Pediatrics team

Residency Program Director:

Contact Information:
brahall@ucdavis.edu 
Office: 916-703-7223
UC Davis Health
Pharmacy Department
2315 Stockton Blvd, Room 1310
Sacramento, CA 95817

Brent A Hall, PharmD, BCPPS 
Pediatric Pharmacist Specialist
Assistant Clinical Professor, UCSF School of Pharmacy

2023-2024 Residents:
Mitchell Tam
Ryan Whalen

ASHP Residency Directory listing

Program Overview

The Pediatric Pharmacy Residency at UC Davis Medical Center is a one-year, PGY2 specialty residency in Pediatric Pharmacy Practice. During these 12 months, the program consists of concentrated training in all aspects of pediatric practice. This program is flexible in that it will adapt to the needs of the individual resident but will provide the basic foundation for quality pediatric clinical practice. The residency is supported by the Department of Pharmacy.

UC Davis Children's Hospital is the Sacramento region's only nationally ranked, comprehensive hospital for children. It is the central valley's only Pediatric Level 1 trauma center, and emergency department. This ‘hospital within a hospital' has 129 pediatric beds with NICU, PICU, Peds CICU, Hematology/Oncology and General Ward units. As a teaching hospital, it serves as an optimal location for training future practitioners. The pediatric area employs 12 FTEs dedicated to pediatric pharmacy practice. Pharmacists in this area are responsible for: 1 ) Review and verification of all medications prescribed to pediatric patients, 2) Preparation and dispensing of some pediatric medications, 3) Participation in medication safety committee and culture, 4) Acting as a drug information resource for physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other allied health care professionals, 5) Participating in multidisciplinary rounds with NICU, PICU, Pediatric CT Surgery, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Pediatric Nephrology, Pediatric Gastroenterology and Pediatric Ward Service teams, 6) Documentation of interventions, 7) Management of parenteral nutrition in cooperation with UC Davis Health dieticians, 8) Interpretation of drug levels via pharmacokinetic monitoring, 9) Patient and professional education.

Upon successful completion of the program, an appropriate certificate will be awarded to the pediatric resident by UC Davis Health.

More about the Department can be found on our Webpage

PGY 2 Application Requirements

Letter of Intent needs to address the following:

  • Why are you are interested in this specific residency program?
  • How do you envision this residency meeting your career goals?
  • Why do you think you are a good fit for this program?

Supplemental Questions to Submit with Phorcas Application (max of 250 words per question)

  1. Please describe how your particular PGY 1 program/experience has prepared you to succeed in our program.
  2. Please describe any unique and meaningful work experience (pharmacy or non-pharmacy) or volunteer involvement that has contributed to your personal growth

3 Letters of Recommendation on Phorcas: One from your residency program director, one from a preceptor from a pediatric experience (either as student or resident) and one from another person of your choice. Letters must include commentary on NO LESS THAN 6 DOMAINS and MUST include commentary on the following domains:

  1. Works with Peers and Communicates Effectively
  2. Independence and Resourcefulness
  3. Clinical Decision Making
  4. Ability to Organize and Manage Time
Testimonials

“I am so happy to have completed my PGY2 in Pediatrics at UC Davis because of the acuity of patients, the knowledgeable preceptors, and the RPD's focus on resident well-being. I started my residency journey as a PGY1 Acute Care resident with the intention to PGY2 in Pediatrics, so when looking for a program I wanted an institution that could support me through the transition from primarily adults to pediatrics. I appreciated the autonomy the staffing requirements offered, the rotation flexibility, and the literature assessment skills (among so many other things) thing program offered. I highly recommend this program to anyone looking for a supportive RPD, well-rounded experience, and wonderful city to live in.”

– Emily Ingalls, 2023 PGY 2 Pediatric Pharmacy Residency Graduate


"I am grateful to have been selected as the first resident at UC Davis for the PGY1 acute care with peds emphasis track and felt this was a great steppingstone to my PGY2 in pediatric pharmacy. The PGY2 pediatric program is designed to support their residents to become well-rounded clinical pharmacists in all aspects of patient care. The best part about this program is truly the people, and that goes beyond our amazing pediatric pharmacists but also our interprofessional relationships with providers, nurses, and other staff. Our pediatric pharmacists show dedication, compassion, and enthusiasm to the residents and are supportive of our journey! No matter where my career takes me, the training I received here at UC Davis has prepared me for any challenges that may come my way!"

