psychiatry
- Solid organ transplant
- General pediatrics
- General cardiology
Explore a Sample Resident Schedule
Emphasis on Teaching and Education
At UI Health Care, we are committed to developing future leaders and educators in pharmacy. All PGY1 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residents receive adjunct instructor appointments at the esteemed University of Iowa College of Pharmacy. This affiliation grants access to a wealth of informational, clinical, professional, and educational resources designed for UI College of Pharmacy preceptors, enriching the residency experience.
Throughout the program year, residents are provided with numerous opportunities to hone their teaching and presentation skills. A significant offering is the participation in the Pharmacy Educator Preparation Program for Residents and Fellows (PEPPR), in collaboration with the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy. PEPPR is a comprehensive program designed to equip residents with advanced teaching methodologies and educational strategies. Residents who successfully meet the program requirements will receive a certificate of participation and a completed teaching portfolio showcasing their educational activities throughout the year, demonstrating their commitment to pharmacy education.
Learn More About the Pharmacy Educators Preparation Program for Residents and Fellows (PEPPR)
Research and Scholarly Activity
A cornerstone of our PGY1 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency is the emphasis on research and scholarly activity. Residents are required to complete a year-long research project, as well as a medication use evaluation (MUE). These projects provide invaluable experience in conducting research, analyzing data, and presenting findings in professional formats, such as posters and platform presentations.
The Residency Research Committee provides expert guidance throughout the research process, from project selection to final manuscript preparation. Project ideas are often generated based on resident interests and proposals from residency preceptors, ensuring relevance and engagement. Residents present their research projects, or other significant projects, at prominent meetings including the Vizient® meeting during the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting and the University of Iowa Research Week. A platform presentation is also delivered in the spring, offering further opportunities to disseminate research findings.
Publication in peer-reviewed medical literature is strongly encouraged, fostering residents’ contributions to the advancement of pharmacy practice.
Staffing and Service Commitment
Our residency program incorporates a service commitment (staffing) component designed to ensure residents develop into competent and practice-ready clinical practitioners. Ambulatory care residents are primarily assigned to staffing roles within the ambulatory care pharmacies, with a focus on the Discharge Pharmacy.
In this setting, residents play a critical role in the transitions of care process, meticulously reconciling discharge medications with inpatient medication regimens. They provide essential patient education and counseling services as part of the Meds-to-Beds program, directly impacting patient safety and medication adherence post-discharge. Depending on individual interests and prior experiences, residents may have opportunities to staff in other pharmacy areas following appropriate orientation, broadening their skill set and exposure to diverse pharmacy practice settings.
Staffing Requirements Overview:
- Residents are required to complete a total of 400 staffing hours in the Discharge Pharmacy throughout the residency year, averaging approximately 32 hours per month, typically covering every other weekend.
- Residents will work one major holiday (Thanksgiving or winter holiday period) and two minor holidays (New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Labor Day, or Memorial Day).
- Please note that staffing requirements are subject to adjustments to meet the evolving needs of the pharmacy and patient care services.
Application Information
To apply for the PGY1 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency at UI Health Care, candidates must submit their application through the Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service (PhORCAS).
Access PhORCAS Application Portal
Required Application Materials:
- Completed PhORCAS application form
- Compelling Letter of Intent outlining your interest and qualifications
- Three Reference submissions submitted directly through PhORCAS
- Official College of Pharmacy Transcripts
- Comprehensive Curriculum Vitae
- A minimum of one Letter of Recommendation from a clinical preceptor who can attest to your clinical abilities.
All application materials must be received by January 2nd. Interviews are required and are granted based on a thorough review of application materials. Applicants must also register for the ASHP residency matching program administered by National Matching Services, Inc. (NMS). Residency program rankings must be submitted by the specified deadline.
- NMS Code for UI Health Care PGY1 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency: 297413
Visit National Matching Services, Inc. Website
Candidate Qualifications
To be eligible for our PGY1 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency program, candidates must meet the following qualifications:
- Hold a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from an ACPE-accredited program or possess an equivalent educational qualification as determined by the residency program director, with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
- Be licensed or eligible for licensure to practice pharmacy in Iowa by the residency start date. Please refer to the Iowa Board of Pharmacy website for complete licensure requirements.
- Adhere to all rules and regulations of the resident matching program process.
- Visa Sponsorship: Please note that candidates requiring a Visa will not be considered for this program. Pharmacy Residency positions at UI Health Care are not eligible for University sponsorship for employment authorization.
Contact Us
For any inquiries or further information about our PGY1 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency program, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are here to assist you in your journey towards advanced clinical practice in ambulatory care pharmacy.
