Are you a pharmacy graduate aiming to specialize in ambulatory care? UI Health Care proudly presents its ASHP-accredited PGY1 Pharmacy Residency program, offering a unique focus on ambulatory care settings. This comprehensive one-year program is meticulously designed to equip residents with advanced ambulatory care knowledge within a dynamic academic medical center. Our program provides enriching learning experiences across interdisciplinary teams, specialized pharmacy practices, primary care environments, and ambulatory pharmacies. You will gain practical experience through health system-based protocols and team-based care models. This robust Ambulatory Care Residency Program is your stepping stone to becoming a proficient and patient-centered ambulatory care clinician.
Program Overview: Shaping Future Ambulatory Care Pharmacists
The core mission of our residency program is to cultivate competent and confident practitioners. We are committed to providing you with the essential knowledge, skills, experience, and critical thinking abilities needed to excel in the field. Through a series of carefully curated rotations tailored to your individual needs and preferences, you will hone the practical skills necessary for a successful career as a clinical pharmacist or to pursue a postgraduate year two pharmacy residency. Upon completion of our ambulatory care residency program, you will not only meet the rigorous outcomes established by ASHP but also achieve the following key competencies:
- Forge strong collaborative working relationships within multidisciplinary healthcare teams.
- Deliver effective, efficient, and evidence-based patient care in ambulatory settings.
- Apply leadership and management skills to refine practice, shape policy, and optimize medication utilization.
- Educate and mentor fellow healthcare professionals in diverse practice and training environments.
- Be fully prepared to pursue board certification as a pharmacotherapy specialist, enhancing your credentials in ambulatory care.
Diverse and In-Depth Rotation Experiences
Your residency year will be structured around a blend of blocked and longitudinal rotational experiences. The program begins with an extensive orientation to familiarize you with our systems and expectations. Following orientation, your personalized schedule will be developed, taking into account your specific interests and learning objectives within ambulatory care.
The initial eight weeks of your ambulatory care residency program are dedicated to orientation. During this crucial period, you will immerse yourself in understanding the multifaceted responsibilities of a clinical pharmacist and the staffing components integral to the residency.
Each rotation provides hands-on experience in every facet of patient medication therapy management. This includes medication selection, comprehensive assessment, diligent monitoring, accurate reconciliation, unwavering safety protocols, and strategies to improve patient adherence. You will be an active member of interdisciplinary teams, collaborating closely with physicians and nurses, and providing expert guidance to patients on optimal medication use. Rotations typically span four to five weeks, allowing for focused learning and immersion in each area of ambulatory care.
Core Ambulatory Care Experiences
Our ambulatory care residency program mandates core rotations in essential clinical areas to ensure a well-rounded and comprehensive learning experience. These core areas include:
- Acute Care: Exposure to the fast-paced environment of acute patient care settings.
- Anticoagulation Case Management: Developing expertise in managing anticoagulation therapies effectively.
- Family Medicine/Geriatrics: Focusing on primary care principles with specialized attention to family medicine and geriatric populations in ambulatory settings.
- Internal Medicine: Gaining a strong foundation in internal medicine within the ambulatory context.
- Practice Management: Learning the operational and management aspects of ambulatory care pharmacy practice.
- Specialty Clinics: Exploring diverse specialty clinics to broaden your clinical exposure in ambulatory care.
This core rotation structure is meticulously designed to provide a robust and balanced learning foundation. The specific patient care services within each core rotation will be carefully tailored to align with your individual interests and professional development goals. Furthermore, you will have the opportunity to select an additional elective rotation to further deepen your knowledge in a core area or explore a new area of interest within or related to ambulatory care. A mandatory pediatric rotation ensures comprehensive experience across different patient populations.
Specialized Ambulatory Care Rotations
To further enhance your expertise in ambulatory care, you will complete three specialty rotations from a diverse selection, including:
- Dermatology: Managing dermatological conditions in the ambulatory setting.
- Digestive Health: Focusing on gastrointestinal and digestive health pharmacotherapy.
- Hepatology/Virology: Specializing in liver diseases and virology within ambulatory care.
- Neurology: Epilepsy/Movement Disorders and Multiple Sclerosis: Advanced neurology experiences focusing on specific neurological conditions.
- Pediatric Specialty Clinics: Dermatology, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Neurology, Rheumatology: Specialized pediatric experiences across various sub-specialties.
- Pulmonary/Cystic Fibrosis: Managing pulmonary conditions and cystic fibrosis patients.
- Rheumatology: Focusing on rheumatologic diseases and their management in ambulatory care.
- Substance Use – Medication for Addiction Treatment: Addressing substance use disorders with medication management.
- Transplant – Abdominal, Heart, Lung: Specialized experience in transplant pharmacotherapy.
- Other rotations may be available based on current offerings and resident interests, further enriching your ambulatory care residency program.
Primary Care Ambulatory Rotations (All Residents Complete)
- Anticoagulation Case Management Service: In-depth experience in anticoagulation management.
- Family Medicine and Geriatrics: Comprehensive primary care experience with a focus on family and geriatric medicine.
- Internal Medicine: Solid grounding in internal medicine principles within the ambulatory setting, crucial for a well-rounded ambulatory care residency program.