– Heidi Tran, 2023 PGY 2 Pediatric Pharmacy Residency Graduate

Day in the Life of a Pediatric Pharmacy Resident

A typical day on my Pediatric Intensive Care Rotation includes arriving to the hospital early enough to look through patients. During that time, I collect information and evaluate my patients. After, I meet with my preceptor to give updates, recommendations, and plan for the day. I then head to multidisciplinary teaching rounds. Daily rounds include the attending(s), a fellow, medical residents, students, dieticians, nurses, and myself serving as the sole pharmacist. During rounds there are numerous learning and teaching opportunities. After rounds, I document updates for the patient and follow up on any outstanding questions. There are times where the medical residents and I meet to discuss difficult cases and evaluate literature that is dedicated to therapy for the patient.

Afternoons are dependent on the day. Either I will meet with my preceptor to go through patients more in depth, present a topic discussion, or attend meetings dedicated to my longitudinal projects. Some of the meetings are dedicated to pediatric medication safety, insightful seminars to learn how to prepare a research project, or professional enhancement that various preceptors across UC Davis offer. One afternoon every other week I attend cardiovascular clinic with a medical attending. During that time, I counsel patients and answer any medication related questions.

Time, throughout the day, flies by because there are always learning opportunities afforded to me. The continuous chances to grow personally and professionally is the reason why I am excited to come into work every day.

– Selena Warminski, PharmD, 2020-21 PGY 2 Pediatric Pharmacy Resident

Residency Purpose:

PGY2 residency programs build upon Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and PGY1 pharmacy residency training to develop pharmacist practitioners with knowledge, skills, and abilities as defined in the educational competency areas, goals, and objectives for advanced practice areas. Residents who successfully complete PGY2 residency programs are prepared for advanced patient care or other specialized positions, and board certification in the advanced practice area, if available. 

Program Design:

UC Davis Health and Pharmacy Services
UC Davis Health is a major academic health center located in Sacramento, California. Pharmacy services recruits, hires and trains caregivers to provide progressive pharmacy services as collaborative team members to support optimal patient outcomes.
Learn more about the Department of Pharmacy Services

The major area of focus of this program is provision of pharmaceutical care in the area of pediatrics. As is the standard in today's health care system, this practice takes place in a multidisciplinary field and residents will have the opportunity to interact with clinical pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy students, physicians, nurses, social workers, respiratory therapists, emergency medical services personnel, as well as patients and their families. Daily activities will include attendance to multidisciplinary rounds with bedside consultation for both physicians and nursing staff regarding therapy management, drug interactions, adverse drug reactions, and intravenous drug compatibility, among others. The resident will participate in all aspects of practice which include weekend staffing, emergency/code response, student precepting, student/resident/staff education, research project design and execution, and will be responsible for providing appropriate, timely, and accurate drug delivery to patients. The UC Davis Medical Center PGY2 Pediatric Pharmacy Residency is designed to meet the educational goals and objectives as outlined by the ASHP PGY2 Pediatric Residency Accreditation Standard.

Program Structure:

The PGY2 Pediatric Pharmacy Residency is a full-time, one year commitment, beginning July 1 and ending June 30. Clearance to start work by UC Davis Health Employee Health and a Human Resources orientation meeting must be completed prior to July 1.

