PGY2 ID Program Information


UCI Health PGY2-ID Residency Program will be hosting several recruiting events for the 2024-2025 Match

GENERAL INFORMATION

Number of positions available: 1

Application Deadline: Applications must be received in PhORCAS by Wednesday, March 27, 2024, 11:59 PM PST. Interviews will be offered to qualified applicants on a rolling basis upon receipt of complete applications.

Program Codes:

  • ASHP Code for PGY2-ID: 92143
  • National Matching Services code for PGY2-ID: 745255

The University Of California Irvine Medical Center offers one Post-Graduate Year Two Pharmacy Resident in Infectious Diseases position which is on candidate status for accreditation by ASHP and is sponsored by UC Irvine Medical Center. 

Period of Appointment: TBA

Salary: Approximately $72,996 annually   

Health Insurance: Medical, dental, and vision coverage through UC Irvine sponsored plans 

Benefits: 10 paid vacation days, 14 paid holidays, and up to 6 paid sick days

Paid Professional Leave: Two weeks (10 working days) are allowed to attend professional meetings (Infectious Diseases Society of America’s annual meeting, ASHP Mid-Year and UC Pharmacy Leadership Collaborative Conference) 


LEARNING EXPERIENCE DESCRIPTIONS  

UC Irvine Medical Center offers a number of Infectious Diseases Specialty Rotations, in addition to general rotations. A brief description of learning experiences that the PGY2-ID resident will participate is included in this document. For general learning experiences that both PGY1 and PGY2 residents participate, additional information is found in PharmAcademic®.

ORIENTATION (Required; 1-2 weeks)

The incoming PGY2-ID pharmacy resident will complete the new employee orientation for the organization, meet the pharmacy leaders and preceptors, and complete required pharmacy departmental competencies including training in the electronic medical record. The residency program director will orient the resident to the PGY2-ID program, learning experience descriptions, the calendar of learning experiences, expectations of the resident, residency policies, and requirements for successful completion of the residency during this learning experience.

Preceptor: Helen S. Lee, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP

INFECTIOUS DISEASES (Required)

The PGY2-ID pharmacy resident will actively participate as an integral member of interdisciplinary ID consult team caring for adult patients with infections and gradually assume responsibility for their pharmaceutical care and serve as the ultimate resource for information about anti-Infectives and for decision making affecting the care of these patients. The resident will participate in managing infectious diseases for patients in various areas such as general medicine, critical care, oncology, surgical or HIV/AIDS patients.  The resident will have the opportunity to precept third or fourth year pharmacy students and or PGY1 pharmacy residents. The resident is expected to gradually increase in the level of independence over the course of the residency year and the sequence of the ID Consult for Adult Learning Experiences will promote the progressive independence.

  • Infectious Diseases 1 (4 weeks): this is the first and introductory learning experience during which the PGY2-ID resident will get acquainted with the organization’s electronic medical record system and workflow of Infectious Diseases Consult Service. The residency program director (RDP) will provide direct instruction on core topics as needed, modeling during multi-disciplinary rounds and coaching the resident to start assuming the responsibility of the care of patients with Infections.
  • Infectious Diseases 2A (6-8 weeks): this is an intermediate learning experience with an emphasis on APPE student precepting. The RPD continues to provide direct instruction as needed, modeling during multidisciplinary rounds during the first half, coaching the resident to assume the responsibility of the care of at least half of the patients staffed by ID consult service. The resident will have hands-on experience precepting students by providing topic discussions and modeling the role of ID pharmacist/ID resident pharmacist for the students.
  • Infectious Diseases 2B (6-8 weeks): this is an intermediate learning experience with an emphasis on Infection Prevention Practices. The RPD prioritizes on coaching and facilitating the resident’s provision of patient care activities on patients staffed by ID consult service. The resident will have an opportunity to collaborate with the Epidemiology and Infection Prevention (EIP) Team through weekly work meetings and collaborate with the EIP team on infection prevention policies and/or strategies to prevent transmission of infections as opportunities are identified. 
  • Infectious Diseases 3 (4-6 weeks): this is the final and independent learning experience for the resident to assume the comprehensive role of Infectious Diseases Pharmacist and Antimicrobial Stewardship Pharmacist. The RPD prioritizes on facilitation of the resident’s provision of patient care activities on patients staffed by ID consult service and respond inquiries by pharmacists and other health care providers. The resident will carry the Infectious Diseases Pharmacist’ pager during this learning experience. 

