Postgraduate Year Two Emergency Medicine Pharmacy Residency

The postgraduate year two (PGY2) Emergency Medicine Residency is a patient-focused comprehensive training program conducted at Iowa’s only adult and pediatric Level 1 trauma center and certified comprehensive stroke center. The 12-month program provides the necessary opportunities for highly motivated pharmacists to achieve their professional goals of becoming an emergency medicine (EM) clinical pharmacist. The PGY2 residency in emergency medicine pharmacy is designed to transition a PGY1 residency graduate from generalist practice to specialized practice focused on the care of patients in an emergency department (ED). The program will allow the resident to participate as an integral member of the interdisciplinary team caring for patients in the ED as well as be involved in improving patient outcomes by enhancing patient safety, preventing medication errors, and providing optimized pharmacotherapy regimens.

About the Program

The 45-bed University of Iowa Emergency Department cares for more than 60,000 patients annually. The residency program will enhance the expertise of the resident in the management of drug therapy for critically ill patients, prevention of medication errors, and participation in procedures and resuscitations that utilize high-risk medications. A further goal of the program is for residents to become well-integrated members of the multidsciplinary emergency medicine team.The resident pharmacist will serve as a valuable resource for information about medication therapy in the ED not only for faculty and resident physicians, but also patients who are receiving care during extremely stressful times. Elective time is available for individualizing the program to meet the resident’s interests and career needs.

Rotation Experiences

During the residency year, the resident will enhance their drug therapy skills during core rotations in the ED. In addition to the core rotations, the resident also will have elective rotations available to improve expertise in specific areas of interest. 

Required Rotations Include:

• Orientation (with EM residents)
• Emergency medicine: General
• Emergency medicine: Pediatrics
• Emergency medicine: Community hospital at St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
• Adult critical care (medical, surgical-neurological, or cardiovascular ICU)
• Pediatrics
• Toxicology
• Trauma surgery

Elective Rotations Include:

• Burn/Trauma
• Stroke team/Neurology
• Infectious diseases
• Critical care
• Opioid Addiction Clinic
• International medicine (dependent on availability)
• Emergency medical services (emergency preparedness/EMS)
• Minnesota Poison Control Center in Minneapolis (dependent on site availability)

Longitudinal Rotations

• Emergency department staffing
• Advisor
• Practice management
• Research
• Scholarly activities and preceptorship
• PEPPR Teaching Certificate (optional)

Research

The resident will be required to complete a clinical research project during the course of the residency year. The project will be a joint effort among the resident, program director and coordinator, and the Emergency Medicine research team. Residents will present their research project at a poster session during the Vizient™ meeting held in conjunction with the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Midyear Clinical Meeting.

Teaching

During the residency year, the resident will be required to participate in multiple teaching opportunities. The resident is appointed as an adjunct instructor at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy. The required teaching experiences include:

• One lecture in the Emergency Medicine elective course at the College of Pharmacy
• Two lectures at the Emergency Medicine residency weekly conference

Residents also will have the option to complete a teaching certificate through the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy Educator Preparation Program for Residents (PEPPR).

Staffing

The resident is required to fulfill the service commitment (staffing) designed to ensure they gain experience and can function independently as a competent emergency medicine clinical pharmacist. The staffing experience will only take place in the ED.

Staffing Requirements are as Follows:

• The resident will staff approximately every third weekend
• Hours are accomplished through weekend and evening staffing
• One major holiday and two minor holidays
• Staffing requirements are subject to change

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 college of pharmacy transcripts
• Curriculum vitae

Application materials must be received by January 2. An on-site interview is required and will be granted based on the review of application materials. Applicants must register for the ASHP matching program handled by National Matching Services, Inc. Rankings must be submitted by the deadline.

• PGY2 Emergency Medicine Residency NMS code: 766869

Candidate Qualifications

• Graduate of an ACPE-accredited Doctor of Pharmacy degree program or have equivalent education qualification as determined by the residency program director.
• Licensed or eligible for licensure in Iowa by the residency start date.  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.

Contact Us

Brett Faine, PharmD, MS
Emergency Medicine Clinical Pharmacy Specialist
Assistant Professor, University of Iowa College of Pharmacy and Carver College of Medicine
PGY2 Emergency Medicine Pharmacy Residency Program Director
[email protected]

Anne Zepeski, PharmD, BCPS
Emergency Medicine Clinical Pharmacist
PGY2 Emergency Medicine Pharmacy Residency Program Coordinator
[email protected]