Pharmacy residency program

About the PGY1 pharmacy practice residency

The PGY1 pharmacy practice residency is designed to provide the first-year resident with a wide variety of clinical and professional experiences in pediatrics. Residents will complete required rotations and have approximately three months to complete elective learning experiences in areas of their interest.

The purpose of our ASHP-accredited PGY1 residency program is to provide experience and knowledge which foster the development of skills to fulfill the challenges of evolving roles in pharmacy practice. Residents completing the pharmacy practice residency program at Children’s are able to:

• Manage and improve the medication-use process
• Exercise leadership and practice management skills
• Demonstrate project management skills
• Provide medication and practice-related education/training
• Utilize medical informatics
• Participate in the management of medical emergencies
• Demonstrate additional competencies that contribute to working successfully in the health care environment

Upon completion of this residency program, residency graduates are prepared to successfully fulfill the requirements of a clinical staff pharmacist working with pediatric patients in a clinical setting.

About the PGY2 clinical pharmacogenomics pharmacy residency

The ASHP – accredited PGY2 clinical pharmacogenomics pharmacy residency at Children’s Minnesota is designed to provide the second-year resident with a comprehensive education in clinical pharmacogenomics as well as experience needed to implement a clinical pharmacogenomic service in a new practice site.  While this residency is located within a pediatric health-system, the skills and education provided to the resident will be broadly applicable across patient populations.

The residency is housed in the Children’s Minnesota Medical Genetics and Genomics Department and the resident will have the opportunity to work with geneticists and genetic counselors providing care to medically complex children and adolescents.  The resident will join a multidisciplinary team composed of pharmacists, physicians, nurse practitioners, genetic counselors, molecular pathologists, and clinical informatics specialists dedicated to the implementation of a clinical pharmacogenomics service in pediatric primary and specialty care. In addition to direct patient care, the resident will assist the Pharmacogenomics Program Director in managing all aspects of the program.

Residents will complete a residency project as well as participate in department initiatives, hospital committees and clinical educational programs for patients/families and hospital staff. In addition to on-site educational programs, residents also have the opportunity to teach in a pharmacogenomics elective course at the University of Minnesota.

The purpose of our PGY2 clinical pharmacogenomics pharmacy residency program is to provide experience and knowledge which foster the development of skills to fulfill the challenges of evolving roles in pharmacy practice. Residents completing the clinical pharmacogenomics pharmacy residency program at Children’s Minnesota are able to:

• Demonstrate leadership and practice management skills in clinical pharmacogenomics
• Optimize the care of inpatient and ambulatory care patients by integrating evidence-based, patient-centered, pharmacogenomic recommendations regarding medication therapy as an integral part of an interdisciplinary team
• Serve as an authoritative resource on the use of pharmacogenomics in clinical practice
• Evaluate, manage and improve the use of pharmacogenomics in patient care
• Demonstrate excellence in the provision of training or educational activities in pharmacogenomics for health care professionals, health care professionals in training, and the public
• Conduct clinical pharmacogenomics research
• Demonstrate skills required to function in an academic setting

Upon completion of the program, the resident will have the clinical skills and necessary experience to practice in the field of clinical pharmacogenomics, and to implement a pharmacogenomic service in a new practice site.

Orientation/training

PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency

Residents will be oriented to the department during the first week of the residency. This will consist of an overview of Children’s Minnesota, the pharmacy department, introduction to department procedures and opportunities to discuss work responsibilities with various department members. The majority of training will occur during the first 5-6 weeks of the residency. It is expected that by the end of this time the resident will be competent to work on line shifts as a decentralized pharmacist at Children’s Minnesota. Residents may have the option to begin their orientation prior to July 1. Depending on when the resident begins their training, this could free up additional time for elective rotations later in the year.