Preceptor:  Helen S. Lee, PharmD, BCPS-AQ ID, BCIDP 

CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY (required; 2 weeks)

The PGY2-ID pharmacy resident will be trained in the fundamentals of diagnostic clinical microbiology. The experience consists of active participation in the laboratory diagnosis of bacterial, mycobacterial, fungal, parasitic and viral infections and educational activities through lectures and small group discussions. The PGY2-ID pharmacy resident is usually paried up with a PGY4-ID Medical Fellow for this learning experience. 

Preceptors: Cassiana Bittencourt, MD

ANTIMICROBIAL STEWARDSHIP (required; 4 weeks)

The PGY2-ID pharmacy resident will be trained in the key antimicrobial stewardship strategies including but not limited to prospective audit and feedback of broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents, duration optimization, and outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) safety monitoring program.

Primary Preceptor: Kamryn Plechot, Pharm.D., BCIDP; Supporting Preceptor: Helen Lee, Pharm.D., BCIDP, BCPS

CRITICAL CARE- MEDICAL (required; 4 weeks)

This elective learning experience is designed to provide the PGY2-ID pharmacy resident with the opportunity to further develop his/her knowledge and expertise in the management of critically ill patients with infections. MICU is managed by the pulmonary medicine division with attending physicians board-certified in critical care and pulmonology. The MICU is a closed unit so the critical care service manages all admissions. The rounding team includes the attending physician, 2 residents (2nd/3rd year), 2 interns, a clinical pharmacist and medical students. Case manager, social worker, respiratory therapist and bedside nurse may also participate in patient care rounds. The PGY2-ID resident is responsible for identifying and resolving medication therapy issues with emphasis on antimicrobial therapy for patients and will work toward assuming care of all patients in the unit throughout the rotation. 

Preceptor: Lan Vu, Pharm.D., BCPS

ONCOLOGY (required; 4 weeks)

The PGY2-ID Pharmacy Resident will have the opportunity to work with the oncology team to optimize pharmaceutical care of inpatients on this service. Typical expectations of residents include the following: working up approximately 5-10 oncology patients each day, interacting with the nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, physicians, and oncologists to identify and resolve medication-related problems for these patients, attending rounds every morning, discussions with the preceptors on a variety of oncology topics, formal patient presentations to the preceptor and responding to drug information requests from the providers.  The primary emphasis will be the management of inpatient oncology patients with infections or at risk for infections. The resident will provide and document therapeutic drug monitoring services for patients on the oncology team receiving drugs requiring monitoring including vancomycin and aminoglycosides.  

Preceptor: Benjamin Lee, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP, BCOP

ELECTIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCES

CRITICAL CARE-SURGICAL (elective; 3-4 weeks) 

This elective learning experience is designed to provide the PGY2-ID pharmacy resident with the opportunity to further develop his/her knowledge and expertise in the maangement of critical ill surgical or trauma patients with infections. In following critically-ill trauma patients and through direct interaction with physicians, nurses, and other members of the interdisciplinary team, residents will witness and gain valuable insight into the clinical use of drugs in particular antimicrobial agents and both their efficacy/toxicity.  Much emphasis will be placed on developing the resident’s thought-process, and residents will be challenged to critically evaluate drug regimens and to act both reactively and proactively to drug issues.  

Preceptor: Steve Atallah, Pharm.D., BCCCP 

EMERGENCY MEDICINE (elective; 3-4 weeks) 

The Emergency Medicine elective experience will provide the PGY2-ID resident with exposure to managing infectious diseases in a wide variety of emergent patients. The resident will be actively involved with the interdisciplinary Emergency Department team which includes attending physicians, ED specific residents, nurses, and pharmacists. Specific activities include daily pre-rounding, medication profile review of all active medications, monitoring of lab and drug therapy, management of symptoms, participation in ongoing research activities, and active participation in all adult and pediatric resuscitations.  The resident will be expected to execute bedside clinical decision making, emergent medication preparation, and provide both basic and advanced life support. The learning experience will be ID focused and designed around the residents’ own interests. 

Preceptor: Stephen Lee, Pharm.D., BCPS, BCCCP 

TRANSPLANT

Inpatient (elective; 2-4 weeks) ; Clinics (elective: 2 months)

The transplant rotation is a required learning experience that will focus on kidney and pancreas transplantation.  Both an inpatient block rotation and ambulatory longitudinal rotation are offered.  

