PGY2 Pharmacy Residency — Pediatrics

The Postgraduate Year Two (PGY2) Pediatric Residency is a patient-focused, comprehensive training program conducted at Iowa's only nationally ranked children's hospital. This 12-month program provides the necessary opportunities for highly motivated pharmacists to achieve their professional goals of becoming a pediatric clinical pharmacist. The residency is designed to expand skills developed during postgraduate year one (PGY1) to solve complex pediatric medication-related problems presented in today's health care environment.

Upon completion of the program, residents will be proficient clinical pharmacy specialists qualified for clinical practice in a pediatric health care system and for adjunct or non-tenure track faculty appointments associated with a health science college. Early commitment to the PGY2 Pediatric Residency may be an option for those completing a PGY1 Pharmacy Residency at UI Health Care.

About the Program

The 209-bed UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital provides care for children from birth to young adulthood. It is the only academic medical center in the state of Iowa and serves as a level IV NICU. Rotations enhance the expertise of the residents in the management of drug therapy for acute and ambulatory pediatric patients, answering and disseminating drug information questions, evaluation of population-based drug therapy through a residency project, and the development and management of pharmacy services. Elective time is available for individualizing the program to meet the residents' interest and career goals.

During the PGY2 Pediatric Residency rotations, the resident will participate in all aspects of patient medication use therapy including selection, assessment, monitoring, reconciliation, safety, adherence, and discharge counseling while working as part of the multidisciplinary team advising physicians, nurses, students, and patients on appropriate medication use. Activities include, but are not limited to, attending rounds; providing lectures on drug therapy to medical, pharmacy, and nursing staff; and keeping current on pharmacy issues in the pediatric population.

Rotation Experiences

During rotations, the resident will have the opportunity to gain expertise in a number of core pediatric patient care settings. The resident will also have elective rotations to enhance their experience in specific areas of interest.

Core Rotations include (four to six weeks each):

• General pediatrics
• Pediatric intensive care unit
• Neonatal intensive care unit
• Pediatric hematology/oncology/BMT

Additional Required Rotations include:

• Orientation
• Pediatric Infectious Disease
• Pediatric Nephrology
• Ambulatory Care (Iongitudinal)

Elective Rotation Opportunities:

• Pediatric Cardiology
• Pediatric Pain/Palliative Care
• Emergency Medicine
• Toxicology
• Pediatric Psychiatry
• Management
• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Complete advanced experience in PICU and/or NICU
• Complete a different ambulatory care clinic block

Longitudinal Experience

Experiences include a secondary project such as a medication use evaluation, clinical program development, cost or budget analysis, etc. in addition to a minor project such as creation of a drug class review, treatment protocol/guideline, collaborative practice agreement, etc. Additionally, the resident will serve as the co-chair for our Pediatric Medication Use Task Force, a pediatric-specific subcommittee of our hospital’s Pharmacy and Therapeutics committee. The resident will also serve on one of four available Residency Governance Committees (options include Recruitment, Wellness, Professional Development, or Research committees).

Research

Residents are required to complete a major research project. The project topic may be generated by the resident or selected from a list of available research projects curated by our Research committee via preceptor project proposals. The project will be presented as a poster at the Vizient™ meeting held in conjunction with the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Midyear Clinical Meeting and as a platform presentation at the Pediatric Pharmacy Association (PPA) Annual Meeting in the spring. A final manuscript ready for publication is required prior to residency graduation.

Teaching

The resident is provided with multiple opportunities to develop and enhance their teaching and presentation skills. The resident is appointed as adjunct faculty at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy and is expected to prepare and present a lecture at the College of Pharmacy. The resident will also give an hour-long Pharmacy Grand Rounds presentation for ACPE-accredited continuing education credit to all pharmacy staff and participate in precepting pharmacy students during introductory and advanced pharmacy practice experiences. Additionally, the resident will also have the opportunity to complete the Pharmacy Educator Preparation Program for Residents offered through the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy.

Staffing

The resident is required to fulfill the service commitment (staffing) designed to ensure they gain autonomous experience and can function as a competent clinical pharmacy practitioner. The staffing experience will begin with an operational focus by working in the pediatric central pharmacy in a distributive role, however, following completion of the four core rotations, the resident will begin staffing in a clinical role as a decentralized pharmacist covering the pediatric intensive care unit, neonatal intensive care unit, general pediatrics, pediatric hematology/oncology, labor and delivery, and newborn nursery services.

Staffing requirements are as follows:

• The resident will staff every third weekend on a rotating basis upon completion of orientation
• The resident will work one major holiday and two minor holidays as designated by the assigned holiday block schedule
• The resident will complete eight rotation-based clinical staffing days
• The resident will staff one week in central pharmacy at the end of orientation as well as one week during the University of Iowa spring break
• The resident will end the residency year with a week of clinical staffing in an area of interest

How to apply

Candidates will need to complete an application through the Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service (PhORCAS).

Materials required:

• PhORCAS Application form
• Letter of intent
• Three letters of recommendation
  • One letter of recommendation must be from a residency program director or coordinator
• Official pharmacy school transcripts
• Curriculum vitae

Application materials must be received by January 2. An interview is required and will be granted based on the review of application materials.

Applicants must register for the ASHP matching program handled by the National Matching Services, Inc. Rankings must be submitted by the deadline.

• PGY2 Pediatric Residency NMS code: 669261

Candidate Qualifications

• Graduate of an ACPE-accredited Doctor of Pharmacy degree program or have equivalent educational qualification as determined by the residency program director.
• Licensed in Iowa within 60 days of the start of. Please see the Iowa Board of Pharmacy website for complete qualifications.
• Completion of an ASHP-accredited PGY1 pharmacy residency.
• Adhere to the rules of the resident matching program process.
• Candidates who require a Visa will not be considered. Pharmacy Residency positions are not eligible for University sponsorship for employment authorization.

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