PGY2 Clinical Pharmacogenomics Pharmacy Residency

The PGY2 Clinical Pharmacogenomics Pharmacy Residency at St. Elizabeth Healthcare is an American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) candidate for accreditation. The residency is a 12-month structured training program designed to cultivate competent and innovative practitioners who can use patient-specific pharmacogenomic (PGx) profiles to design safe and effective medication regimens across the continuum of care. The PGY2 Clinical Pharmacogenomics resident will develop expertise in genomics, clinical pharmacology, implementation science, informatics, and operational leadership, equipping them to catalyze the implementation of precision medicine in healthcare. The PGY2 residency is composed of five major elements:

The structure of the residency program at St. Elizabeth Healthcare is based around multiple learning experiences (rotations). Staffing experience will include one additional 4-hour shift per week, with no weekend or holiday staffing requirement. The typical resident schedule will be Monday through Friday.

The St. Elizabeth Healthcare PGY2 Clinical Pharmacogenomics Pharmacy Residency offers a selection of diverse, specialized patient care rotations, allowing the resident to gain experience in multiple practice areas where pharmacogenomic information may be used. During each rotation, the resident is expected to perform independently and demonstrate an increasing proficiency in pharmacy practice. The resident will develop critical thinking skills while monitoring patient progress and medication therapy.

The St. Elizabeth Healthcare PGY2 Clinical Pharmacogenomics Pharmacy Residency offers the resident the opportunity to select one of two elective tracks. Each track is designed to provide the resident with a more intensive experience in the application of PGx in a particular practice area. Elective track options include Genomic Medicine and Ambulatory Care.

Completion of a clinical research project is a required component of the residency programs. The purpose of this requirement is to introduce the resident to the principles of scientific method including the design, preparation, performance and interpretation of a medical project. The resident also gains experience in the preparation of a manuscript for publication and improves his/her public speaking skills through formal presentation.

The PGY2 Clinical Pharmacogenomics Pharmacy Resident will conduct one implementation project during their residency year. The specifics of the implementation project will vary but examples include implementation of PGx testing in a new practice area or service line, evaluation and optimization of electronic clinical decision support tools, development of educational tools to support clinical implementation, assessment of patient and provider perspectives on PGx, etc. The purpose of this requirement is to introduce the resident to the discipline of implementation science and apply this skillset in practice.

The PGY2 Clinical Pharmacogenomics Pharmacy Resident is required to serve on the Pharmacogenomics Advisory Committee as a non-voting member. The purpose of this activity is to provide the resident with the opportunity to gain experience in the decision-making process encountered with committee work as well as multi-disciplinary interactions in a setting outside of clinical practice.

Though not a program requirement, residents have the opportunity to participate in the Teaching Certificate Program (TCP) affiliated with the James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy (University of Cincinnati). The Teaching Certificate Program (TCP) will provide the resident a broad understanding of issues in pharmacy education and opportunities to enhance his/her teaching skills. It has been designed for residents to obtain knowledge in educational theory, gain experience in teaching in various instructional settings, and document and reflect upon their teaching activities. If a resident chooses to participate in this program, it should be incorporated into the resident development plan. He/she is expected to commit to the entire program which culminates in receiving a certificate of accomplishment. The TCP has two unique tracks–Preceptor and Academia. The preceptor track is aimed for residents who want to gain a basic understanding of pharmacy education with a focus on precepting students, both in the classroom and experiential setting. The academia track is for residents who have an interest in a potential career in academic pharmacy. Residents in this track will obtain a broader understanding of academia with regards to foundations of teaching and learning and have additional teaching opportunities such as course design and delivery, course coordination, didactic lecture development and delivery, small group facilitation and more.