Introduction
Pharm.D. graduates who are interested in obtaining additional training, specializing in a specific area of pharmacy, pursuing careers in academia, or who simply want to differentiate themselves in a competitive marketplace, should consider a pharmacy residency.
Residencies, as defined by the American Society of Health-system Pharmacists (ASHP), "provide the knowledge and experience that pharmacy practitioners need to face challenges in today's complex health-care environment, while also providing essential skills to meet the practice demands of the future.”
There are two types of pharmacy residencies: Post-Graduate Year 1 (PGY1) and Post-Graduate Year 2 (PGY2).
PGY1 residencies are broad in scope, expanding on a student's Advance Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPE's) to provide additional training in a range of pharmacy practice areas.
Some students may choose to do a PGY1 residency and then enter the workforce. For those seeking to develop a specialized expertise, there is the PGY2 residency which allows the resident to focus on areas such as ambulatory care, cardiology, emergency medicine, endocrinology, infectious diseases, and oncology.
Residency success
In 2018, there were 40 ACPHS students who matched for PGY1 residencies and 12 alumni who matched for PGY2 residencies (following successful completion of their PGY1 residencies).
ACPHS graduates have done residencies at clinical sites throughout the country. A sample listing of these institutions is provided in the below chart.
| Albany Medical Center | Stratton VA Medical Center (Albany) |
| Boston Medical Center | Tampa General Hospital |
| Detroit Medical Center | University of California San Francisco Medical Center |
| Kaiser Permanente (Sacramento) | University of Colorado Hospital |
| Mount Sinai Hospital (New York City) | University of Vermont Medical Center |
| NYU Langone Medical Center | Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital (Syracuse) |
| Sanofi-Genzyme/MCPHS (Boston) | VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System |
| Stony Brook University Medical Center (Long Island) | Walgreens/MCPHS (Boston) |
ACPHS has over 40 faculty members in its Department of Pharmacy Practice. More than two-thirds of these individuals have completed post-graduate training, which means the College has a wealth of resources for students seeking guidance with the residency application process.
helping you get a residency
Residencies are highly competitive, and in order to give yourself the best opportunity to "match" with your residency of choice, you will want to start planning early in your professional years.
The ACPHS Residency and Fellowship Committee is an excellent resource for students interested in a residency or simply considering the possibility.
The Committee works closely with other groups at the College to educate students about post-graduate opportunities and prepare them for successful placement into post-doctoral residencies or fellowships. Programming and events overseen by the Committee include:
- An annual Residency Symposium
- C.V. review opportunities
- Residency panel discussions
- One-credit professional elective on Residency Preparation
PGY2 Residencies with ACPHS
ACPHS offers PGY2 residency training programs in the areas of ambulatory care, cardiology, endocrinology, and primary care. Graduates of our PGY2 residencies currently hold clinical pharmacist and pharmacy practice faculty positions at institutions around the country.
Residents in each of these programs are also eligible to complete the ACPHS Teaching and Learning Certificate program. The program was developed by the College for residents seeking additional skills and experiences to help launch careers in academia.
Ambulatory Care Residency
Signature experiences of this PGY2 residency program include delivery of clinical services in public health at the ACPHS Collaboratory, rheumatology at the Center for Rheumatology, and nephrology at Dialysis Clinic, Inc. Core learning experiences include outpatient primary care, rheumatology, nephrology and hypertension, public health pharmacy, academia/teaching, and research/scholarship. Click to learn more.
Ambulatory Care Residency at Community Care
The PGY2 Ambulatory Care Residency program through ACPHS and Community Care Physicians is designed to transition PGY1 resident graduates from generalized practice to specialize in chronic disease state management, medication therapy management, and preventative care within the primary care setting. The program provides multidisciplinary patient centered experiences caring for diverse populations across the lifespan. Click to learn more.
Cardiology Residency
This PGY2 program offers distinctive clinical experiences delivering clinical cardiovascular care to patients at Capital Cardiology Associates and Albany Medical Center. Core learning experiences include structural heart clinic, cardiac rapid care unit, pharmacotherapy consult clinic, lipid management clinic, diagnostic test/imaging, cardiac care unit, cardiopulmonary services, academia/teaching, and research/scholarship. Click to learn more.
Endocrinology Residency
Established in 1999, this program provides the essential elements needed to mold a well-rounded endocrinology-based clinical pharmacist. The PGY2 resident will work with patients, endocrinologists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other clinicians on a daily basis and gain extensive training in ambulatory care adult medicine, endocrinology pharmacotherapy, and direct pharmaceutical care to patients. Click to learn more.
Geriatric Pharmacotherapy Residency
The PGY2 Geriatric Pharmacotherapy Residency at ACPHS is a one-year post-graduate program designed to develop leadership skills and provide training and experience in various areas of geriatric practice, research, teaching, and service. The resident will care for older adults across multiple practice settings, including home care, assisted living, long-term care, post-acute rehabilitation, PACE, and geriatric psychiatry. Click to learn more.