FAQ

Answers to Common Residency Questions

Is there private office space available to the residents?

The four PGY1 residents share an office located in the pharmacy administration area. Residents have their own laptop computer, which can be docked and used as a desktop.

What type of mentoring do the residents receive?

Residents select a preceptor mentor who serves as a go-to person outside of the Residency Program Director (RPD) for questions and support over the course of the year. This mentor additionally meets with the resident and RPD to complete quarterly evaluations and discuss resident progress or any changes needing to be made to the residents’ rotation schedule and/or development plan.

While on individual rotations, residents are mentored by their rotation preceptor. Preceptors meet regularly with the residents to discuss patient cases, therapeutic issues, clinical pearls, and approaches for interacting with the multi-disciplinary team.

How long are the rotations and how are they selected?  

Most of the rotations are 4-6 weeks in length. Shorter or longer learning experiences, including repeating elective rotations, may be available based on discussion with the RPD and depending on the resident’s interests. Longitudinal rotations, including Leadership & Service, Research Project and Medication Use Evaluation have learning activities spread out over 6-12-month periods. The residents work with their mentor and RPD to design their rotation schedule.

Rotation schedules are decided during the orientation learning experience and based on the residents’ interests and preferences, as well as prior experience and identified strengths and areas for improvement. Every effort is made to try to schedule the residents in their major interest areas prior to the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting.

Additionally, schedules may be customized throughout the year as the resident's interests change.

What teaching opportunities are available to the residents?

Residents have an opportunity to participate in the Pharmacy Education Development and Lecture Series (PEDALS) offered in conjunction with Ferris State University. As part of the program, residents will have experience leading didactic or case-based course work alongside a Ferris State University faculty member. 

Additionally, this teaching certificate program requires each resident to complete a formal case presentation, journal club, and one-hour didactic lecture at their practice site. Residents with further interest in teaching can select the academic rotation as an elective. Residents may also have the opportunity to co-precept P4 students from Ferris State University who are on rotation at Trinity Health Grand Rapids.

What professional meetings do the residents participate in during the year?

The residents attend the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting in December where they have the opportunity to interview, network, and present the findings of a medication use evaluation (MUE).

The residents also attend the Great Lakes Pharmacy Resident Conference in the spring where they present the findings of their longitudinal research project as an oral presentation.

How do the residents pick their MUE and longitudinal research projects?

Annually the RPD and research coordinator will make a request for both MUE and research project ideas from clinical faculty members. The ideas are then reviewed by the RPD, research coordinator, and a committee of faculty who apply the FINER criteria (Feasible, Interesting, Novel, Ethical, Relevant) and develop a final list that is shared with the residents to choose from during their orientation month.

The residents will rank their top choices; the order for selecting projects is chosen at random.  Primary and secondary research preceptors are pre-assigned to the projects. All longitudinal research projects are of a scope suitable for submission as an abstract to a professional meeting as well as for peer-reviewed publication.

What projects have previous residents completed?

A list of longitudinal research projects that have been completed to date is available here (PDF, 324KB).

Where have previous residents gone on to practice?  

Most graduates of the PGY1 program have either pursued additional training (PGY2s most recently in Critical Care, Infectious Diseases, and Psychiatric Medicine) or were hired into clinical positions directly from residency. A smaller group of graduates have found careers in academia. Most past residents have also obtained board certification in pharmacotherapy or their area of specialty practice.

Do pharmacists at your ambulatory care sites work via collaborative practice agreements?

Yes, most of our sites have collaborative practice agreements (CPAs). These including CPAs for the management of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and anticoagulation. Our pharmacists also practice under CPAs within our Emergency Department and Urgent Care sites to conduct culture follow-up for discharged patients.