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PGY1 Pharmacy Residency

The University of Kansas Health System offers a 13-month post-PharmD training program. The PGY1 pharmacy residency is an organized, directed, postgraduate training program that centers on development of the knowledge, attitudes and skills needed to pursue rational drug therapy.

Residency program purpose statement

PGY1 residency programs build upon a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and outcomes to develop pharmacist practitioners with knowledge, skills and abilities as defined in the educational competency areas, goals and objectives. Residents who successfully complete PGY1 residency programs will be skilled in diverse patient care, practice management, leadership and education and be prepared to provide patient care, seek board certification in pharmacotherapy (i.e., BCPS), and pursue advanced education and training opportunities including postgraduate year 2 (PGY2) residencies.

PGY1 pharmacy residency program highlights

Length of program: 13 months (approximately June-June)

Number of positions: up to 6

PGY1 pharmacy residency program required learning experiences:

  1. Orientation
  2. Acute care general selective (select at least 1)
    • Internal medicine
    • Cardiology
  3. Acute care specialty selective (select at least 1)
    • Inpatient and outpatient hematology/oncology
    • Inpatient cystic fibrosis
    • Neonatal intensive care (NICU)
    • Neurology
    • Maternal medicine
    • Perioperative/OR
    • Psychiatric pharmacy
    • Pulmonary hypertension
    • Solid organ transplant
  4. Ambulatory care selective
    See PGY2 website for list of available learning experiences.
  5. Medication use, safety and policy
    Includes foundations of drug policy, drug information, pharmacy and therapeutics committee, medication safety, quality outcomes and compliance.
  6. Introduction to administration
  7. Research (longitudinal)
    PGY1 residents participate in leading 2 research projects throughout the year. Through the reversed model, PGY1 residents complete data collection/analysis and develop a poster and manuscript in the first 6 months of the program for a research project that was developed by a previous PGY1 resident. Starting in January of the residency year, PGY1 residents will develop a research question and design a research project by the end of the residency year that will be passed to the incoming PGY1 class.
  8. Service commitment (longitudinal)
    PGY1 residents staff clinical pharmacist shifts approximately every other weekend through January and then approximately every fourth weekend from January to June of the residency year. All weekend shifts are decentralized clinical pharmacist shifts with direct patient care responsibilities. Clinical care teams PGY1 resident staff are reevaluated each residency year. They currently include cardiology, pediatrics, internal medicine and/or surgery, and the PGY1 resident joins one team for the entire year. PGY1/2 HSPAL and PGY1/2 MUSP residents in their PGY1 year follow the same staffing schedule but may staff in other pharmacy teams.
  9. Presentations: Grand rounds and leadership topic discussion
    PGY1 residents will present 1 45-minute and 1 60-minute pharmacy grand rounds presentations throughout the year. The 60-minute presentation includes offering continuing education credit for pharmacists. Additionally, PGY1 residents moderate and lead 1 leadership topic discussion throughout the year as part of a leadership book club series.

PGY1 Pharmacy program specific elective learning experiences:

  1. Critical care selective
  2. Advanced independent practice (AIP)
  3. 3 general electives (1 must be in direct patient care setting)

PGY1/2 MUSP program specific elective learning experiences for PGY1 year:

  1. Advanced medication use, safety and policy
  2. Critical care selective
  3. Advanced independent practice (AIP)
  4. 2 general electives (1 must be in direct patient care setting)

PGY1/2 HSPAL program specific elective learning experiences for PGY1 year:

  1. Advanced administration
  2. Leadership expansion
  3. Transitions of care
  4. 1 general elective in direct patient care setting

Elective learning experiences:

The following learning experiences are considered elective options, but some may be required or specific to a particular PGY1 or PGY1/2 program. Additionally, all selective learning experiences included above in required learning experiences section may be selected as .elective learning experiences.

  1. Advanced administration
  2. Advanced heart failure
  3. Advanced independent practice (AIP)
  4. 2-week experience following a blocked learning experience in an acute care setting where the resident is the assigned pharmacist for the clinical team. This learning experience is scheduled after December of the residency year.
  5. Advanced medication use safety and policy
  6. Antimicrobial stewardship/Infectious diseases
  7. Chief PGY1 resident (longitudinal) *Application required
  8. This elective longitudinal learning experience takes place from January to July of the PGY1 residency year. The primary focus is to gain experience with residency program administration as well as developing and improving leadership skills of the resident.
  9. Critical care selective
  10. Includes the following learning experiences:
    • Medical ICU
    • Neurosurgery ICU
    • Surgical/trauma ICU
  11. Emergency Department
  12. Leadership expansion
  13. Final learning experience of PGY1 year for PGY1/2 HSPAL residents in the residents’ PGY2 longitudinal management area.
  14. Palliative care services
  15. Pharmacy informatics
  16. Pharmacy practice management
  17. Toxicology (Poison Center)
  18. Transitions of care

Benefits

  • Annual salary: $52,000
  • Benefits include PTO, paid holidays and other benefits provided to health system employees
  • View more information

Program manuals

Informational sessions

  • Virtual recruitment events will be held in the fall. Details and links to these events can be found on our social media accounts (below) or by emailing the program contacts.