Pharmacogenomics PGY2

Residents will be oriented to the department during the first week of the residency.  This will consist of an overview of Children’s Minnesota and the Medical Genetics and Genomics department, department procedures and opportunities to discuss work responsibilities with various department members.  Orientation to pediatric pharmacy practice is a required 4 – 6 week-long learning experience that will be tailored to meet the learning needs of the individual resident. The majority of orientation is spent completing a Pediatric Medicine rotation which is designed to provide the resident with a wide educational experience in the management of the general medicine pediatric patient. The resident will work directly with the clinical staff pharmacist and medical team (Attending Pediatric Hospitalist, Pediatric Medical Residents, and Medical Students) to provide care for patients admitted to the medical/surgical units at Children’s Minnesota.

Residency learning experiences

Individualized residency plan

We plan the learning experiences for the residency during the initial weeks of the residency year. The resident will complete a Resident Assessment and Plan for Training. Using this information, the resident’s primary preceptor will develop an individualized residency plan for the resident. Both the resident and the primary preceptor will agree to specific learning experiences.

Required learning experiences

The pharmacy practice residency program consists of required and elective learning experiences. The required learning experiences and their duration include:

PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Resident

• Orientation/training (5-6 weeks)
• Practice management (4 weeks followed by a longitudinal learning experience)
• Pediatric medicine (6 weeks)
• Pediatric intensive care (6 weeks)
• Neonatal intensive care (6 weeks)
• Staffing (Longitudinal learning experience)
• Residency project (Longitudinal learning experience)
• Teaching certificate (Longitudinal learning experience)

PGY2 Clinical Pharmacogenomics Resident

The clinical pharmacogenomics residency program consists of required clinical and longitudinal learning experiences. The required learning experiences and their duration include:

• Orientation/Pediatric Medicine (5-6 weeks)
• Pharmacogenomics 1 (approximately 4 months)
• Oncology – hybrid inpatient & ambulatory care (6 weeks)
• Pharmacogenomics 2 (approximately 4 months)
• Behavioral Health (5-6 weeks)
• Pain and Palliative Care (4 weeks)
• Research (longitudinal, 12 months)
• Clinical Informatics (longitudinal learning experience, 12 months)
• Professionalism and Leadership (longitudinal learning experience, 12 months)
• Education and Teaching (longitudinal learning experience, 12 months)

Elective learning experiences

The PGY1 pharmacy practice residents will have approximately 24 weeks for choosing elective learning experiences from either of Children’s Minnesota hospital campuses to meet their interests. In the past, residents have chosen to pursue elective learning experiences in areas including (but not limited to): cardiovascular intensive care, inpatient/outpatient hematology, inpatient/outpatient oncology, medication therapy management, emergency medicine, pharmacogenomics, antibiotic stewardship, toxicology, cystic fibrosis and endocrinology. The resident may also choose to repeat a required rotation at either campus. It must be noted that the maximum amount of time the resident can spend in the same clinical area is four months. Off-site learning experiences outside Children’s Minnesota may also be available for the resident.

PGY2 Clinical Pharmacogenomics residents have not completed elective rotations to date.  Based upon the interests of the residents, an elective learning experience may be arranged.  This would take place during the second half of the residency following a capstone rotation model where the resident may not have a preceptor trained in the area of choice and may be a clinic or discipline that has not had experience working with pharmacogenomic test results.

Evaluations

Evaluation of the resident’s performance is vital to the resident’s development and will consist of (at least) the following evaluations.

Summative evaluations

Summative evaluations are completed by the preceptor at the conclusion of the resident’s learning experience and quarterly during longitudinal learning experiences. Summative evaluations are designed to evaluate the resident’s performance on the goals and objectives assigned to their learning experiences.

Formative evaluations

Formative evaluations are related to specific events and tasks. It is precise feedback given at a specific moment in time after observing the resident’s activity. Formative feedback is usually given verbally by the preceptor. Formative evaluations may be completed as often as deemed necessary by the preceptor.

Self-evaluations

Residents conduct self-evaluation of their work on an ongoing basis. The preceptor will prepare a program of self-evaluation for the learning experience and discuss it with the resident.

Preceptor and learning experience evaluation

Upon completion of the learning experience, the resident shall complete the Preceptor and Learning Experience Evaluation form to provide feedback for the preceptor.

Quarterly evaluations

Residents’ progress towards accomplishing their residency goals will be assessed quarterly using the Quarterly Summary of Residency Goals form. This will help focus efforts towards the goals that the resident has not made significant progress in achieving.