The inpatient block rotation will expose the PGY2-ID pharmacy resident to immediate post-transplant care and acute post-transplant complications including transplant rejection and infection.  The PGY2-ID pharmacy resident is responsible for attending daily rounds and identifying and resolving medication therapy for patients with the emphasis in management of infections in this immunocompromised patient population. The resident may participate in providing medication teaching to the patient prior to discharge, emphasizing the importance of medication compliance of antimicrobial agents for treatment of prophylaxis in this immunocompromised patient population.  The resident will attend weekly selection committee meetings and surgical grand rounds when appropriate.

The resident will attend Transplant Clinics one half day per week to follow up on post-transplant patients, assess compliance and educate patients on new medications with focus on antimicrobial agents.

Preceptor: Cynthia Ausherman, Pharm.D., BCPS

REQUIRED LONGITUDINAL LEARNING EXPERIENCES

ANTIMICROBIAL STEWARDSHIP PRACTICES (Longitudinal, required; 10 months) 

The PGY2-ID pharmacy resident will have opportunities to work closely with the Antimicrobial Stewardship medical director and the RPD in various stewardship efforts in order to ensure judicious use of antimicrobial agents. The resident will participate in various stewardship strategies including, but not limited to: blood culture review using rapid diagnostic technologies, prospective review and feedback, tracking of antimicrobial use, developing/updating of clinical guidelines for infectious diseases, antimicrobial formulary management and conducting medication utilization reviews. The resident will have at least 2 weeks of focused learning experience under the direct supervision of the Antimicrobial Stewardship medical director to perform prospective review and to review requests for restricted anti-infective agents. The resident will support Antimicrobial Stewardship Subcommittee meetings by conducting relevant literature review and preparing  written summaries on requested topics and guidance documents on appropriate antimicrobial usage by indication etc.  

Preceptor: Helen S. Lee, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP and Kamryn Plechot, Pharm.D., BCIDP

INFECTIOUS DISEASES RESEARCH PROJECT (Longitudinal, required; 12 months)

The research rotation is a required longitudinal learning experience to be conducted over the residency year. The PGY2-Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Resident will identify a research topic in an attempt to improve antimicrobial usage or the quality of management of Infectious Diseases in the health care system. The resident will formulate a hypothesis to test and determine appropriate primary and secondary outcomes. The resident will present the results internally to Pharmacy and at Infectious Diseases Grand Rounds and at the UC Pharmacy Leadership Conference. The goals are 1. to develop an awareness of the issues involved in designing and conducting projects, 2. to learn the process of objective data collection and statistical analysis, 3. to learn the techniques used for verbal and written data presentation, 4. to learn the appropriate format for writing project proposals, 5. To write a manuscript for publication.

Preceptor: Helen S. Lee, PharmD, BCIDP, BCPS

INFECTIOUS DISEASES CLINIC (Longitudinal, required; 4 months) 

The PGY2-ID pharmacy resident will complete the training in HIV/AIDS care through Pacific AIDS Education and Training Center at UC Irvine. Subsequently, the resident will have the opportunity to provide pharmaceutical care to individuals affected by infectious and/or HIV/AIDS in ambulatory care clinics. It usually takes place during the second half of the residency year.

The division of Infectious Disease here at UC Irvine Health maintains an outpatient clinic located adjacent to the medical center. Patients are referred to this clinic for the management of complicated infections, including HIV. Learners in this clinic may include infectious disease fellows, internal medicine residents and students.

Preceptors: Lee Nguyen, Pharm.D., BCIDP, BCPS

STAFFING (required; approximately 11 months)

The PGY2-ID resident will staff every 3rd weekend to fulfill pharmacists’ shifts after completing the initial orientation and training in IV room and Unit Dose areas.  The resident will have the opportunity to learn and practice medication order reviews and dispensing processes. In IV room, the PGY2-ID resident will get acquainted with the sterile compounding and dispensing processes of parenteral medications including antimicrobial agents. The goal is for the PGY2-ID resident to understand the perspective of the staff pharmacist through participation in staffing functions, to function effectively in the staff pharmacist role and to formulate pharmaceutical care plans for patients with infections consistent with the institution’s pharmacy practices on clinical learning experiences.  The resident will initially be assigned to distribution shifts in IV room and Unit Dose areas with the task to complete the antimicrobial stewardship activity of positive blood cultures review and interventions. The resident will also be assigned to fulfill clinical shifts providing pharmaceutical care such as therapeutic drug monitoring of antimicrobial agents and anticoagulation per pharmacy in conjunction with distribution activities. 

Preceptor:  Rob Eastin, PharmD

Last updated December 2023