Frequently Asked Questions - PGY1 Pharmacy Residency

Required Rotations

• Anticoagulation and Cardiology (ambulatory)
• Cardiology (acute)
• Critical Care Unit (acute)
• Infectious Disease and Antimicrobial Stewardship
• Internal Medicine (acute)
• Orientation
• Primary Care (ambulatory)
• Renal Transplant (acute)
• Outpatient Transplant and Nephrology (ambulatory)

Required Longitudinal Rotations

Project management: Each resident is expected to complete a year-long project that will be presented at a regional meeting in the spring. Residents will also complete a regional MUE. Projects will be assigned based on Virginia Mason Franciscan Health regional needs and priorities.

Leadership and management: The program provides ample opportunity for professional development, leadership and management training throughout the year.

Teaching Experience: Residents serve as preceptors for pharmacy students, provide monthly education sessions for staff, and have the opportunity to provide in-services. Residents will staff with interns and be expected to help precept interns in triage pharmacy.

Staffing: Residents are required to staff every other weekend. Residents are required to one major (Thanksgiving or Christmas) and one minor (Memorial Day or Labor Day) holiday.

Wellbeing and Resilience: Virginia Mason Medical Center has developed a year-long program that helps our pharmacy residents learn how to improve their ability to cope with stress, change and adversity. Our PGY1 and PGY2 residents spend time together learning about burnout, meditation, mindfulness, and how to develop resilience.

Elective Rotations

• Progressive Care (acute)
• Advanced Renal Transplant (acute)
• Infectious Disease (acute)
• Surgical Critical Care (acute)
• Advanced Teaching Rotation (acute)
     

We accept two PGY1 residents each year.

Our residents have their own shared office space next to the central pharmacy and clinical office area. Each resident has his or her own personal workspace computer with dual screens.

Each PGY1 resident will staff every other weekend and one major and minor holiday.

Our PGY1 residency program starts on June 23, 2025.

As a teaching facility, residents will have the opportunity to serve as a preceptor for APPE, IPPE, and University of Washington P1 and P2 pharmacy students throughout the year.

Residents will also be continually working closely with pharmacy interns and will act as formal preceptors as well as informal mentors.

Residents have the option of enrolling in the ASHP Teaching Certificate.

No, for certain ambulatory care rotations, residents will travel to other Virginia Mason Franciscan Health Medical Pavilions.