Pharmacy Management Rotation
- A dedicated rotation focused on pharmacy management principles and practices relevant to ambulatory care settings.
Acute Care Rotations
- Internal medicine
- Medicine psychiatry
- Solid organ transplant
- General pediatrics
- General cardiology
Explore a Sample Resident Schedule
Alt Text: Sample PGY1 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency Program schedule PDF document link, showcasing rotation examples and program structure at UI Health Care.
Teaching and Professional Development
As a resident in our ambulatory care residency program, you will be appointed as an adjunct instructor at the esteemed University of Iowa College of Pharmacy. This appointment grants you access to a wealth of informational, clinical, professional, and educational resources typically available to UI College of Pharmacy preceptors. Throughout the year, you will be presented with numerous opportunities to hone your teaching and presentation skills. Residents can participate in the Pharmacy Educator Preparation Program for Residents and Fellows (PEPPR), offered in collaboration with the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy. Upon successful completion of program requirements, you will receive a certificate of participation and a comprehensive teaching portfolio documenting your accomplishments throughout the year, further enhancing your professional profile within ambulatory care.
Learn more about the Pharmacy Educators Preparation Program for Residents and Fellows (PEPPR)
Alt Text: External link icon to the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy’s Pharmacy Educators Preparation Program for Residents and Fellows (PEPPR) website, providing details on teaching development opportunities during the ambulatory care residency.
Research and Scholarly Activity
A cornerstone of our ambulatory care residency program is the year-long research project and medication use evaluation requirement. You will gain invaluable experience in conducting research, analyzing data, and presenting your findings in a professional poster format. Our dedicated Residency Research Committee provides expert guidance throughout the research process, from project selection to final presentation.
Project selection is driven by your interests and research ideas proposed by residency preceptors. You will have the opportunity to present your research project, or another relevant project, at prestigious events such as the Vizient® meeting during the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting, the University of Iowa Research week, and as a platform presentation in the spring. You may also present your research findings to UI Health Care stakeholders directly involved in the project. A final manuscript suitable for publication is required prior to residency graduation, and publication in peer-reviewed medical literature is strongly encouraged, showcasing your contribution to ambulatory care knowledge.
Staffing and Service Commitment
Our ambulatory care residency program includes a service commitment (staffing) component, carefully designed to ensure you gain practical experience and develop into a highly competent clinical practitioner.
Residents in the ambulatory care track are primarily assigned to the ambulatory care pharmacies, with a focus on the Discharge Pharmacy. Here, you will play a critical role in the transitions of care process, meticulously reconciling discharge medications with inpatient medication regimens. You will also provide essential patient education and counseling services as part of our Meds-to-Beds Program, directly impacting patient care in the ambulatory care setting.
Based on your interests and prior experiences, opportunities to staff in other pharmacy areas may be available following appropriate orientation, broadening your skill set within the wider pharmacy landscape while maintaining your core focus on ambulatory care.
Staffing Requirements:
- Upon successful completion of orientation, residents are required to staff a total of 400 hours in the Discharge Pharmacy throughout the residency year. This averages to approximately 32 hours per month, typically fulfilled by working every other weekend.
- Residents will work one major holiday (Thanksgiving or winter holiday, including surrounding days) 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 change based on program needs and operational adjustments.
Application Process: Join Our Ambulatory Care Residency Program
To apply to our highly competitive ambulatory care residency program, candidates must submit their application through the Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service (PhORCAS).
Apply via Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service (PhORCAS)
Alt Text: PhORCAS logo and link to the Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service application portal, used for applying to the UI Health Care ambulatory care residency program.
Required Application Materials:
- Completed PhORCAS application form.
- Compelling letter of intent outlining your interest in ambulatory care and the program.
- Three reference submissions submitted directly through PhORCAS.
- Official college of pharmacy transcripts.
- Comprehensive curriculum vitae detailing your academic and professional experiences.
- A minimum of one letter of recommendation from a clinical preceptor who can attest to your clinical skills and potential in ambulatory care.
All application materials must be received by January 2nd. Interviews are granted based on a thorough review of application materials. Applicants are required to register for the ASHP matching program administered by National Matching Services, Inc. Program rankings must be submitted by the specified deadline.
- NMS Code: 297413
National Matching Services, Inc. Website
Alt Text: National Matching Services logo and website link, the organization managing the ASHP residency matching program for ambulatory care and other pharmacy residencies.
Candidate Qualifications for Ambulatory Care Residency
To be eligible for our ambulatory care residency program, candidates must meet the following qualifications:
- Hold a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from an ACPE-accredited program or possess equivalent educational qualifications as determined by the residency program director, with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
- Be licensed or eligible for licensure in Iowa by the residency start date. Please refer to the Iowa Board of Pharmacy website for complete licensure requirements.
- Adhere strictly to the rules and regulations of the resident matching program process.
- Please note that candidates requiring a Visa will not be considered, as Pharmacy Residency positions are not eligible for University sponsorship for employment authorization.
Contact Us
For any inquiries or further information about our ambulatory care residency program, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are eager to assist you in your journey to becoming a leading ambulatory care pharmacist.
