The PGY2 Oncology Pharmacy Residency program builds on Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD.) education and PGY Pharmacy Residency programs to contribute to the development of Clinical Pharmacists in Oncology.
Program Purpose Statement
PGY2 Pharmacy Residencies provide 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 or other advanced practice settings. Residents who successfully complete an accredited PGY2 Oncology Pharmacy Residency are prepared for advanced patient care, academic, or other specialized positions, along with board certification in oncology.
Program Overview
The PGY2 Oncology Pharmacy Residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) is structured to develop graduates of a PGY Pharmacy Residency into clinical specialists who can successfully care for adults with cancer, including solid tumor malignancies, hematologic malignancies, those undergoing a hematopoietic cell transplant, as well as patients with benign hematological diseases. Residents who complete this program will be well equipped to handle all aspects of pharmaceutical care for oncology patients. Residents will function as part of the multi-disciplinary team and work to ensure the safe and effective use of all chemotherapy/immunotherapy. During the residency year, the resident will be responsible for the completion of a research project, quality improvement project or medication use evaluation, teach by exercising a variety of presentation formats, and act as a pharmacy role model/mentor. Professional writing and research opportunities may be available during the course of the year as well.
Residency Goals
The program is a 12 month, postgraduate training experience composed of five required competency areas with ten associated goals.
Required Goals
- In collaboration with the health care team, provide comprehensive medication management to oncology patients following a consistent patient care process.
- Ensure continuity of care during transitions of oncology patients between care settings.
- Manage and facilitate delivery of mediations to support safe and effective drug therapy for oncology patients.
- Demonstrate ability to manage formulary and medication-use processes for oncology patients, as applicable to the organization.
- Demonstrate ability to conduct a quality improvement or research project.
- Demonstrate leadership skills for successful self-development in the provision of care for oncology patients.
- Demonstrate management skills in the provision of care for oncology patients.
- Provide effective medication and practice-related education to oncology patients, caregivers, health care professionals, students and the public (individuals and groups).
- Effectively employ appropriate preceptor roles when engaged in teaching students, pharmacy technicians, or fellow health care professionals in oncology.
- Appropriately manage oncology investigational drugs and oncology investigational drug services.
Training Site
The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) is world-renowned for its clinical and research excellence, forging the way for newer and better ways to diagnose and treat illnesses and disorders. HUP is an expanding, 739-bed-academic teaching hospital and tertiary referral center located in the heart of Philadelphia with a 500-bed expansion opening in October 2021. Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center is a world leader in cancer research, patient care, and education. It is consistently ranked as one of the top healthcare systems and cancer centers in the nation. It is recognized as both a NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center, FACT-accredited bone marrow and tissue transplantation center, and member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN). Our clinical program, comprised of a dedicated staff of physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, physical therapists, nutritionists, and patient care coordinators currently sees patients in over 100,000 outpatient visits and over 11,800 inpatient discharges, provides over 37,000 chemotherapy treatments, and administers more than 66,000 radiation treatments annually. Together, our faculty is committed to improving the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. Not only are we dedicated to providing state-of-the-art cancer care, the latest forms of cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment are available to our patients through clinical teams that developed in the relentless pursuit to eliminate the pain and suffering from cancer. HUP's reputation as a world leader in medical research and clinical care attracts the highest quality medical specialists from around the world. The supportive and collaborative environment encourages physicians and staff to keep reaching ahead to find new ways to improve the quality and length of life for everyone.
Learning Experiences
Required Rotations (minimum length)
- Orientation – one month
- Allogeneic Transplantation and Cellular Therapy – one month
- Ambulatory Care – four months
- Autologous Transplantation – one month
- Malignant Hematology – one months
- Research – one month
- Solid Tumor/Medical Oncology – one month
- Electives – two months
In addition to the required residency rotations, elective rotations in several oncology-related areas are available to enhance the resident’s experience and knowledge. Elective options will be considered on an individual basis, incorporating the interests of the resident and preceptor availability. Depending on the elective, there are opportunities to have a brief two-week elective experience to gain exposure to a topic. For example:
- Infectious Diseases in the Oncology Population
- Symptom Management and Palliative Care
Longitudinal Experiences
Clinical
- Actively participate on a multi-disciplinary team caring for patients who have hematologic or solid tumor malignancies, those receiving immunotherapy, or those who have received or are receiving a hematopoietic stem cell transplant.