Department Meetings

Pharmacy leadership meeting

The Pharmacy Leadership Meeting is an informational meeting intended to keep management and clinical staffs current with department projects and up to date with recent developments in our department.

Pharmacy and Therapeutic Committee (P&T)

The residents are appointed to the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee as non-voting members. Each PGY1 resident will write at least two new drug reviews and present this information to the committee for formulary inclusion or exclusion. The residents’ medication use evaluations (MUE) will also be approved and reviewed by the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee. The PGY2 pediatric specialty resident will act in the role of committee secretary by taking minutes and working to set each month’s agenda and will write and present at least one new drug review.  The PGY2 clinical pharmacogenomics resident will present the quarterly report from the Pharmacogenomics Oversight Committee and review pharmacogenomic implications for any new medications being considered by for formulary edition.

Resident/preceptor meetings

Residents and preceptors from all programs will meet at least monthly to discuss current issues involving the residents and the respective residency program.

Clinical Pharmacy Practice Council (CPPC)

PGY1 pharmacy practice residents will attend the monthly CPPC meeting to discuss clinical issues affecting the department and care of patients at Children’s Minnesota.

Pharmacogenomics Oversight Committee (POC)

The POC meets every other month throughout the year. These are currently virtual meetings due to COVID-19 restrictions.  The PGY2 clinical pharmacogenomics resident will work with the program director and pharmacogenomics assistant to develop the agenda, generate meeting minutes, lead discussion on assigned agenda items and follow up on committee communications outside of regular meeting times.  The resident is expected to attend all POC meetings but may be excused after discussion with program director/RPD.

Genetics all-staff meetings

Genetics staff meetings are held regularly on the Minneapolis campus (currently virtual due to COVID restrictions) to communicate information to department staff.  The PGY2 clinical pharmacogenomics resident is expected to attend these meetings and may give a presentation if the opportunity presents itself.

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Children’s Minnesota Institutional Review Board meets twice monthly.  Clinical Pharmacogenomics residents are be encouraged to attend at least one meeting of the IRB during the residency year.  The resident should work with the Research Preceptor/Genetic Scientific Investigator to coordinate which meeting to attend.

Pharmacogenomics/Molecular laboratory meeting

Children’s Minnesota is developing the ability to perform pharmacogenomic testing in its in-house molecular laboratory.  The resident will participate in the planning and implementation activities of the committee.  There will be projects assigned to advance pharmacogenomics testing capabilities at Children’s Minnesota.

Professional Meetings

National meetings

The department will pay for travel, lodging and meeting registration for one national meeting. The PGY1 pediatric pharmacy residents typically attend the Pediatric Pharmacy Association (PPA) annual meeting in late April and present the results of their residency project at the meeting.

Local professional meetings

Residents are strongly encouraged to attend local professional conferences that focus on current issues in pharmacotherapy. These would include the MSHP annual and mid-year meetings.

Presentations/teaching experiences

The resident will be scheduled to provide four case presentations that meet requirements to qualify as continued pharmacy education (CPE) credit with the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). The topic of these presentations will be related to a current learning experience and will be presented via network link to both of Children’s Minnesota hospital campuses. Preceptors of clinical rotations may also request the resident to present a case presentation or journal club at the end of their rotation. Residents should discuss with their preceptor the expectations for case presentations and journal clubs at the start of the rotation. The PGY2 clinical pharmacogenomics resident will also present two formal journal clubs to a national group of pharmacogenomics experts who meet monthly via an electronic platform.

The PGY1 pharmacy practice residents also provide didactic coursework for pharmacy students at the Minnesota College of Pharmacy.

Teaching certificate

PGY1 pediatric pharmacy residents will complete and earn a teaching certificate during their residency year. The certificate is modeled on recommendations published by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) and includes large group didactic instruction, small group discussion and precepting.

