Residency Programs

PGY1 Pharmacy residency program - acute care setting

Program Director: Jenifer Blasinsky, PharmD
Email: Jenifer.Blasinsky@ahn.org
Program length: 54 weeks
Residents per year: 4

History and Purpose

West Penn Hospital has offered training to pharmacy residents since 2017 as part of the ASHP-accredited Forbes and West Penn Hospitals multi-site residency, and was granted the 8 year “maximum” accreditation period on initial survey. Beginning with the 2024 residency class, West Penn Hospital offers a single-site residency program and maintains its ASHP-accreditation status.

Rotations

The 54-week postgraduate training experience is composed of a variety of required and elective rotations, as follows:

Core rotations:

• Orientation
• Internal medicine
• Internal medicine II  
• Infectious diseases
• Critical care Neonatal intensive care 
• Ambulatory care: Care Partner Clinic 
• Pharmacy management
• Longitudinal: Inpatient Pharmacy Staffing, Inpatient Parenteral Nutrition Service, Professional and Leadership Development, Medication Use Evaluation, Clinical Research Project 
• Concentrated: Journal club presentation, Controversial Case, ACPE-Accredited Continuing Education Presentation 
  

Elective Rotations:

• Addiction medicine (partially off site)
• Autoimmunity InstituteBurn (inpatient)
• Emergency medicine (off site: at Jefferson Hospital)
• Investigational drug service 
• Outpatient internal medicine 
• Oncology/Hematology:
  • Ambulatory Oncology (may be off site)
  • Outpatient Malignant Hematology/Bone Marrow Transplant 
  • Inpatient Malignant Hematology/Bone Marrow Transplant 
• Additional elective rotations may be available off-site
  

Our program prides itself on creating a learning experience that is tailored to the resident’s career goals. Each resident is encouraged to explore multiple facets of inpatient pharmacy practice, and given the opportunity to complete a second rotation in an area of their choice during the last quarter of the year in order to solidify their confidence and independence as a clinical practitioner.

Accreditation status

The PGY1 Pharmacy Residency conducted by West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA is accredited by ASHP.

PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program - Ambulatory Setting

Program Director: David Jordan, PharmD, BCPS
Email: David.Jordan@ahn.org
Program length: 52 weeks
Residents per year: 2

History and purpose

The program was established in 2021 and was most recently accredited by ASHP in 2022. The program provides an environment for comprehensive education and training in drug therapy and disease state management for patients in a collaborative ambulatory setting. The PGY1 residency programs build upon Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and outcomes to develop pharmacist practitioners with knowledge, skills, and abilities as defined in the educational competency areas, goals, and objectives. Residents who successfully complete PGY1 residency programs will be skilled in diverse patient care, practice management, leadership, and education, and be prepared to provide patient care, seek board certification in pharmacotherapy (i.e., BCPS), and pursue advanced education and training opportunities including postgraduate year two (PGY2) residencies.

Rotations

Required Learning Experiences

1. Orientation (4 weeks)
2. Care Partner Clinic (3 weeks and longitudinal)
3. Outpatient Pharmacy (3 weeks and longitudinal)
4. Outpatient Internal Medicine (5 weeks)
5. Inpatient Internal Medicine (5 weeks)
6. Chronic Care Specialty Team (5 weeks)
7. Pharmacy Management (5 weeks)
8. Anticoagulation (5 weeks) 
   • Anticoagulation is a REQUIRED rotation NOT at West Penn Hospital; reimbursement is not provided for travel to off-site rotations.

Electives Learning Experiences (3 per year)

1. Outpatient Oncology- Forbes (5 weeks)
2. Outpatient Oncology- Wexford (5 weeks)
3. Chronic Medication Management (5 weeks)
4. Specialty Pharmacy (5 weeks)
5. Addiction Medicine (5 weeks)
6. Autoimmunity Institute (5 weeks)
7. Investigational Drug Service (5 weeks)

Accreditation status

The PGY1 Pharmacy Residency conducted by West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA is accredited by ASHP.