- Actively be involved in medication reconciliation at admission and discharge for all patients in the oncology setting.
- Participate in the oncology on-call program alongside the inpatient oncology pharmacy specialists to strengthen critical thinking and management skills.
- Certify in Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support. Respond to Code Call, Anesthesia Stat and Rapid Response calls as assigned.
- Be involved with investigational protocols for patients and understand the processes involved in safely preparing and distributing investigational agents.
- Identify a research question and develop an oncology-related research project.
- Coordinate and develop a poster outlining the methodology of the research project for presentation at the Vizient University Health System Consortium’s Pharmacy Network Meeting (PGY2).
- Submit a research project manuscript to a peer-reviewed pharmacy or oncology journal.
- Complete a quality improvement project or medication use evaluation and present the results to the key stakeholders and associated committee.
- Submit an abstract for poster presentation (research project) to the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) annual meeting, or other national meeting and the annual Vizient Pharmacy Network Meeting
Teaching/Education
- Act as an oncology drug information resource for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and patients.
- Provide educational in-services to the nursing staff, house-staff, advanced practice provider and/or pharmacy staff on oncology-specific issues.
- Provide patient education counseling to patients on oral chemotherapy on a monthly basis (new starts and reassessments)
- Develop a deep understanding of the oncology disease states and pivotal trials for each disease state by presenting the oncology education series monthly to the oncology preceptors and oncology clinical pharmacy staff.
- Deliver an ACPE-accredited pharmacy continuing education presentation to members of the pharmacy department.
- Present journal clubs and patient case presentations as part of the Residency Program’s Therapeutics Conference. (2 minimum)
- Present a HOPA journal club during residency year. (optional)
- Participate in the Teaching Certificate Program. (optional)
- Instruct pharmacy students in didactic coursework at a local School of Pharmacy or other academic setting. (optional)
- Serve as primary preceptor for an IPPE or APPE student rotation. (optional)
Leadership
- Assist in the mentoring and act as a pharmacy role model to pharmacy students, PGY residents, and pharmacy staff.
- Prepare drug monographs (a minimum of two required) for formulary review at the UPHS System Pharmacy and HUP Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committees.
- Participate in formulary decisions regarding oncology specific agents such as new chemotherapy agents and supportive care medications for use in patients with cancer.
- Develop drug or therapeutic guidelines and drug utilization reviews as needed.
- Participate in the clinical intervention program, adverse drug reaction reporting program and medication safety/error reporting program.
- Work to improve the medication use policies relating to chemotherapy and ensure the safe use of all chemotherapy in both the inpatient and outpatient settings.
- Participate in department, hospital and clinical unit committees as assigned. Also serve as secretary of an assigned Pharmacy-led interdisciplinary committee (Pharmacy and Therapeutics, Medication Safety, etc.).
- Attend the ASHP Mid-year clinical meeting, Eastern States Residency Conference (optional), and HOPA Annual Meeting (optional), as funding allows.
Operational
- Provide weekend staffing coverage and pharmacokinetics service coverage in an oncology practice area. Staffing responsibilities include: order verification and distribution of medication orders, provision of pharmacokinetic consult recommendations and attendance at all rapid response calls for the assigned units.
- Provide once weekly staffing in our infusion pharmacies when on ambulatory care rotations
Application Requirements
Candidates interested in the program should submit the following via PhORCAS:
- Academic transcripts from your School of Pharmacy (including pre-pharmacy college transcripts)
- Letter of intent which addresses the following:
- Why have you chosen the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania?
- Why have you chosen to pursue specialized training in oncology?
- Your PGY2 Oncology Pharmacy Residency and long-term career goals
- Curriculum vitae
- Three letters of recommendation
- PGY Residency Program Director
- Clinical rotation preceptor, preferably from an oncology rotation
- Other clinical preceptor
All required application materials should be submitted to Phorcas by January 3rd.
Program Director
Colleen Timlin, PharmD, BCOP
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Hematology/Oncology
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Department of Pharmacy – Ground Rhoads
3400 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Colleen.Timlin@pennmedicine.upenn.edu