Program Learning Experiences:

Core Experiences

Learning Experience

Duration (typical)

Primary Preceptor

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) 4 weeks Jessica Forster
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) 4 weeks Richard Haftmann
Pediatric CT Surgery (PCTICU) 4 weeks Kristine Markham
Pediatric Hematology/Oncology 6 weeks Ha-Mill Mclearen
General Pediatric Wards 4 weeks Brent Hall
Administration/Outpatient Clinic (CF, Specialty) 4 weeks Andrew Lee, Jessica Ma
Orientation 4 weeks Brent Hall
Pediatric Operations Longitudinal (12 months with 3 weeks scheduled as primary pharmacist) Rou-Yee Chenshu
Medication Safety Longitudinal (12 months) Ashley Trask
Journal Club/Grand Rounds/Didactics Longitudinal (12 months – 1 Grand Rounds, 8 Journal Clubs, 4 DI Question Presentations, 1 Didactic Lecture at either Touro University or the University of the Pacific, 1 Pediatric Anesthesia Lecture) Selena Warminski
Research Longitudinal (12 months) Depends on area of focus

Elective Experiences (8 weeks)

  • Academia
  • Bone Marrow Transplant
  • Informatics
  • Nutrition
  • Pediatric Emergency Department
  • Pain/Palliative Care
  • Pediatric Cardiology
  • Pediatric Infectious Disease
  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Pediatric Nephrology/Gastroenterology
  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Toxicology

Pediatric Resident Responsibilities (Summary):

The UCDMC Pharmacy Resident must fulfill certain responsibilities toward the University and the American Society of Health‐System Pharmacists (ASHP) training programs. As delineated in the Essentials of Accredited Residencies, all members of the Pharmacy Resident Program are to have the opportunity to:

  • develop a personal program of learning to foster continued professional growth with guidance from the teaching staff;
  • participate in safe, effective, and compassionate patient care, under supervision, commensurate with their level of advancement and responsibility;
  • participate fully in the educational and scholarly activities of their program and as required, assume responsibility for teaching and supervising other residents and pharmacy students as well as pharmacy technicians; and
  • participate as appropriate in institutional programs and departmental staff activities and adhere to established practices, procedures, and policies of the institution

Daily

  • Report to assigned preceptor
  • Daily clinical/rotation assignments

Weekly

  • Clinical pharmacy meetings
  • Pediatric Outpatient Clinic (biweekly)
  • Pediatric Medication Safety (biweekly)
  • Presentations
  • Meet with preceptor no less than 1-2 times per week
  • Serve as junior preceptor

Monthly

  • Drug Information Presentations
  • Board Review Sessions
  • Any educational opportunities (e.g. grand rounds)
  • Complete Pharmacademic evaluations by end of day Sunday following final day of rotation
  • Meet with RPD at least once a month to discuss issues/suggestions and overall trajectory
  • Pediatric RAC meetings to monitor progress

Longitudinal

  • Residency project with written manuscript
  • Review article
  • Prepare and presents results of research at University of California Research Collaborative
  • Grand Rounds
  • Touro or UOP Pharmacy School didactic lecture
  • Anesthesia Fellow Lecture

Resident's Role in Teaching:
UC Davis Medical Center 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 (UCSF), The University of the Pacific (UOP) and/or other Schools of Pharmacy students as well as UC Davis Health PGY1 and PGY2 pharmacy residents. The resident will assume the primary preceptor role, with assistance from qualified ASHP preceptor for pharmacy students and PGY1 residents, when able. The pediatric resident will be required to prepare a grand rounds presentation on an appropriate pediatric topic, based on the resident's interests and a department needs assessment to be presented to the Department of Pediatrics MDs and NPs. In addition, the resident will complete on didactic lecture at either Touro University or UOP as well as provide a lecture for UC Davis Health anesthesiologists. Pediatric residents will participate in student research projects as opportunities become available and at the discretion of the resident and RPD.

Residency Research Project:
All UC Davis Health PGY2 residents are required to complete a research project during their residency.  The pediatric resident will present their research at the Pediatric Pharmacy Advocacy Group Meeting in April & University of California Pharmacy Collaborative Conference in May. In preparation for conducting their research project, the resident will complete UC Davis Health IRB-required training and certification. The resident will prepare a project proposal, which will be reviewed and approved by the UC Davis Health 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 suitable for publication as well as a poster or platform presentation. The resident will submit their project to an appropriate journal for publication.

The resident will also be required to complete a review article which will add to the current literature as well as be submitted to an appropriate journal for publication. This topic is at the discretion of the resident and RPD.

Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee Activity:
The pediatric resident will be required to complete a medication use evaluation or a drug formulary review, as assigned by pediatric pharmacy management. The P&T Committee activity will be related to a pediatric product or topic. The resident will work with the pediatric pharmacy management team to determine the assignment, based on the resident's interests and the needs of the department.

Committee Assignments:
The pediatric resident will participate in various committee activities, as assigned by the Program Director. Assignments will be determined based on current department initiatives. The purpose of the residents' committee involvement is to ensure the resident gains exposure to the pediatric pharmacist's role in activities related to quality-improvement, medication safety, safe handling of hazardous drugs, guideline development and assessment/implementation of technology and automation within the institution and pharmacy department.  The committee in which pediatric pharmacists play a key role at UC Davis Health is Pediatric Medication Error Reduction Committee (MERC).

Professional Development:
The pediatric resident is encouraged to maintain an active role in pharmacy and pediatric professional organizations. The resident is strongly encouraged to become an active member of the Pediatric Pharmacy Advocacy Group (PPAG) and American College of Clinical Pharmacists (ACCP) Pediatrics PRN and attend one of these annual meetings.

Pharmacy Department Service:
The pediatric resident is expected to provide ~300 hours of pharmacy department service. This expectation will be met primarily by providing pediatric pharmacist coverage one weekend every 3 weeks (15 weekends) plus one major holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or New Year’s Day) and three weeks of operational shifts. A back-up pediatric pharmacist will always be available on site or on-call, to advise and support the resident as needed.  Each Pediatric resident will serve as a practicing pharmacist in the pediatric satellite on every third weekend.  From August through at least early October, the resident will be an additional pharmacist to assist the scheduled pediatric pharmacists.  Starting no earlier than October and when deemed appropriate, as determined by licensure status, feedback from pediatric pharmacy team and the resident, the resident will work with fostered independence as one of the scheduled weekend pharmacists. The pediatric resident will be working in both an operational and clinical capacity during these weekend shifts and is responsible for TPN, kinetics, drug information, anticoagulation and any other clinical/dispensing duties that may arise during the course of a shift.

Recruitment:
Pediatrics residents will assist in the resident recruitment and candidate selection process. This includes participating in any Pharmacy Showcases in which UC Davis Health participates, when appropriate. The pediatric resident may be asked to participate in the residency showcase at the ASHP Midyear meeting occurring the first or second week of December. They will also be involved in the interview process by helping to select appropriate candidates for interviewing, organizing the interview schedule, providing packets to both interviewees and interviewers, collecting all interview associated evaluation materials, summarizing these materials, and participating in final ranking selection process.

PALS Certification:
Each pediatric resident is expected to successfully complete the Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) curriculum within the first two months of the residency. The goal is to ensure the pediatrics resident is familiar with and capable of providing PALS in the event of an emergency.

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 Life Support (BLS) certification as well as Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) are required.

Resident Portfolio:
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 Life Support (BLS) certification as well as Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) are required. 

Resident Portfolio:
Pediatric residents will be required to maintain a file on the institutional shared drive throughout the residency year. This file will serve as the comprehensive resident portfolio, documenting completion of all residency and rotation requirements. This includes, but is not limited to, the following all presentations given during residency (lectures, In services, Journal Clubs, Competencies) and associated Evaluations; Duty Hours, Vacation Hours Worksheet; Disease State List with dates and preceptors; A copy of pharmacy school diploma and PGY1 Residency Certificate. Many of these items will also be stored in PharmAcademic. 

Fringe Benefits: 
Health, dental and vision insurance for resident and dependents, paid time off (PTO), extended sick leave, and professional development days. Use of leave must be arranged in advance with the RPD. Travel funds (~$2500) are included in the base salary. There is a stipend for scrubs.

Journal Club Presentations:
Overall Journal Clubs are held every 6 weeks (on average).  This will be comprised of a total of 8 journal clubs during the year.  The articles will be chosen by the Pediatric resident with guidance from the Journal club Preceptor to meet overall goals which are to exercise skills in critical thinking and literature evaluation. Selected articles will differ in research design, in order to expose the resident to various types of study design.  Journal clubs will be made available to all staff and formally presented.