Residency project

Each resident completes a research or major project as part of their residency training. Each resident will work with their preceptor in the selection of their project. The PGY1 pharmacy practice residents will present the results of this project at the Annual PPA Meeting in spring. The PGY2 clinical pharmacogenomics resident will present their results at an appropriate clinical meeting (ASCPT, U of M PGx Conference, or U of FL PGx conference) and at the NorthStar Residency Conference. Assistance in research project design and statistics is provided by Children’s Minnesota Research Sponsored Programs.

Adverse Drug Report Review

The PGY1 pharmacy practice residents will be responsible for maintaining the adverse drug report log.

Medication Use Evaluation (MUE)

Each PGY1 pharmacy practice resident will be responsible for developing, performing and presenting a MUE project during their residency. The results will be presented at the Pharmacy and Therapeutics committee and/or the medical division committee.

Resident trips

Each resident class is encouraged to tour different hospitals and pharmacy departments during the year. The purpose of these activities is to see alternative pharmacy systems and gain additional depth in knowledge and understanding in the provision of pharmacy services.

Resident salary and benefits

Residents receive salary and benefits for residency activities through Children’s Minnesota. The stipend is competitive. Dental and health insurance is provided in the benefits package offered by Children’s Minnesota.

Residents will have 30 days of paid time off (PTO) during the residency year. Residents will deduct compensation time, education time, sick time, etc., from their PTO account. The resident will need to notify their primary preceptor and staffing coordinator in advance regarding vacation requests.

Staffing responsibilities

PGY1 pharmacy practice residents will be scheduled to work every other weekend throughout the residency. In St. Paul, residents work five out of 12 weekends due to an occasional 12-hour shift. Each resident can expect to work either the Christmas or New Year’s holiday and additional holidays consistent with staffing patterns for the department.

There is no required pharmacy staffing component for the PGY2 pharmacogenomic residency program, though there may be opportunities to train and work in a variety of pharmacy settings (central, decentralized, or retail pharmacy), depending on the previous experience and interest-level of the resident.

Program preceptors

• Jessica Benshoof, PharmD, BCPS, BCPPS (Neonatal Intensive Care)
• Joan Erickson, BSPharm (Pediatric Intensive Care)
• Amy Gisslen, PharmD (Medication Safety)
• David Gregornik, BA, BS, PharmD (Pharmacogenomics – PGY2 Program Director)
• David Hoff, PharmD, BCPPS, FCCP, FPPA (Director of Clinical Pharmacy Services) 
• Jill Johnson, PharmD, BCPPS (Staffing)
• Izzy Lawson, PharmD (Neonatal Intensive Care) 
• Jennifer Lissick, PharmD, BCPS (Hemophilia Treatment Center) 
• Polina Lipnik, PharmD, BCPPS (Cardiovascular Critical Care)
• Teresa Mansur, PharmD, BCPPS (Inpatient Oncology)
• Kim Maxa, PharmD, MBA, BCOP (Ambulatory Oncology)
• Katie Meyers, PharmD, BCPPS (Neonatal Intensive Care)
• Jen Miller, MA (Senior Clinical Analyst)
• Julie Most, PharmD, MBA (Senior Director of Pharmacy)
• Kati Munson, PharmD, BCPPS (General Pediatrics)
• Julie Palmquist, BSPharm, BCPPS (Pediatric Intensive Care)
• Monica Premsukh, PharmD (Staffing)
• Emily Price, PharmD, BCPPS (Emergency Medicine)
• Mike Raschka, PharmD, BCPPS (Clinical Pharmacy Coordinator; PGY1 Residency Program Director)
• Samuel Roiko, PhD
• Lisa Stay, PharmD, BCPPS (General Pediatrics)

PGY1 Pharmacy Residency requirements for completion:

• 80% of evaluated goals must be achieved by the end of the year;
• Medication Use Evaluation with results presented at P&T Committee or division-level meeting;
• At least 2 new drug reviews/class reviews for the P&T Committee;
• At least 2 system/department policy revisions;
• Present at least 4 Continuing Pharmacy Education (CPE) Presentations;
• Present results of a residency project at a national or regional conference;
• Completed manuscript describing your research project written according to guidelines for publication set forth by AJHP or other journal.

