PGY2 Solid Organ Transplant Residency

Program Purpose Statement

The PGY2 Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacy Residency Program at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) is designed to develop PGY1 Pharmacy Residency graduates into clinical specialists who can successfully manage all aspects of pharmaceutical care for adult solid organ transplant donors and recipients. Graduates of this rigorous program will be well equipped to care for solid organ transplant patients across all phases of care, including candidate evaluation, the inpatient transplant admission, post-transplant ambulatory care, and hospital readmission.

Residency Goals

• In collaboration with the health care team, provide comprehensive medication management to solid organ transplant patients following a consistent patient care process.
• Ensure continuity of care during solid organ transplant patient transitions between care settings.
• Manage and facilitate delivery of medications to support safe and effective drug therapy for solid organ transplant patients.
• Demonstrate ability to manage formulary and medication-use processes for solid organ transplant 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 solid organ transplant patients.
• Demonstrate management skills in the provision of care for solid organ transplant patients.
• Provide effective medication and practice-related education to solid organ transplant 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 solid organ transplant. 

Program Overview

The Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacy Residency Program at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania has been in existence since 2007. This residency is a full time practice commitment and is 52 weeks in duration. The program offers comprehensive learning experiences in all major solid organs, including kidney/pancreas, liver, heart, and lung transplantation, as well as transplant infectious disease. Residents will serve as an integral part of the multidisciplinary team, ensuring the safe and effective use of all medications, educating patients and caregivers pre- and post-transplant, participating in multi-disciplinary selection meetings, and facilitating smooth transitions between patient care settings. Residents can expect dynamic experiences in caring for transplant recipients in the in-patient and outpatient settings while on core organ rotations as well as a focused ambulatory care experience. Residents will also attend an Immunology and HLA didactic and interactive lecture series that is 1-week in duration to provide a baseline foundational knowledge prior to starting rotations.

 All required learning experiences are one month in duration except where noted in table below. Longitudinal experiences start after orientation and continue until the end of residency. These experiences are designed to focus on pharmacy operations, medication adherence assessments, clinical research and professional development which includes opportunities to deliver formal and informal presentations, teach and mentor residents and students, and develop professional writing skills. The transplant pharmacy group is very active in clinical research and collaborate on multiple research projects including PGY1 and PGY2 residents every year. Additionally, transplant pharmacists and residents will participate in ongoing prospective trials through enrollment and screening. The program will be tailored specifically for each resident based upon the resident’s goals, interests and previous experience.

Elective learning experiences are available to enhance the resident’s experience and knowledge in solid organ transplantation and related areas. Electives may be structured as two week, or one month learning experiences where noted below. Elective rotation requests will be considered on an individual basis, with regards to resident interests and preceptor availability. 

Learning Experiences

* 1-month experience; activities may vary based on in-coming early commitment status
† 1-month experience
‡ Available as 2-week, or 1-month experience
§ Rotation site Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; associated with additional screening and credentialing

Longitudinal Experiences

Professional Development

• Provide an ACPE-accredited presentation at Pharmacy Grand Rounds
• Present monthly topics to the transplant preceptors during monthly Transplant Clinical Conference
• Present and mentor journal clubs and/or patient case presentations as part of the residency program’s Therapeutics Conference
• Participate in Transplant Leadership Conference, an educational series focused on transplant administration and leadership
• Develop and present lectures at various forums based on interest and availability including the Transplant Coordinator Education Series, Transplant Nurses Day, Kidney Transplant Symposium, organ specific transplant recipients support groups, and in-services to nursing, pharmacy and physician staff
• Opportunities to attend multi-disciplinary education series to further supplement and enhance transplant knowledge including: Hepatology Conference, Renal Conference, Multi-disciplinary Immunology & Transplantation Interest Conference (MITI), Transplant Coordinator Education Series and didactic lectures on HLA and Immunology as part of the pathology residents training
• Prepare or revise a transplant related protocol/treatment guideline, drug class review or monograph
• Participate in the clinical intervention program, adverse drug reaction reporting program and medication error program
• Serve as a secretary for the RP4 Unit Based Clinical Leadership and the monthly transplant clinical specialist meeting
• Assist in mentoring and precepting pharmacy students, PGY1 residents, and pharmacy staff
• Participation in department, hospital and clinical unit committees based on areas of interest
• Additional opportunities for professional development may be offered based on interest and availability
  • American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) IMTR PRN blog
  • American Society of Transplantation (AST) Transplant Pharmacy Community of Practice Online Journal Club
  • International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT)
    PULSE Newsletter
  • AST Fellow Conference Case Presentation
  • Journal article peer review
  • Serve as primary preceptor for an APPE student rotation or PGY1 resident

