Pharmacy Residency Curriculum

Orientation is a required 5-week rotation designed to provide orientation to the residency year and a strong foundation in local pharmacy practice. During this learning experience, residents will be oriented to several aspects of the residency program, including resident projects, rotations, committee involvement, and graduation requirements. Residents will also receive scheduled didactic education about a variety of operational and clinical aspects of practice at MAH. Residents will shadow pharmacists in both centralized and decentralized roles to become familiar with information technology, institutional policy, and a standard approach to how a pharmacist manages their practice. This learning experiences focuses on supporting residents as they transition from a student to a pharmacist.

Ambulatory Care is a required six-week learning experience conducted at the Primary Care Center (PCC) of Mount Auburn Hospital. The interprofessional PCC team includes primary care providers (PCPs), medical residents and interns, a nurse practitioner, a physician assistant, nurses, and medical assistants. During this rotation, the resident will be responsible for identifying and resolving drug-related problems in collaboration with physicians and other members of the healthcare team to optimize patient outcomes and prevent adverse medication-related events. Residents will provide Medication Therapy Management (MTM) services to patients at high risk for adverse drug events, particularly those with polypharmacy. MTM services may be delivered through both face-to-face visits and telehealth encounters and will include comprehensive medication reviews, medication reconciliation, and the development and implementation of deprescribing plans for potentially inappropriate medications.

In addition, residents will actively manage chronic disease states, including but not limited to diabetes and obesity. This includes providing evidence-based diabetes and obesity management through lifestyle counseling, pharmacotherapy optimization (e.g., GLP-based therapies and insulins), and addressing diabetes and weight-related comorbidities as part of a comprehensive, patient-centered care plan.

Residents will also support PCC staff by responding to drug information inquiries and providing education to providers and staff on new medications and evolving clinical guidelines. Furthermore, residents will participate in transitions of care activities to ensure safe and effective medication use across care settings. This experience offers robust opportunities for interprofessional collaboration while enhancing clinical decision-making, population health management, and patient-centered care skills.

Antimicrobial Stewardship is a 5-week learning experience designed to provide a foundational clinical pharmacy experience, focused on evaluation and assessment of antimicrobial use in hospitalized patients. During this rotation, the resident will gain knowledge and clinical experience in the management of infectious diseases and the stewardship of anti-infective medications. The practice environment will require routine interactions with healthcare professionals, as required, to optimize antimicrobial pharmacotherapy daily. The resident will attend stewardship rounds, assist with restricted pager duties, and take part in daily prospective audit and feedback reviews, thereby gaining experience in teaching and communication by providing pharmaceutical information to a variety of healthcare professionals in different stages of training.

The resident will learn to approach patient cases systematically, with an emphasis on efficient data gathering, organization, and interpretation. Additionally, they will receive practice in utilizing the electronic medical records, navigating hospital policy and resources, and developing workflows and prioritization of patient review. A focus will be placed on utilization of evidence-based medicine and literature assessment, as well as soft skills including documentation, professional communication, and management of personal responsibilities. The resident will gain necessary skills and knowledge in infectious diseases through direct patient care, topic discussions, self-directed learning, and presentations.

Critical Care is a required 5 week learning experience at Mount Auburn Hospital. The MICU typically has a service of 1-20 patients averaging about 8 patients/day. Each MICU team is composed of an attending critical care/pulmonary physician, 3 residents, 4 medical interns, 1-2 medical students, 1 pharmacist plus 2 pharmacy students. Additionally, rounds are attended by the critical care nurses, and respiratory therapists as needed.

The resident will gain competency to care for various critically ill patients. The resident will participate in daily rounds to provide and implement in collaboration with other health care professionals an evidence-based patient centered pharmacy care plan.

Emergency Medicine is a 5 week required learning experience designed to be an introduction to emergency medicine. This rotation will provide the resident the opportunity to develop skills related to decentralized clinical pharmacy practice. During this rotation, residents will work with the emergency department (ED) team through various tasks consisting of the delivery and preparation of medications, order verification, answering drug information questions, and attending emergency responses.

Residents will learn the structure and workflow of the ED while also working with the medical team to optimize pharmacotherapy. Within the rotation, the resident will also build skills pertaining to gathering information through chart review and verbal hand-off from emergency services.

Internal Medicine I is a 5-week rotation designed to provide a foundational clinical pharmacy experience and introduction to decentralized pharmacy practice. During this rotation, residents will work closely with the internal medicine team, which includes pharmacy, nursing, medical residents, medical interns, and an attending physician. Residents will learn to approach patient cases systematically, with an emphasis on efficient data gathering, organization, and interpretation. Additionally, they will receive practice in utilizing the electronic medical records, navigating hospital policy and resources. A focus will be placed on utilization of evidence-based medicine and literature assessment, as well as soft skills including documentation, professional communication, and management of personal responsibilities.

