The PGY-2 Emergency Medicine Pharmacy Residency conducted by Denver Health in Denver, Colorado is accredited by ASHP.
Purpose
The ASHP accredited PGY-2 Emergency Medicine (EM) Pharmacy Residency program at Denver Health Medical Center is as 12-month program of training and experience based upon the ASHP standards for PGY-2 Pharmacy Residencies in Emergency Medicine. The program will begin in early July and finish at the end of June the following year. Upon successful completion of the residency requirements, the resident is awarded a certificate of program completion.
The emergency medicine PGY-2 residency provides residents with opportunities to function independently as practitioners by conceptualizing and integrating accumulated experience and knowledge and incorporating both into the provision of patient care that improves medication therapy in the emergency care setting. Residents who successfully complete an accredited PGY-2 pharmacy residency possess competencies that qualify them for clinical pharmacist and/or faculty positions, board certification, teaching other health professionals and health professional students.
Program Overview
This intensive one-year training program is designed to provide a structured learning environment and to foster an in-depth learning opportunity for a resident to develop into a successful clinical pharmacy specialist. The program builds on the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and PGY-1 pharmacy residency program to contribute to the development of a clinical pharmacist in a specialized area of practice. The program involves activities in a wide variety of practice settings, including: providing optimal medication management for patients who are in need of emergent care; participation in both adult and pediatric medical emergencies; participation in the trauma services provided in our Level 1 regional trauma center; designing, optimizing and managing treatment regimens for hospitalized patients in a variety of intensive care settings; and teaching patients, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals as an integral part of the health care team.
The PGY-2 Emergency Medicine resident will have the opportunity for both didactic and experiential teaching throughout their residency year, including co-precepting and mentoring PGY-1 residents and APPE students. The resident will have the opportunity to provide EM related lectures to the Department of Emergency Medicine Residency program faculty and residents. A staffing component in the ED will be required (additional ICU staffing pursuant on progress of PGY-2 resident, sufficient training in critical care areas, and department needs outlined below) as well as a major research project that will be presented at a national meeting with the intent to publish in a peer reviewed journal. Residents completing our program will demonstrate professional maturity by following a personal philosophy of practice, monitoring their own performance, exhibiting commitment to the profession, and exercising leadership in improving the safety of the medication-use system.
Finally, the program provides a unique setting as Denver Health is a Federally Qualified Health Center as well as Colorado’s premier safety net institution that provides care for the largest margin of medically underserved patients in the state. Denver Health is home to one of the first Emergency Medicine Physician Residencies in the nation and also one of the premier pre-hospital care systems in the nation, the Denver Division of Paramedics, both of which provide a robust backdrop for collaborative opportunities in education and research for the pharmacy resident.
Residency Program Structure
The program includes seven required learning experiences (3 to 10 weeks in length) and a choice of elective learning experiences (2 to 4 weeks in length). There are several required longitudinal experiences. We currently offer a traditional research approach to allowing the resident to select a major project and MUE of interest at the beginning of the year, work through challenges and gain independence to follow the project through to manuscript development by the end of the year.
Required Learning Experiences
- Orientation (2–4 weeks)
- Emergency Medicine – Adult I (4–5 weeks)
- Emergency Medicine – Adult II (8–10 weeks)
- Emergency Medicine – Pediatrics (4 weeks)
- Medical ICU (4–5 weeks)
- Surgical/Trauma ICU (4–5 weeks)
- Toxicology (4 weeks)
Required Longitudinal Experiences
- Major Project/Research
- Antimicrobial Stewardship
- Presentations and Preceptorship
- Management and Leadership
- Medical Emergency Response (Code Blue, Stroke Alert, Trauma Alert / Activation)
- Medication Use Evaluation
- Clinical emergency department staffing every third weekend
- Additional moonlighting shifts covering ED, ICU PM and overnight ICU may be available based on resident progress and department needs
Elective Learning Experiences
Three to four electives are available based on resident needs.
- EMS/Pre-hospital (Denver Division of Paramedics) (2 weeks)
- Denver Health Pediatric ICU (4 weeks)
- Children’s Hospital Colorado Emergency Department (4 weeks)
- Global Health (2-4 weeks)
- Emergency Medicine - University of Colorado Hospital (4 weeks)
- Burn ICU - University of Colorado Hospital (4 weeks)
- Advanced/Independent Practice in Emergency Medicine (4 weeks)
Attendance and Participation
- Pharmacy Grand Rounds Presentation
- Hospital leadership committee(s)
- Didactic teaching to pharmacy students
- Didactic teaching for medical residents (Denver Health EM Residency)
- National/local meetings as required by the residency
- Exposure to Professional Society EM Groups
- PGY-2 recruitment process
- Emergency Department Policy and Management
Application Information and Requirements
Applicants must be a PharmD graduate or candidate for graduation of an Accredited Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) accredited degree program, completed or in progress of completing an ASHP accredited PGY1 Pharmacy Residency. Applicants must be licensed and in good standing, or eligible for licensure in the state of Colorado by Nov. 1 of the starting year. If not licensed by Nov. 1, the resident will be terminated from the program.
Denver Health participates in the ASHP National Matching System. The NMS number for our program is 760269. Applications should be submitted electronically through PhORCAS. Necessary application materials include:
Letter of intent (maximum of 1 page) highlighting the following:
- Your goals and reason for doing an advanced PGY2 specialty residency in emergency medicine
- Why you chose to apply for the Denver Health residency program
- Your short- and long-term goals in pharmacy practice
- Your strengths and weaknesses at this point in your career and how a PGY2 residency in emergency medicine will help you develop and achieve your goals
- Curriculum Vitae
- Three letters of reference using the PhORCAS Standardized Reference Template with at least one from a preceptor in emergency medicine or critical care
- Official college of pharmacy transcript
Current PGY1 Residents at Denver Health Medical Center may early commit to a Denver Health Medical Center PGY2 Residency Programs.
All completed applications will be reviewed by the Residency Advisory Council to determine which candidates will be invited for an interview.
Resident applicants are responsible for submitting all required materials online through PhORCAS.
ASHP Code: 82025
NMS Number: 760269
Current PGY-2 Emergency Medicine Resident
Shawn Beach, PharmD
Dr. Beach is from Rochester, NY. He received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and completed PGY-1 residency at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. His interests include cardiac arrest, RSI, toxicology, and pulmonary hypertension. Shawn chose Denver Health because of its commitment to serving every patient and its deep history of emergency medicine training. During his free time, Shawn enjoys attending various music and sporting events, trying new breweries, golfing, and skiing.
Major Research Project: Naloxone In and Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest
MUE: Push-dose Norepinephrine in the Emergency Department
Key Supporting Preceptors
- Spencer Laehn, PharmD, BCCCP
- Dan Schuenke, PharmD, BCCCP
Contact
Lance Ray, PharmD, BCPS, BCEMP
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Emergency Medicine
PGY-2 Emergency Medicine Pharmacy Residency Program Director
Clinical Instructor, University of Colorado
790 Delaware Street, MC0056
Denver, CO 80204
Email: Lance.ray@dhha.org
Telephone: 303-602-3392
X: @LRayRx