Research/Scholarly Activities

• Involvement in a comprehensive research educational series focusing on epidemiology, study design, and statistical methods
• Active leadership of a research group within a flipped research model
• Identify or choose a transplant specific research question and complete a research project including study design, statistical analysis, data collection and results analysis
• Submit a transplant-related abstract to a national meeting
• Develop a transplant-related poster and/or platform presentation for a national meeting
• Attend Midyear and a transplant related national meeting(s) as funding allows
• Prepare a manuscript suitable for publication in a professional journal
• Participate in ongoing prospective trials through enrollment and screening based on interest and availability
• Mentor PGY1 residents who are participating in transplant related research

Pharmacy Operations

• Function as a unit based clinical pharmacist during weekend staffing coverage in a transplant practice area, responsibilities include:
  • Order verification
  • Medication distribution
  • Pharmacokinetic consult recommendations
  • Drug information resource for health care providers
  • Emergency response participation at all codes, anesthesia stats, and rapid response calls for assigned units
    • Complete at least 208 hours of weekend clinical operations as a unit based clinical pharmacist which equates to approximately every 3rd weekend
    • Obtain/maintain Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support certification throughout the residency year

Resources

The residency program provides residents sufficient resources to fulfill the responsibilities of the program, including:

• A dedicated workspace
• Technological resources, including, but not limited to, a workstation, clinical information systems, laptop computer, and cell phone
• Access to online and print pharmacy and medical references
• Extramural educational opportunities, such as conference attendance
• Sufficient financial support, including salary and full benefits package (including 10 paid days off), reimbursement for conference attendance, statistical support for projects, and poster production
• Professional liability insurance is covered by the hospital as long as residents are working within the limits of their job description and following hospital policies and procedures
• Administrative time during each learning experience to complete residency related requirements

Program Information

• Number of Positions: 1
• NMS Code: 785876
• Accreditation Status: Accredited

Training Site

• The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania is the largest institution within the University of Pennsylvania Health System (Penn Medicine) and is world-renowned for its clinical and research excellence, forging the way for new and better ways to diagnose and treat illnesses and disorders. HUP is a 988-bed academic teaching hospital and tertiary referral center located in the heart of Philadelphia.
• The Penn Transplant Institute (PTI) performed their first successful kidney transplant in 1966, and since then has been a pioneer in organ transplantation, providing exceptional global care for the transplant recipient, and leading in cutting edge research in transplant science. Penn's multidisciplinary team leads the region in the total number of transplants performed and is ranked among the top 10 multi-organ transplant centers in the country. Penn has active programs in kidney, pancreas, liver, lung, heart, hand, uterus, and islet cell transplantation, as well as living donor programs for kidney and liver. In addition, the liver and kidney transplant programs at Penn Medicine and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have collaborated for decades to allow healthy adults to donate organ tissue to children with end-stage kidney or liver disease. Penn offers total integration of care for all transplant recipients from pre-surgery management, through the transplant surgery and postoperative care.
• Penn’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.

Special Requirements for Acceptance

• Graduate of an Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) accredited Doctor of Pharmacy program (or one in the process of pursuing accreditation) or have a Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Committee (FPGEC) certificate from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP)
• Enrolled in an ASHP accredited PGY1 Pharmacy residency program with expected completion prior to the official start date of the PGY2 SOT residency
• Licensed or eligible for licensure in the state of Pennsylvania within 90 days of the start of the residency year

Application Requirements

Candidates interested in the program should submit the following through PhORCAS:

• Academic transcripts from your School of Pharmacy (including pre-pharmacy college transcripts)
• Letter of intent
• Curriculum vitae
• Three letters of recommendation
  • PGY1 Residency Program Director
  • Clinical rotation preceptor, preferably from a transplant rotation
  • Other clinical preceptor

All required application materials should be submitted via PhORCAS by January 3rd.

Chelsea Sammons, PharmD, BCTXP
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Liver and VCA Transplantation
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
3400 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Chelsea.Sammons@uphs.upenn.edu