Learning Experiences Offered

Core Experiences (Required for each resident): each core learning experience is 6 weeks in duration, except orientation, which is 4 weeks

Elective Experiences (Resident to choose 2 experiences): each elective learning experience is 6 weeks in duration

*Elective Specialized Track: residents have the option to experience three 6-week learning experiences in Ambulatory Care or Oncology. The specialized track provides the pharmacy resident additional opportunities to tailor their residency experience to their area of interest and develop professional relationships with clinicians and patients in the PSMMC outpatient setting.

**Rotation precepted by a provider and pharmacist

Required Learning Experience Descriptions

Internal Medicine

Primary Preceptor(s): Shari Waldron, PharmD, BCPS; Megan Rice, PharmD

• Description: Internal medicine (IM) is a dynamic learning experience designed to enhance the resident's clinical knowledge and pharmacotherapy expertise. The resident will work alongside attending hospitalists and the healthcare team through daily rounding and pharmacy consults, providing exposure to a wide range of disease states and patient populations across various units, including intensive care, medical, surgical, and rehabilitation. Opportunities to foster further growth by engaging in women’s health services may be available depending on the resident’s experience and progression. The pharmacy resident is expected to provide comprehensive pharmaceutical care for patients, provide recommendations to the healthcare team to improve patient outcomes, coordinate pharmacy services when necessary, and counsel patients when appropriate.

Antimicrobial Stewardship

Primary Preceptor: Robert Brawders, PharmD, BCIDP

• Description: The antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) learning experience is designed to enhance the resident’s expertise in infectious diseases (ID) and develop skills to optimize antibiotic regimens. Residents will leverage the AMS scoring report in the electronic health record system to evaluate laboratory results, cultures, and antibiotic regimens to ensure they are suitable, properly timed, and monitored appropriately. With growing proficiency, residents will have the opportunity to hone their AMS skills within special patient populations. Additionally, residents will present a patient case at ID Grand Rounds in partnership with Kadlec Regional Medical Center and work closely with the lead AMS pharmacist, prescriber(s) of antimicrobial therapies and the infectious disease consultant physician.

Critical Care

Primary Preceptor(s): Bret Barnes, PharmD

• Description: During the critical care (CC) learning experience the resident will provide pharmacy services to the critically ill patient population within PSMMC’s 14 bed intensive care unit (ICU). Residents will gain comprehensive knowledge of prevalent diseases and their pharmacological treatments, especially for patients with kidney or liver conditions, those on complex antibiotic regimens, individuals on total parenteral nutrition, and those prescribed medications with a narrow therapeutic range or high-risk profiles. The resident will participate in daily ICU multidisciplinary rounds and participate in all code situations. Residents will evolve towards autonomous practice, adept at identifying and addressing medication-related issues in critically ill patients by the end of the CC learning experience.

Transitions of Care

Primary Preceptor(s): Monica Verma, PharmD, BCPS; Velen Gonzalez, PharmD

• Description: The transitions of care (TOC) learning experience will give the pharmacy resident the opportunity to work as an active member of the medical team to improve patient care, safety, and compliance; optimize patient education of disease state/s and medications; and reduce readmission rates. The resident will develop these skills through guidance from the TOC pharmacist and exposure and interaction with patients admitted for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation, congestive heart failure (CHF) exacerbation, myocardial infarction (MI), pneumonia (PNA), and total knee (TKA) and hip (THA) arthroplasty. Upon completion of the TOC learning experience, pharmacy residents will have honed their expertise and skills in delivering comprehensive patient care. This includes conducting thorough patient information reviews, performing medication reconciliation, and engaging with patients, their families, and healthcare professionals. Additionally, residents will be adept at providing discharge education and facilitating medication assistance to ensure optimal patient outcomes.

Operations/Management

Primary Preceptor(s): Amy Robisch, PharmD; Somashaker Masuram, PharmD, BCPS, MS

• Description: The operations/management LE stems from previous residents’ feedback during the busy months of November and December. A LE during this time was always difficult due to the holidays and Midyear Residency Conference. The operations/management LE is a hybrid LE in which the pharmacy resident will actively participate in activities with the Director of Pharmacy, Informatics, and Operations pharmacists. It provides the resident with additional opportunities to practice and strengthen their inpatient operational and clinical pharmacist skills and enhances their pharmacy management and informatics knowledge.