PGY2: Ambulatory Care UPMC St. Margaret

The postgraduate year two (PGY2) Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency at UPMC St. Margaret is the second year of a two-year residency program in which the UPMC St. Margaret PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency continues to a PGY2 specialty residency in Ambulatory Care with special emphasis in Family Medicine.

Site/Location

UPMC St. Margaret Hospital

UPMC St. Margaret Bloomfield-Garfield Family Health Center

UPMC St. Margaret Lawrenceville Family Health Center

UPMC St. Margaret New Kensington Family Health Center

Program Purpose

PGY2 pharmacy residency programs build on Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and PGY1 pharmacy residency programs to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists in specialized areas of practice. PGY2 residencies provide residents with opportunities to function independently as practitioners by conceptualizing and integrating accumulated experience and knowledge and incorporating both into the provision of patient care or other advanced practice settings. Residents who successfully complete an accredited PGY2 pharmacy residency are prepared for advanced patient care, academic, or other specialized positions, along with board certification, if available.

Mission

The purpose of the Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency is to train highly motivated, team-oriented pharmacy residents on advanced patient care skills, teaching techniques, and practice-based research methods, preparing them to be leaders of change in the medical and academic community. The focus is on independent pharmacy practice, allowing the specialty resident advanced practice opportunities in interdisciplinary health care settings.

What Makes Us Unique?

Collaborate interdisciplinary practice and teaching. Residents at UPMC St. Margaret also complete a two-year Faculty Development Fellowship. This program is a longitudinal curriculum in which family medicine physicians and pharmacy residents collaboratively learn teaching strategies, leadership, mentorship, and research design. In addition to the core faculty at UPMC St. Margaret, fellowship sessions are led by local experts in communication and teaching design from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, along with national figures in health system advocacy and leadership. Additionally, as part of the University of Pittsburgh Pharmacy Residency Program, residents at UPMC St. Margaret participate in resident group seminars with pharmacy residents in other training programs. They have numerous opportunities to give formal and informal presentations to healthcare professionals, precept pharmacy students, and teach at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy.

Program Overview

Program Experiences

Longitudinal Experiences (Required)
Outpatient Family Health Center 
Research
Faculty Development Fellowship
Teaching and Learning 
PK/Clinical Resource Pharmacist 

Block Core Rotations (Required)
Orientation 
Inpatient Family Health Center Teaching Service 
Outpatient Private Practice

Electives
Diabetes Summer Camp
Global Health 
Inpatient Medicine 
Pediatrics 

Requirements for Program Completion

• Copy of Updated Curriculum Vitae as of May 30
• Submit a resident portfolio including a breakdown of and examples of clinical, teaching, and research efforts throughout the academic year.  
• Research project (copy of protocol, IRB/AI documents, data, analysis)
• Manuscript completed and provided to Residency Program Director by June 30th with the hope to submit to a peer-reviewed journal
• Research project presentation (at least 2)
• Create a poster pertaining to research project
• Create or enhance a practice improvement initiative at your primary practice site
• Complete all tasks associated with Learning experiences and residency documentation in PharmAcademic
• Complete one presentation at a regional or national conference
• Achieve objective benchmarks set for residency progression (Q1= 0-25%; Q2 26-50%; Q3 51-75%; Q4 80-100%)
• Achieve 80% of all residency goals and objectives by the end of the residency year

 

Manual/Policy and Procedures

Will be provided by program

Employment Information

Start Date: July 1

Term of Appointment: Start date through June 30 of following year

Stipend and Benefit Information

                Yearly Stipend: https://www.upmc.com/careers/gme/about/benefits
                Paid Time Off: 20 days
                Benefits:

                Travel:  PGY2 residents typically travel to ACCP or ASHP and the STFM Annual Conference in the Spring

Application/Interview Information

Eligible candidates will be graduating or have graduated from an accredited school of pharmacy. Candidates must register for the Match – ASHP Residency Matching Program - and submit an application requirement via PhORCAS by December 31. Select candidates will be invited for an interview. All interviews will be conducted virtually for the upcoming recruitment season.   

PGY2 ambulatory care and geriatric residency candidates are identified in the ASHP Residency Matching Program prior to their PGY1 year. As PGY1 residents all will have the opportunity to Early Commit to PGY2 ambulatory care and PGY2 geriatric residency if they meet program criteria. Candidates will follow Early Commitment Process in their PGY1 year to confirm acceptance into the PGY2 specialty residency program.  

This residency site agrees that no person at this site will solicit, accept, or use any ranking-related information from any residency candidate.  

Meet Our Team

Residency Program Director

Bobbie Farrah PharmD, BCPS, BCACP

Residency Program Coordinator

Jennifer Crupie

Preceptors

• Bobbie Farrah, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP
• Marianne Koenig, PharmD, BCPS
• Brianna Ordons, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP
• Aaron Pickering, PharmD, BCPS
• Candice Pilarski, BSPharm, RPh
• Heather Sakely, PharmD, BCPS, BCGP
• Gretchen Shelesky, MD, MS, FAAFP
• Alexandria Taylor, PharmD, BCPS
• Maria Osborne, PharmD, BCACP
• Aaron Difilippo, PharmD

Current Residents

• Madison Abbs
• Drake Meany
• Taylor Thompson

Past Residents and First Positions