Application requirements

PhORCAS residency program application

  • Letter of intent
  • Curriculum vitae
  • College transcripts
  • 3 letters of recommendation
  • Supplemental materials as outlined in the ASHP residency program directory

Deadlines

  • All application materials must be received via PhORCAS by due date listed on ASHP residency program directory.
  • Must have a valid pharmacy license in the state of Kansas within 90 days of the start of residency.

National matching services (NMS) code: 143313

We are an equal employment opportunity employer without regard to a person’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity and sexual orientation), national origin, ancestry, age (40 or older), disability, veteran status or genetic information.

Contact us

The University of Kansas Health System
Pharmacy
4000 Cambridge St., Mailstop 4040
Kansas City, KS 66160
Sarah Mester

PGY1 Pharmacy residency program director

Sarah Mester, PharmD, MS, BCPS (she/her/hers)

Lindsey Fitzpatrick

PGY1 Pharmacy residency program coordinator

Lindsey Fitzpatrick, PharmD, BCPS (she/her/hers)

Meet our residents

Samar Abood

Pharmacy School: The University of Kansas School of Pharmacy

Clinical Staffing Area: Internal Medicine

Research Project Title: Accelerated Infliximab Dosing Frequency for IBD

Areas of Interest: Cardiology and ambulatory care

Why I Chose The University of Kansas Health System: I was fortunate to have several rotations at the health system as a LAPPE student, which gave me a firsthand perspective on the residency program. Working alongside the residents and watching them grow throughout the year confirmed that the health system was the type of training environment I was looking for. What stood out most was the people. I was impressed by the exceptional preceptors and their genuine investment in developing well-rounded clinicians through mentorship and meaningful learning experiences. I was also drawn to the health system for its diverse patient population, wide range of complex disease states and strong academic environment. I knew it would challenge me clinically while providing the support and mentorship to grow into the best clinical pharmacist I can be.

Zach Boten

Pharmacy School: University of Iowa

Clinical Staffing Area: Internal Medicine

Research Project Title: Mogamulizumab vs. Extracorporeal Photopheresis vs. Combination for Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma

Area of Interest: Hematology/Oncology

Why I Chose The University of Kansas Health System: I chose the health system because of the unique opportunities the PGY1 program offers as an academic medical center. The health system has so many great rotations that allow me to work within complex and unique populations that aren't commonly seen. These unique opportunities, along with the great people that make up the program, signaled to me that this is a place where I can grow into a strong pharmacist clinically, while having a top-tier support structure throughout.

Mitchell Harris

Pharmacy School: St. Louis College of Pharmacy

Clinical Staffing Area: Cardiology

Research Project Title: Efficacy and Safety of Standard-Dose Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim Versus Reduced-Dose Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim for the Treatment of Pneumocystis Jirovecii Pneumonia

Area of Interest: Hematology/Oncology

Why I Chose The University of Kansas Health System: I chose The University of Kansas Health System for my PGY1 residency because I wanted to learn and work in an environment that would challenge me throughout the year and push me to grow. Throughout my interview process, I was impressed by the people, collaborative culture and commitment to innovation. As a large academic medical center, The University of Kansas Health System offers the opportunity to care for a diverse patient population while learning from experts across a wide range of specialties. I knew this environment would help me develop into a well-rounded clinical pharmacist and set me up for success in my career.

Paige Mueller

Pharmacy School: University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy

Clinical Staffing Area: Pediatrics

Research Project Title: Comparing Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Concurrent Versus Sequential Administration of Tissue Plasminogen Activator and Dornase Alpha for Intrapleural Use

Area of Interest: Critical Care

Why I Chose The University of Kansas Health System: I chose The University of Kansas Health System for my PGY1 residency because it had everything I was looking for in a program. It's a large academic medical center with a diverse patient population and a wide variety of learning experiences to help me strengthen my clinical knowledge and develop as a pharmacist. I knew from talking with residents in the program that I would not only be challenged clinically, but also supported by preceptors and mentors who are as invested in my growth as I am.

Sarah Petersen

Pharmacy School: University of North Carolina

Clinical Staffing Area: Internal Medicine

Research Project Title: Use of Intravenous Immune Globulin on Hospital Length of Stay in Patients with Interstitial Lung Disease

Areas of Interest: Emergency Medicine, Hematology/Oncology

Why I Chose The University of Kansas Health System: I chose the health system because of its depth and breadth of opportunities, as well as the amount of support and care the program and department have for their residents.

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