PGY1: Pharmacy - UPMC Children's Hospital

PGY1 pharmacy residency programs build on Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) 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.

The mission of our residency program is to train highly motivated pharmacists, increase professional development, clinical involvement, and develop independent critical thinking skills needed to function as a proficient pediatric pharmacist. The residency program will provide the resident with the flexibility to adapt experiences to meet their specific learning needs and goals.

Wide variety of patients

UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh (CHP) is a 325 bed free-standing pediatric hospital. The hospital serves the community as a level I trauma center, level IV NICU, and is the home of the first US pediatric transplant program. It is ranked as one of the top 10 Best Children’s Hospitals in addition to multiple pediatric subspecialties by the US News & World Report.  Our institution is a leader in the treatment of pediatric disease states, a pioneer in the development of new and improved therapies, and top educator for the next generation of healthcare professionals.  The pharmacy department provides 24/7 operational and clinical services. 

UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Tour

Residency Program Director

Jennifer R. Shenk, PharmD, BCPPS, Jennifer.shenk@chp.edu

Preceptors

• Kelli Crowley, PharmD, BCPS, BCPPS, Pharmacy administration, pediatric critical care

• Elizabeth Ferguson, PharmD, BCPPS, General pediatrics

• Breana Goscicki, PharmD, BCPPS, Pediatric BMT

• Denise Howie, PharmD, Pediatric hematology/oncology

• Alex Kibler, PharmD, BCPS, BCPPS, Pediatric/cardiac critical care

• Olya Lovell, PharmD, Outpatient pediatric solid organ transplant

• Melinda Miller, PharmD, BCPS, Neonatal critical care

• Kevin Ordons, PharmD, BCPS, BCCPS, Pediatric/cardiac critical care

• Jordan Serio, PharmD, BCPPS, Inpatient pediatric solid organ transplant 

• Jennifer Shenk, PharmD, BCPPS, Neonatal critical care, Precepting rotation

• Erin Tamulonis, PharmD, Pediatric emergency medicine

• TBD, Pediatric antimicrobial stewardship/infectious disease

Current Residents

• Yina Griffin, PharmD

Past Residents and First Positions

• Erin Tamulonis, PharmD (2022-2023)
  Emergency Medicine Clinical Pharmacist (UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh)
• Esther Esadah, PharmD (2021-2022)
  PGY2 Pediatric Infectious Disease Pharmacy Resident (Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford)
• John Guggenberger, PharmD (2020-2021)
  Pediatric Clinical Pharmacist (Mayo Clinic – Rochester, MN)
• Meghan Gill, PharmD (2019-2020)
  PGY2 Pediatric Pharmacy Resident (Virginia Commonwealth University)
  Pediatric clinical pharmacist (Cincinnati Children’s Hospital)
• Meredith Sparks Vafeas, PharmD (2018-2019)
  Clinical pharmacist (Levine Cancer Institute)

Patient Care and Pharmacy Experiences

 
Required Experiences (4 weeks unless noted)

• Pharmacy orientation (6 weeks)
• General pediatrics
• Pediatric critical care
• Neonatal critical care/nutrition support
• Infectious disease/antimicrobial stewardship
• Pediatric oncology
• Pharmacy administration

Elective Experiences

• Pediatric cardiac critical care
• Pediatric solid organ transplant
• Pediatric bone marrow transplant
• Outpatient pharmacy services
• Precepting
• Various pediatric subspecialty services (pulmonology, nephrology, palliative care, etc.)

*Learning experiences above are examples (not all inclusive) and are subject to change based on availability.

Teaching Experiences 

• Teaching experiences are made available to the resident.  The resident may elect to participate in the Mastery of Teaching Certification offered through the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy.  If the resident does not complete the teaching certificate program, they are encouraged to participate in teaching opportunities as available such as didactic lectures, small and large group facilitations, and APPE pharmacy student precepting. 

   
Research/Quality Improvement Experiences

• Medication use evaluation (MUE)
  • The resident is required to complete an MUE which they will select based upon their professional interest.  The resident will present their MUE as a poster presentation at a national conference.

• Research/quality improvement project
  • The resident is required to complete a research/quality improvement project which they will select based upon their professional interest.  The resident will participate in the Pitt Pharmacy resident research series from July through June which consists of didactic lectures, small working groups, and mentorship.  The resident will present their project as a platform presentation at the annual UPMC pharmacy resident research day in June and/or at a national conference. 

Professional Development/Leadership Experiences

• Pharmacy inpatient operations
  • Every 3rd weekend (two 8 hour shifts)
  • One evening per week from 4-8PM
  • One winter holiday (8 hr) (Thanksgiving day, Christmas day, or New Years day)
  • Memorial day (8hr)

• Clinical pharmacist on-call (with rotation preceptor and during weekday evening staffing from 4-8PM)
   
• Presentations
  • 1 continuing education (CE) presentation
  • 2 patient case presentations
  • 2 clinical pearls
  • 2 journal clubs
     
• Hospital and pharmacy committee participation
• Formulary drug review
• Encouragement to participate in professional pharmacy organizations such as PPA, ACCP, and ASHP

Requirements for Program Completion

Manual/Policy and Procedures 

Download the resident manual

Start Date: July 1st

Term of Appointment: 52 weeks

Stipend and Benefit Information

• Yearly Stipend: $51,259

• Paid Time Off: 20 days (vacation and sick) + 5 paid holidays

• Benefits: Health, dental, eye care, life, and disability at no cost

  GME Benefits and Stipends | Medical Education | UPMC

• Travel: A travel stipend may be available as determined on an annual basis

Application Requirements

• Graduating or have graduated with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from an ACPE-accredited school of pharmacy.
• Enrolled in the National Matching Services (NMS)
• Must be eligible for pharmacist licensure in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Application Process

An application must be submitted through PhORCAS by December 31st and include:

• Curriculum vitae
• Letter of intent describing rationale for residency training and career goals
• Pharmacy school transcripts
• Three completed standardized reference forms in PhORCAS
  • At least one must be from a clinical preceptor
  • Reference writers are encouraged to discuss all applicable PhORCAS characteristics, but must provide specific details regarding communication, time management, clinical problem solving skills, independence/resourcefulness, and accepting constructive criticism. 

Our Timeline

All applicants will be notified by email in early January of the potential interview dates for interview planning purposes. Select candidates will be invited for an on-site or virtual interview, which are typically conducted on select dates in late January/early February.

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