PGY1 Pharmacy

Purpose

The Post Graduate Year 1 (PGY1) Pharmacy Residency program at Massachusetts General Hospital builds on the Doctor of Pharmacy education and outcomes to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists responsible for medication-related care of patients with a wide range of conditions, eligible for board certification, and eligible for postgraduate year two (PGY2) pharmacy residency training.

Description

The PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program is a directed experience in hospital practice and general pharmacotherapy. The MGH PGY1 program prepares residents to practice as clinical generalists or to pursue clinical specialty training through an array of PGY2 residencies. Our mission is to provide a dynamic, goal-oriented environment to develop well-rounded clinical experts, educators, and leaders. Our program assures that each resident is thoroughly trained in the provision of individualized direct patient care, clinical and didactic teaching, practice-based research, and patient-centric pharmacy leadership.

Our program reinforces the knowledge, thought processes, and confidence for residents to provide pharmaceutical care to various patient populations. Residents gain experience by working as autonomous pharmacists within the pharmacy operations team by providing longitudinal oversight of medication order review, verification, and preparation, all while delivering comprehensive clinical pharmacy services. Through a range of experiences, the PGY1 resident develops independent practice and pharmacy leadership skills.

We currently offer seven positions for the PGY1 Pharmacy Residency.

Note for International Applicants:

International applicants are welcome to apply to the PGY1 Pharmacy Residency if they are eligible to work in the US and will be considered based on the merits of their application. The MGH Department of Pharmacy is not able to sponsor H1B or OPT visas.

Program Goals

• In collaboration with the health care team, provide safe and effective patient care to a diverse range of patients, including those with multiple co-morbidities, high-risk medication regimens, and multiple medications following a consistent patient care process
• Ensure continuity of care during patient transitions between care settings
• Prepare, dispense, and manage medications to support safe and effective drug therapy for patients
• Demonstrate ability to manage formulary and medication-use processes, as applicable to the organization
• Demonstrate ability to evaluate and investigate practice, review data and assimilate scientific evidence to improve patient care and/or the medication-use system
• Demonstrate leadership skills
• Demonstrate management skills
• Provide effective medication and practice-related education to patients, caregivers, health care professionals, students, and the public (individuals and groups)
• Effectively employ appropriate preceptor roles when engaged in teaching students, pharmacy technicians or fellow health care professionals

Learning Experiences

Starting in mid-June, the first six weeks of the residency program are an orientation to the Department of Pharmacy, after a 2-day hospital orientation. Activities include competency lectures on basic clinical skills, training on the Mass General computerized order entry system, and side-by-side decentralized and operational training with pharmacy preceptors. Additionally, residents will understand the structure of the Residency Program Design and Conduct, which is the backbone of how residency training is put into action.

Required Learning Experiences (5):

• Orientation
• Pediatrics—General or Critical Care
• Internal Medicine
• Pharmacy Administration
• Pharmacy Practice and Research

Selective Learning Experiences (2):

Specialty medicine (1)

• Cardiology
• Medical Oncology
• Leukemia
• Neurology
• Solid Organ Transplantation (Abdominal or Cardiothoracic)

Critical care (1)

• Cardiac Intensive Care
• Cardiac Surgical Intensive Care
• Medical Intensive Care
• Neurosciences Intensive Care
• Surgical Intensive Care

Elective Learning Experiences (5):

• Any of the above Selective Learning Experiences are available as electives if not chosen as a Selective Learning Experience
• Advanced Internal Medicine
• Ambulatory Oncology
• Clinical Trials
• Drug Policy/Medication Safety
• Emergency Medicine
• Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
• Infectious Diseases
• Informatics
• Introduction to Pharmacy Operations
• Pediatric Critical Care
• Psychiatry (MGH or McLean Hospital)
• Neonatal Intensive Care

Longitudinal Experiences:

• Emergency Response (BLS/ACLS certifications)
• Formal Presentations
  • Pharmacy Grand Rounds Morbidity and Mortality Continuing Education
  • Lunch and Learn Case Presentation
  • Lunch and Learn Journal Club
• Medication Safety
• Medication Use Evaluation
• Pharmacy and Therapeutics Formulary and Monograph
• Research Project
• Resident officer positions and committees
• Teaching and Learning Seminar at Northeastern University School of Pharmacy (optional)
• Pharmacy Practice (Staffing) Experience:
  • Weekday: Average of six hours every other week in a central operational area
  • Weekend: One weekend every 3 weeks in decentralized order verification role
  • Holiday assignments (and corresponding weekends):
    • 1 major (Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s)
    • 2 minor (Labor Day, Indigenous Peoples' Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day,
      Memorial Day, Juneteenth)

Resident wellness and resiliency

The MGH PGY1 Pharmacy Residency prioritizes our residents’ well-being. Some (but not all) of the ways that we support our residents include:

• Resident advisor that is assigned to each resident for the year to act as a mentor and resident advocate
• Events planned by the resident-led MGH Resident Social and Wellness Chair
• Access to the MGH-sponsored employee assistance program that includes free access to mental health tools and access to a mental health professional within 48 hours, if needed
• Education sessions devoted to resiliency and managing burnout

Diversity and Inclusion

The MGH PGY1 Pharmacy Residency program welcomes and encourages diverse applicants. The MGH Department of Pharmacy’s pharmacists and technicians come from diverse backgrounds.

Benefits

• Competitive stipend: PGY1: $64,708.80
• Health insurance options
• Vacation days, paid holidays and sick time
• Professional materials (laptop, pager, lab coat, office space, drug information resources, etc.)
• Travel reimbursement for approved conferences
• Massachusetts Society of Health-System Pharmacists membership
• Discounted subway/train passes
• Discounted health club membership
• “MGH Perks” for various activities in the New England area

Recruitment information

In the interest of accessibility and equity:

• Applicants who are interested in attending a virtual information session in may sign up to attend the session (link will be available in the fall)
• In-person attendance at the showcase booth at the Midyear Clinical Meeting will not count towards the candidate’s application score
• All interviews will be conducted virtually
• Candidates who are invited to interview and who wish to see the MGH campus in-person will be invited to attend an open house that will be held after this program has finalized the rank list to NMS (thus, in-person attendance at the open house will not affect candidate ranking)

How to Apply

Applicants for the PGY1 program must possess a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and be eligible for immediate licensure by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy. Eligibility includes graduates or candidates for graduation from an ACPE-accredited program or have a Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee (FPGEC) certificate from NABP.

Previous experience in pharmacy practice, a sound academic record and other scholarly and leadership activities are also key considerations.

Applications for all programs should be submitted via PhORCAS and must include:

• Completed PhORCAS application
  • We ask you to fully fill in the PhORCAS application form so we can standardly evaluate each individual’s qualifications and experiences
• Formal Letter of Intent describing the following:
  • Your interests in our program
  • How our program will help you achieve your short-term and long-term career goals
  • Describe a time when you faced adversity and how you managed that situation (adversity does not have to be related to pharmacy)
• Curriculum Vitae
• Official pharmacy school transcripts
  • Please list out any other degree conferrals (undergraduate, masters, non-pharmacy doctorates)
• Three standardized references completed via PhORCAS
• Two should be from someone who can comment on the candidate's ability to interact with patients/healthcare team
• Candidates should encourage their references to provide as much commentary as possible

The deadline for receipt of a completed PhORCAS application is January 2nd. After applications are reviewed, qualified candidates will be contacted to schedule an interview. All of the Pharmacy Residency Programs at Mass General participate in the ASHP Resident Matching Program.

NMS Codes:

• PGY1 Pharmacy Residency: 180513

Contact Information

Lanting Fuh, PharmD, BCEMP, BCPS
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Emergency Medicine
Director, PGY1 Pharmacy Residency
lfuh@mgh.harvard.edu

Edmond Solomon, PharmD, BCPS, BCCP
Clinical Pharmacist, Cardiology
Coordinator, PGY1 Pharmacy Residency
ejsolomon@mgb.org

Kayla Joyal, PharmD, BCTXP, FAST
Clinical Pharmacist, Transplant
Coordinator, PGY1 Pharmacy Residency
kjoyal@mgh.harvard.edu

Alexandra Sharpe, PharmD, BCPS, BCPPS
Clinical Pharmacist, Pediatrics
Coordinator, PGY1 Pharmacy Residency
adsharpe@mgh.harvard.edu