PGY-1 Acute Care Residency | Department of Pharmacy Services | UC Davis Health

PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program Director

Program Purpose

PGY1 pharmacy residency programs enhance the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) education by developing clinical pharmacists skilled in managing medication-related care for diverse patient populations. These programs prepare pharmacists for board certification and lay a strong foundation for pursuing specialized postgraduate year two (PGY2) residency training.

Program Overview

The PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program at UC Davis Health offers an opportunity to advance beyond entry-level competence in patient-centered care and pharmacy operations. This program not only hones your clinical and operational skills but also cultivates leadership abilities applicable across various practice settings. Additionally, it provides a strong foundation for confidently engaging in quality improvement initiatives.

UC Davis Health and Pharmacy Services

UC Davis Medical Center is a nationally recognized academic medical center offering primary care for all ages, specialty care in over 150 fields, and the latest treatment options and expertise for the most complex health conditions. Some highlights include:

• Rated Sacramento’s top hospital
• Nationally ranked in multiple specialties
• Home of the nationally ranked Children’s Hospital
• Receiving top honors for nursing excellence
• HIMSS level 7 recognition for advanced technology that improves care
• Region’s only Level I trauma center for both adults and pediatrics
• Regional burn center
• NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center

More information about UC Davis Health can be found on our Webpage

More about the Department can be found on our Webpage

Program Design

The UC Davis Health PGY1 Pharmacy Residency is designed to meet the educational goals and objectives as outlined by the ASHP Accreditation Standard for PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Programs.

Educational Outcomes Required by the Accreditation Standard:

R1. Patient Care
R2. Practice Advancement
R3. Leadership
R4. Teaching and Education
Electives may be added based on available resources and resident interest

Teaching Philosophy

At our institution, we start with the principle that we cannot assume anything about a learner’s current knowledge or skill level. Instead, we operate on the belief that every learner possesses significant potential and a genuine eagerness for growth. By embracing this mindset, preceptors create an environment where learners are motivated to excel and are supported in overcoming any initial gaps in their understanding or abilities.

Preceptors play a crucial role in upholding and facilitating the highest standards of achievement. They are committed to setting individualized goals and providing the guidance necessary to help learners reach these goals. This involves offering constructive feedback, fostering a growth mindset, and creating a supportive atmosphere that encourages continuous improvement. Through this approach, preceptors ensure that learners are not only meeting high expectations but are also equipped to exceed them, fully realizing their potential in their professional development.

Role of the Resident

At UC Davis, pharmacy residents are key contributors to a dynamic, multi-disciplinary team that includes clinical pharmacists, physicians, nurses, dietitians, and therapists. As a resident, you'll engage in a variety of daily activities such as participating in interprofessional rounds, monitoring therapeutic drugs, providing drug information to patients and healthcare team members, and managing medication reconciliation during transitions of care.

You will be directly involved in decision-making through delivering patient care services, participating in management operations, and working on specialized projects. This hands-on experience allows you to understand how these activities intersect and are coordinated with other disciplines, all with a patient-centered approach. The residency requires a full-time, one-year commitment, spanning 53 weeks, offering an immersive opportunity to develop comprehensive skills in medication management and interdisciplinary collaboration.

PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Learning Experiences

The residency learning experiences will primarily be divided into block rotations and longitudinal learning experiences. The majority of rotations will be 4 weeks in duration. The resident will spend a minimum of 2/3 of the residency in direct patient care experiences. Rotation schedules will be determined based on availability and resident interests. Rotation schedules will be adjusted and updated with the resident at each quarterly evaluation or sooner as needed.

Proposed Calendar of Activities

Resident’s Role in Teaching:
UC Davis Health offers many opportunities for both clinical and didactic teaching. The resident will be responsible for assisting preceptors with clerkship teaching for University of California, San Francisco and University of the Pacific pharmacy students.

The resident will be required to prepare an ACPE accredited pharmacy grand rounds presentation on a topic approved by the Pharmacy Education and Development Committee based on the resident’s interests and a department needs assessment. The PGY1 Resident will also be required to participate in the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning Program throughout the year. In addition, the PGY1 Resident may choose to participate in academic teaching, as requested by regional schools of pharmacy, with the approval of the PGY1 Residency Director.