Pediatric Residency Advisory Committee
This group will be comprised of the Program Director and Core Preceptors to help to improve the educational experience, adjust the residency as needed based on concerns of the resident/preceptors and provide feedback to preceptors and residents.  This meeting will take place monthly and will involve the PGY2 Residents as their input is immensely valuable in the execution of the residency program.

Pre-employment drug screening is a requirement of UC Davis Health.

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 requirement for 2/3 of the residency year
  • Moonlighting
  • Duty hours
  • Tracking of duty hours
  • Professional, family, and extended leave policies
  • Dismissal policy and consequences of failure to progress

Summary of requirements for successful completion of the PGY-2 Pediatrics Residency:

  1. Copy of certificate of completion of PGY1 residency
  2. Pharmacy Licensure in California within 90 days of residency start date
  3. A minimum of 52 weeks of training inclusive of vacation, professional, and sick leave
  4. Completion of all Departmental Competencies
  5. Completion of CITI training for research
  6. Successful completion of all required rotations and completion of additional elective rotations totaling 12 months plus full participation in longitudinal activities
  7. Active participation on the Pediatric MERC Committee (PMERC) – One afternoon weekly for didactics, one hour meeting week prior to PMERC, two hours at monthly PMERC meeting
  8. Participation in the PGY-2 Pediatric Pharmacy Residency evaluation process (self- evaluation, rotation evaluation, preceptor evaluation and preceptor's resident evaluation, quarterly development plans)
  9. Active participation in the annual Pediatric Residency QI Meeting in April
  10. Completion of duty hours documentation, disease state tracker documentation as well as any other ASHP required documentation reflective of activities (e.g., presentations and associated evaluations)
  11. Completion of staffing requirements with full participation in weekend clinical satellite service responsibilities
  12. 80% of all assigned objectives shall be achieved for residency, 100% of all clinical G/O (area R1 and R5)

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

Deliverables

Objective 2.1.1 (Creating) Prepare or revise a drug class review, monograph, treatment guideline, or protocol related to care of pediatric patients including proposals for medication-safety technology improvements. Complete at least once for the year.

  • Prepare or revise an institutional protocol, policy or treatment guideline


Objective 2.1.2
(Evaluating) Participate in a medication-use evaluation or quality improvement audit related to care for pediatric patients. - complete at least once for the year AND Objective 2.1.4 (Analyzing) Identify opportunities for improvement of the medication-use system related to care for pediatric patients. Complete at least once for the year.

  • Utilize the event reporting system to review errors involving drugs for a given period of time and analyze processes involved with improvement opportunities with presentation to P&T committee

Objective 2.2.6 (Creating) Effectively develop and present, orally and in writing, a final project report suitable for publication related to care for pediatric patients or for a topic for advancing the pharmacy profession or pediatric pharmacy at a local, regional, or national conference  

  • Completion of research project and review article with manuscripts suitable for publication and presentation of research project at the University of California Research Collaborative (or other approved conference) - Complete two papers and one formal presentation per year

Objective 4.1.4 (Applying) Use effective presentation and teaching skills to deliver    education related to pediatric pharmacy, Objective 4.1.5 (Applying) Use effective presentation and teaching skills to deliver education related to pediatric pharmacy AND Objective 4.1.6 (Applying) Appropriately assess effectiveness of education    related to pediatric pharmacy.  

  • Satisfactory completion of assigned teaching requirements with evaluations in placed in resident folder (rotational precepting of students/residents, 8 Journal Clubs, 4 DI presentations, bi-weekly topic discussions, Touro College of Pharmacy or University of the Pacific lecture and Pediatric Grand Rounds to Department of Pediatrics)

Objective 5.1.1 (Applying) Demonstrate understanding of the management of pediatric medical emergencies according to the organization’s policies and procedures.  

  • Obtain PALS certification and carry code pager daily while on rotation, responding to codes that does not interfere with related rotational issues (in a presentation, off site, unable to leave given current situation).