Margaret A. Underwood, PharmD, is a PGY-2 ambulatory care pharmacy resident at the Boise VA Medical Center in Boise, ID; Jordan Rowe, PharmD, BCACP, BC–ADM, is a clinical assistant professor at the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Pharmacy; and Paria Sanaty Zadeh, PharmD, is APhA associate director of practice and science programs in Washington, DC.
As a student pharmacist or a first-year pharmacy resident, it is challenging to assess the postgraduate path needed to achieve one’s career goals. Determining if additional training beyond the first residency year is the next best step can be one of the most challenging decisions that pharmacy residents face.
For some, 1 year of training as a postgraduate year one (PGY-1) resident is satisfactory for achieving the clinical skills and professional growth to meet their career goals. Three types of PGY-1 residency programs—PGY-1 pharmacy, PGY-1 community-based pharmacy, and PGY-1 managed care—are available and provide intensive learning experiences for growth. For others, embarking on a second year of specialized pharmacy training is the appropriate path to further hone skills in a practice area of interest. PGY-2 residency training is offered in a variety of areas, including pharmacy administration, ambulatory care, cardiology, critical care, emergency medicine, infectious diseases, oncology, pediatrics, and many more specialties.
This article shares insights from interviews with 2 pharmacy residents—Madeline Burling, PharmD, a PGY-1 pharmacy resident at Olathe Medical Center, in Olathe, KS, and Paul VanEmmerik, PharmD, a PGY-2 emergency medicine resident at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, in Columbus, OH—as they recount their decisions to pursue pharmacy residency and their residency experiences.
PGY-1 pharmacy residency spotlight: Madeline Burling, PharmD
Dr. Burling’s favorite aspect of residency is the depth of knowledge that she gains each day. “I feel encouraged when my ability to learn allows me to become an integral part of the hospital and further adds value to my role on the health care team,” she said. To reach her goal of becoming a confident clinical practitioner and acute care pharmacist, Dr. Burling elected to pursue an intensive year of clinical training through PGY-1 pharmacy residency.
Recently, Dr. Burling completed a PGY-1 rotation in the intensive care unit, where her daily responsibilities involved bedside rounding as well as making medication interventions and recommendations to the interprofessional team, all while precepting student pharmacists on rotation. “I’ve already seen profound growth in myself both personally and clinically,” Dr. Burling shared. “Devoting the necessary effort to manage a heavy workload is very rewarding because I’ve become more competent and capable in my role as a health care practitioner.”
She also reminds us that residency is not just all work. One of her favorite aspects of residency is the community rapport that she has cultivated with her fellow co-residents and co-workers. “The social interactions with my team make all of my time spent at work more enjoyable.”
Dr. Burling’s advice for student pharmacists who are curious about first-year residency is to “keep up all the great work that you’ve done thus far in pharmacy school, and always find ways to cultivate excitement and motivation to contribute to the profession!”
While Dr. Burling did not initially anticipate applying for a PGY-2 residency, she approached her PGY-1 pharmacy residency year with a sense of curiosity. “A few months into residency, I noticed my disappointment when my critical care and emergency medicine rotations would end. I found myself excited to hear about interventions that clinical specialists in those departments were making.” It was this realization that gave her further clarity into her clinical passion. “I’m confident that my PGY-1 experience is preparing me well to enter the workforce as a clinical pharmacist. I know that a second year of focused training will only further develop my specialty skills in these practice areas, and I feel that I’d be remiss to forgo an opportunity to apply for PGY-2 residency.”
PGY-2 emergency medicine residency spotlight: Paul VanEmmerik, PharmD
Dr. VanEmmerik enjoys the variety of daily challenges that his PGY-2 residency program offers. Training to practice as an emergency medicine pharmacist, his PGY-2 rotations thus far have been challenging but rewarding.
After graduating from a PGY-1 pharmacy residency program, Dr. VanEmmerik sought a second-year specialty residency to further his knowledge and craft his independent role as an emergency medicine pharmacist. He chose to pursue PGY-2 residency to gain additional training and ensure appropriate preparation for a career in emergency medicine.
“Every day is slightly different in the emergency department,” Dr. VanEmmerik shared. “My role involves a variety of duties that afford me opportunities to see and respond to different clinical emergencies such as strokes, traumas, codes, and rapid sequence intubations. These daily responsibilities are coupled with weekly topic discussions with preceptors, clinical projects, and active participation in the institution’s Trauma Quality Committee and Antibiotic Subcommittee.”
While he admits that PGY-2 residency can at times be busy and stressful, Dr. VanEmmerik enjoys providing bedside patient care for critically-ill patients and knows that this year of specialized training will prepare and position him well for practicing as an emergency medicine pharmacist. “The incredible knowledge and mentorship that I’ve gained during residency is worth the stressful nights, and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to pursue both PGY-1 and PGY-2 residency to grow my clinical skills.”
When considering pursuing PGY-2 residency, it was the opportunity to gain clinical expertise and confidence in the emergency department that swayed Dr. VanEmmerik to apply. If you are contemplating PGY-2 residency, Dr. VanEmmerik recommended leveraging PGY-1 rotational experiences and making intentional efforts to seek out a diversity of opportunities to identify clinical areas of interest. “This will provide insight and help guide those who may be considering PGY-2 residency.”
Future directions
Whether you are interested in 1 or 2 years of pharmacy residency training, the learning experiences from both program types offer immense opportunities for clinical exposure, interprofessional collaboration, precepting, networking, and professional and personal growth. If practicing in a specialized area of pharmacy is within your career goals, consider the additional training that can be gained through PGY-2 residency.
For more information about postgraduate opportunities, please visit APhA Postgraduate Opportunities.
Acknowledgements
This article was developed through the work of the 2022–2023 APhA–APPM Pharmacy Residency Standing Committee. The authors extend their appreciation to Shiyar Kapan, PharmD, a first-year pharmacy fellow with the Rutgers Pharmaceutical Industry Fellowship in conjunction with Pfizer Inc., for his contributions to this article.