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Pharmacy Residency: St. Joseph Medical Center

St. Joseph Medical Center PGY-1 Residency Program

The St. Joseph Medical Center PGY1 acute care residency is an ASHP accredited PGY-1 program that has provided a robust practice-based experience since 1985. We strive to develop a foundation of critical thinking and leadership skills that will promote continuous professional development and innovation in health care. Our program affirms a dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion practices in an effort to improve health care for underserved and marginalized populations while enhancing our learning and professional work environments.

Learning experiences are available across four community hospital practice sites, allowing residents to experience diversity in practice settings and patient populations in order to build on Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education. Our program fosters creation of a skill set to prepare residents for practice as clinical pharmacists in a variety of patient care, academic, and research settings, including eligibility for PGY-2 residency training and board certification. The residency recruits for six resident positions from candidates throughout the United States.

As integral members of the health care team, residents work to achieve optimal drug therapy outcomes for their patients. They will display leadership and professionalism in all aspects of their practice and function as effective communicators and educators.

Our residency program, based in a non-academic health care setting, has become a catalyst for innovative pharmacy practice models within Virginia Mason Franciscan Health and throughout Western Washington as a whole. In addition to orientation and a year-long resident project, there are eight required rotations and two required longitudinal experiences. Rotations are designed to provide the resident with a well-rounded clinical and administrative experience. Within each rotation, additional time may be devoted to areas of interest, thus providing the opportunity for specialized training. Clinical rotations are designed to enhance the resident's expertise in promoting, assessing and ensuring safe, efficacious and rational drug therapy. Residents also have the opportunity to elect to complete a teaching certificate program.

Residents are supported by a robust set of preceptors in addition to the Residency Program Director (RPD) and Residency Program Coordinators (RPC). Beyond administration of the residency program, the RPD and RPCs meet weekly with residents to check in on clinical and professional progress, as well as their well-being, in addition to regular discussions on topics such as diversity and bias in practice and leadership development.

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