PGY2 Pharmacogenomic Residency requirements for completion:

• 80% of evaluated goals must be achieved by the end of the year;
• Completion of a year-long research project
  • Present poster of research at an appropriate professional meeting
  • Draft of research project manuscript suitable for publication;
• Successful implementation of an assigned gene/drug pair in clinical practice and EHR;
• Participate as teaching assistant for Pharmacogenomics Elective Course at University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy
• Active participant/mentor (preceptor-in-training) for pharmacy students completing elective Pharmacogenomics APPE;
  • Committee involvement:
  • Provide leadership and coordination to Pharmacogenomic Oversight Committee
  • Pharmacy Therapeutics Committee: Provide quarterly pharmacogenomics report during second half of residency;
• Presentations:
  • Minimum of two in-services
  • Minimum of two journal clubs
  • Minimum of four formal presentations.

PGY1 pharmacy residents

Chrystelle Schowalter

Chrystelle Schowalter is originally from Oconomowoc, WI. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology, certificates in Global Health and Environmental Studies, and her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Chrystelle’s practice interests include anything pediatrics at this point, as she is unsure if she would like to specialize or work within a specific area of pediatrics. She does enjoy working on the inpatient units but also has an interest in ambulatory oncology, so she is keeping her mind open to options. Chrystelle will be utilizing her PGY1 year to determine if she would like to immediately go on to practice as a clinical pediatric pharmacist, or pursue a PGY2 to further develop her knowledge in pediatrics.

Her interests outside of pharmacy include spending time outside with her two dogs, traveling, trying new restaurants, and spending time with her husband, family and friends. She will also be trying new things here in Minnesota, such as going to the Minnesota State Fair, a MN Wild hockey game, state parks and local restaurants.

Jillian Taylor

Jillian Taylor is originally from Syracuse, New York. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Clarkson University. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy from The University of Texas at Austin.

Jillian’s practice interests include pediatric acute care, oncology and hematology. Upon completion of her PGY1, Jillian plans on practicing as a clinical pharmacist in a hybrid inpatient/outpatient setting. Outside of pharmacy, Jillian loves to knit, bake and listen to a wide variety of podcasts (comedy, audio drama, actual play TTRPG).

Joey Treul

Joey Treul is originally from Anaheim, California. He received his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Chemistry from the University of Minnesota, where he also earned his Doctor of Pharmacy. He is also currently pursuing a Master of Science in Health Informatics at the University of Minnesota.

Joey’s practice interest areas include neonatal critical care, emergency medicine and informatics. Upon completion of his PGY1, Joey plans on practicing as an informatics pharmacist in a hospital setting. Outside of pharmacy, his interests include making furniture, playing video games with friends and learning new sports (currently tennis and volleyball).

PGY2 pharmacogenomic resident

Jennifer Nelson

Jennifer M. Nelson is originally from Mound, Minnesota. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry with a minor in chemistry at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities, where she also later received her Doctor of Pharmacy. She completed her PGY1 residency at Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse, WI and has now returned to Minnesota to pursue her passion through a PGY2 specializing in pharmacogenomics.

During her PGY2 year, she will focus on increasing clinical utility and developing her expertise in pharmacogenomics. Upon completion of her PGY2, Jennifer will be a subject matter expert in pharmacogenomics. She plans on using these skills in her future career as a pharmacogenomics expert to expand its use and lead other inpatient and outpatient clinics and health systems in their pharmacogenomic implementation and program development. Outside of pharmacy, Jennifer’s interests include walking and running with her dog, traveling, playing video games and spending time with her family and friends.

To apply for our residency program, we require that you:

• Hold a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from ACPE accredited college of pharmacy
• Be eligible for pharmacist licensure in the State of Minnesota (Minnesota Board of Pharmacy)
• Participate in the ASHP Resident Match Program
• Are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident (green card) or have a current F1 student visa

Complete and submit the following to the PhORCAS website:

• Application
  • Children’s Minnesota supplemental PGY1 Application
  • Note: No Supplemental Application required for the PGY2 Pharmacogenomics Residency
• Curriculum vitae
• Letters of reference from three individuals
• College of pharmacy transcripts

The completed application and curriculum vitae must be received by December 30.

