UC San Diego Health PGY2 Critical Care Pharmacy Residency

UC San Diego Health is a university-affiliated teaching hospital which provides the unique capability to engage each of our residents in direct patient care activities, research, administration and project management, and teaching. 

UC San Diego Health has eight adult ICUs where our residents learn how to make evidence-based decisions in complex clinical situations. As San Diego’s only academic, teaching health system, we serve as a primary referral center for much of Southern California. Our critical care residents have the opportunity to learn advanced critical care pharmacotherapy in our level 3 NICU, our Southern California regional burn center, and level 1 trauma center.

Residents accepted into the PGY2 Critical Care Pharmacy program will gain the skills to function as the primary ICU pharmacist, which includes rounding with primary and consult teams, participating in code situations, and becoming proficient in critical care focused process improvements and research. Our pharmacy residency program is over 30 years old and well recognized within our institution, which allows for maximal pharmacist input in our critical care areas. Critical care residents participate in delivering didactic instruction at the UC San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in the critical care elective and may have the opportunity to teach more didactic lectures, if requested. Graduates from our program are well prepared to sit for the Board Certification for Critical Care Pharmacists. Finally, we have a close-knit group of pharmacists and preceptors that look forward to our residents becoming part of our pharmacy family.

Website: PGY2 Critical Care Specialty Pharmacy Residency | UC San Diego Health

Requirements of Residents Prior to Starting the Program: 

Applicants for appointment to the post-graduate year 2 (PGY2) education training programs sponsored by UCSDH must meet the following criteria: 

• Education requirement
  • Graduate of an ACPE-accredited school of pharmacy; or  
  • Graduate of an international school of pharmacy who meets the following qualifications:    
    • Holds a current, valid Visa, that extends through the entire residency appointment and does not require sponsorship, and 
    • Holds a valid, full and unrestricted pharmacist license in the State of California 

• Participates in PhORCAS electronic application tool and the ASHP Pharmacy Resident Matching Program. 

• Residency requirement 
  • Successfully completed an ASHP-accredited PGY1 pharmacy residency 
    • Upon receipt of application to the program, the RPD will reach out to the PGY1 program director to assess good standing in the program 
    • Prior to beginning the residency program, a signed residency certificate will be required. If pharmacy resident cannot provide PGY1 certification of completion prior to starting, or within 30 days of starting, they will be dismissed from the residency 

• Pharmacist Licensure requirement 
  • Prior to beginning the residency program, the resident is licensed as a pharmacist in the state of California (in addition to requirement for licensing for international SOP graduates above) 
  • The residency is expected to begin on the last Monday of July, or first Monday of August, depending on the Human Resources orientation schedule. However, the pharmacy resident must have obtained their California pharmacist license prior to beginning residency (absolute deadline to start is November 1st)  If the pharmacy resident is not licensed by November 1st, they will be dismissed from the residency. The residency offer may be rescinded if the pharmacy resident does not take the California Board of Pharmacy law exam prior to August 1st or does not pass the California Board of Pharmacy law exam on the first attempt. 

All applicants hired by UCSDH will be required to provide and undergo the following: 

• Provide proof of United Sates citizenship or eligibility/authorization to work in the United States through the duration of the appointment year 

• Provide PGY1 certificate of completion

• Complete a full verification and criminal background screen

• Attend new employee orientation (NEO)

Application:  

Applicants must be enrolled in the Resident Matching Program and apply using PhORCAS. Interested applicants should refer to the Program website for specific application requirements.

About UC San Diego Health Pharmacy

Located in "America's finest city" of San Diego, our academic Health System serves as a primary teaching site of UC San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences IPPE and APPE students, UC San Diego School of Medicine and other professional programs in the health sciences. Residents may rotate at the UCSD Medical Center in Hillcrest, Jacobs Medical Center in La Jolla, Moores Cancer Center, an NCI designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center, all of which support a full range and scope of medical and surgical specialties as well as general medicine and surgery units. We have over 25 electives to offer residents, with extensive critical care, transplant, oncology, psychiatry, transitions of care, and internal medicine experiences available. We offer residents a wonderful learning environment that will help them prepare for advanced specialty PGY2 residencies and for career paths in academia, hospital practice (teaching and community), transitions of care, internal medicine, ambulatory care, IT, administration, critical care and more. Residents are an integral and active member of multidisciplinary teams that provide direct patient care. Residents participate in the San Diego Pharmacy Residency Leadership Teaching Certificate program and attend CSHP Seminar, ASHP Midyear and the UC Collaborative Pharmacy Research Conference. We have dedicated, supportive preceptors and a foundation of required and elective rotations to help the resident find their niche and pursue their passion in areas of interest. Our preceptors, administrators and staff support the resident as they develop and apply clinical patient care and research skills; confidence builds over the course of the year along with a strong clinical foundation and independence. The residents' post-residency marketability is one of our primary goals and we believe that our core requirements, electives, staffing component and teaching certificate program prepare the resident to be highly competitive in the pharmacy job market - a strong contender regardless of the career path that the resident chooses.