Residency Research Project:
All UC Davis Medical Center pharmacy residents are required to complete a research project during their residency and present their research at the UC Pharmacy Conference. In preparation for conducting their research project, the resident will complete UC Davis Medical Center IRB-required training and certification. The resident will prepare a project proposal, which will be reviewed and approved by the UC Davis Medical Center Pharmacy Research Oversight Committee. The resident will also submit their project to the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and the IRB for approval, before embarking on their research. Upon completion of the project, the resident will be required to summarize their research project in a manuscript and submit for publication.

Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee Activity:
The PGY1 resident will be required to complete a medication use evaluation or a drug formulary review, as assigned by the UC Davis Medical Center P&T Committee coordinator. The PGY1 residency director will work with the P&T Committee coordinator and the resident to determine the assignment, based on the resident’s interests and the needs of the department.

Resident Chair Assignments:
The PGY1 Pharmacy Practice resident will participate in a resident chair assignment for the year that is chosen in the fall. Assignment options include: Pharmacy Week Chair, Wellness, Mentorship Chair, Peer Responder Chair,Publicity and Communications Chair, Interview Chair, Research Chair, Recruitment Chair, Pharmacy Education and Development Chair, Quality and Safety Chair, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Chair, and Orientation Chair. Additional chair positions may be developed prior to selection in July depending on the needs of the department.

Professional Development:
The PGY1 resident is encouraged to maintain an active role in pharmacy and professional organizations. The resident is strongly encouraged to become a member of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and will attend their annual meeting in early December. The resident will be provided with financial support from the institution and professional leave time to facilitate participation in professional development activities.

Pharmacy Department Service:
The resident will be required to provide service to the department during the year. It is mandatory for the resident to staff one major holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Years). A licensed pharmacist will work alongside the resident or will be available on-call as backup.

Required Competencies:
Residents function as licensed pharmacists in patient care activities. As such, minimum knowledge in a variety of areas must be assured. Within one month of starting the Residency, the resident must complete competencies required of all clinical pharmacists. Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certifications are required.

Resident Portfolio:
Each resident must maintain an electronic portfolio containing all information from the residency year including, but not limited to: copies of papers or projects done during rotations, lectures given, research project manuscript, P&T drug monograph, and MUE. The portfolio shall be maintained in Pharm Academic.

Resident Personnel Policies:
The following policies can be located in the Pharmacy Resident Personnel Manual

• Resident Qualifications
• Early Commitment Policy
• Pre-employment drug testing
• Health insurance and Benefits
• Licensure
• Moonlighting
• Duty hours
• Tracking of duty hours
• Professional, family, and extended leave policies
• Dismissal policy and consequences of failure to progress

Requirements for successful completion of the residency:

• California Pharmacist Licensure per Pharmacy Resident Manual Policy
• A minimum of 52 weeks of training inclusive of standard vacation, professional and sick leave
• Completion of assigned competencies
• Completion of all required rotations/learning experiences
• Presentation of Research/QI Project at a regional, state, or national conference
• Prepare a Research/QI Project manuscript suitable for submission and/or publication journal or equivalent
• Completion of a secondary project (Medication utilization evaluation or QI project)
• Complete and deliver Grand Rounds (or equivalent) to selected audience
• Completion of the required weekend and evening Department of Pharmacy Services requirements per residency policy manual
• “Achieved for Residency” of at least 80% of program objectives (100% of Patient Care Competency Area R1). No objectives may have a final assessment of “Needs Improvement.” Program objectives may be ACHR by the RPD or RPC throughout the year and/or at resident closeout.
• Resident closeout completed in Pharm Academic, confirming all tasks are completed with portfolio attachments uploaded
• All requirements for successful completion of the program need to include the deliverables list, appendix (if applicable) (copied in or linked to a document)

Pharmacy Residency training programs at UC Davis Health are conducted under the licensed entity within UC Davis Health which is UC Davis Medical Center.