Q: How many residents do you have?

A: Children’s Minnesota currently accepts three PGY1 residents and one PGY2 clinical pharmacogenomics resident. Two of the PGY1 residents have offices and complete their staffing commitments on the Minneapolis campus. The PGY2 pharmacogenomic resident also has an office on the Minneapolis campus, but does not include staffing commitments. One PGY1 resident has an office and completes their staffing on the St. Paul campus. Note that for the PGY1 residency, each campus has a separate match number.

Q: When are applications due?

A: Applications for the PGY1 pharmacy practice residency and the PGY2 clinical pharmacogenomics residency need to be uploaded to the PhORCAS website by December 30. See the application tab for information on the application process.

Q: What happens after I submit my application?

A: Children’s Minnesota residency preceptors will review all applications and will notify applicants of their status. Some applicants may be placed on an alternate list if the number of candidates exceeds the number of interview slots.

Q: How is the program designed?

A: Each program is structured to provide you with an initial orientation/training module. During the orientation/training period, the PGY1 residents will work with their advisor to develop an individualized schedule that includes all required rotations, along with approximately 24 weeks of elective rotations, based on each resident’s interests. The PGY2 pharmacogenomic resident will immediately begin the previously mentioned required pharmacogenomics rotations upon completion of orientation/training. The full list of these rotations can be located under the “Program Overview” tab.

Q: What experiences are required?

A: Listed under the “Program Overview” tab, the required experiences are listed for each specific residency program.

Q: What electives are available?

A: In the past, residents have chosen to pursue elective learning experiences in areas including (but not limited to): cardiovascular intensive care, inpatient/outpatient hematology, inpatient/outpatient oncology, medication therapy management, emergency medicine, pharmacogenomics, antibiotic stewardship, toxicology, cystic fibrosis and endocrinology.  Off-site learning experiences outside Children’s may also be available for the resident.

Q: How are residents evaluated?

A: In the past, residents have chosen to pursue elective learning experiences in areas including (but not limited to): cardiovascular intensive care, inpatient/outpatient hematology, inpatient/outpatient oncology, epilepsy, medication therapy management, emergency medicine, clinical pharmacogenomics, antibiotic stewardship, toxicology, cystic fibrosis and endocrinology. Off-site learning experiences outside Children’s Minnesota may also be available for the resident.

Q: Is research required?

A: Yes, each resident is required to complete a research or major project as part of their residency training. These projects may be individualized to the resident’s specific interests.

Q: What teaching opportunities exist?

A: Residents will be scheduled to provide quarterly continued pharmacy education (CPE) presentations to the pharmacy staff. The topic of these presentations will be related to their current learning experience. In addition to these presentations, the resident may give case presentations at the conclusion of clinical rotations and have the option of providing didactic coursework for pharmacy students at the Minnesota College of Pharmacy. Residents may also assist with the preceptorship of pharmacy students on rotation at Children’s Minnesota throughout the year and have the opportunity to earn a teaching certificate as a longitudinal experience.

Q: Is staffing required?

A: The PGY1 pharmacy practice residents in Minneapolis will be scheduled to staff every other weekend throughout the residency. In St. Paul, the resident will work five out of 12 weekends due to an occasional 12-hour shift. Each PGY1 resident can expect to work either the Christmas or New Year’s holiday and additional holidays consistent with staffing patterns for the department. The PGY2 clinical pharmacogenomics resident will not be required to staff on weekends or holidays.

Q: Must I be licensed?

A: All pharmacy residents are required to be licensed in the State of Minnesota within 90 days of starting the residency.

Q: How do I get licensed?

A: Information regarding pharmacy licensure in Minnesota can be found at the Board of Pharmacy’s website.

Q: What is the salary?

A: Residents receive their salary and benefits for residency activities through Children’s Minnesota. The stipend varies by role. Dental and health insurance is provided in the benefits package offered by Children’s.

Q: How much vacation time is there?

A: Residents will receive 30 days of paid time off during the residency year. Residents will deduct compensation time, education time, sick time, etc., from their PTO account. The resident will need to notify their primary preceptor and staffing coordinator in advance regarding vacation requests.