Internal Medicine II/Teaching is a 6-week learning experience designed to provide an advanced clinical pharmacy experience building from Internal Medicine I and introduce residents to preceptorship. During this rotation, residents will work closely with the internal medicine team, which includes a pharmacist, pharmacy students, nurses, medical residents, medical interns, and an attending physician. Residents will continue to approach patient cases systematically, building on skills obtained in Internal Medicine I, including efficient data gathering, organization, and interpretation. Residents will continue utilizing the electronic medical records, navigating hospital policy and resources to provide evidence-based therapeutic recommendations based on current literature.

They will also continue to utilize skills including documentation, professional communication, and management of personal responsibilities. During this rotation, residents will be directly responsible for precepting pharmacy student(s) which includes overseeing them on rounds with the internal medicine team, evaluation of their work, as well as developing educational activities for students.

Medication Safety is a 3 week block learning experience designed to supplement the longitudinal Pharmacy Administration and Medication Safety learning experience that focuses on the aspects of medication safety that are intermingled with medication use processes. The resident will have the opportunity to develop their understanding of medication safety monitoring and response that continues in the hospital setting beyond medication safety reports. This may include (but is not limited to): monitoring and reporting of medication adverse events, reacting to recall notices, responding to patient related complaints, maintaining compliance with accrediting body standards (throughout the hospital and within the pharmacy), diversion monitoring and investigations.

Pharmacy Leadership and Administration is a 3 week block learning experience intended to supplement the longitudinal Pharmacy Administration and Medication Safety learning experience and expose the resident to the day-to-day activities of a pharmacy administrator. The resident will participate in multiple meetings in various settings (pharmacy department, multi-disciplinary committees, Mount Auburn Hospital leadership meetings, and Beth Israel Lahey Health system meetings). The resident will become familiar with policy development and review, organization and department structure, management techniques, human resources, pharmacoeconomic and drug shortage management, strategic planning, departmental performance improvement efforts, quality and safety practices, information systems, and budgeting.

47 Weeks, Approximately 8 hours per month 

Pharmacy Administration and Medication Safety is a required, longitudinal rotation that focuses on pharmacy administration, the medication safety system, and the Medication Use Evaluation (MUE). This learning experience starts in the beginning of the residency year with an introduction to pharmacy department leadership responsibilities, the safety event reporting system, the basic tenets of reporting and reviewing medication errors or medication related events, and attendance of a Medication Reliability meeting (within the first 3 months of residency). Residents will support the medication safety system through the review of medication-related events filed through MAH’s safety event reporting system when assigned to do so by the preceptor team.  This longitudinal component will be equally shared among the resident cohort.

47 weeks, approximately 24 hours per month

The Pharmacy Practice and Inpatient Staffing longitudinal learning experience is designed to provide residents with a comprehensive and continuous understanding of the role and responsibilities involved in effective pharmacy practice within a dynamic healthcare setting, with a focus on centralized clinical and distributive operations. This experience is structured to ensure that residents develop the skills necessary to function proficiently as frontline pharmacists, integrating clinical knowledge with practical, real-world applications in various staffing scenarios. The learning experience aims to develop well-rounded pharmacy practitioners who are adept at managing diverse clinical and operational challenges. By integrating theoretical knowledge with practical experience, residents will be equipped with the skills and confidence needed to excel in various pharmacy practice settings and contribute meaningfully to patient care.

After completing the Orientation learning experience, weekend staffing training (every other weekend in July and August), and obtaining pharmacist licensure, residents are required to staff in the central pharmacy for 45 shifts during the residency year, including:

• Every third weekend, on average
• One evening shift per month, on average
• Two holidays, including 1 major holiday pair (e.g., Christmas Eve/Christmas Day) and 1 minor holiday (e.g., Memorial Day)

47 Weeks, Approximately 20 hours per month

The longitudinal Research Learning Experience is a required longitudinal learning experience designed to immerse PGY1 residents in the full life cycle of clinical and practice-based research. From day one, residents take ownership of a project that is feasible, novel, and clinically meaningful, working alongside an interdisciplinary research team to answer real-world pharmacotherapy questions. This experience transforms residents from consumers of literature into contributors to the field. Residents will develop core research competencies, including study design, protocol development, IRB submission, data collection, statistical analysis, and scientific writing.

Early mentorship and structured guidance evolve into increasing autonomy, allowing residents to refine critical thinking and project management skills. Emphasis is placed on producing high-quality, publishable work that advances pharmacy practice and improves patient care. What sets this experience apart is its tangible impact and professional exposure. Residents present their findings at two major pharmacy meetings and complete a manuscript suitable for peer-reviewed publication. By the end of the year, residents leave with not only a completed research project, but also the confidence and skillset to lead future research initiatives and drive innovation within their practice settings.

52 Weeks (approximately 20 hours per month)

Teaching and Academia is a required longitudinal learning experience where residents will have the opportunity to work closely with one of our faculty preceptors to develop their teaching skills and obtain exposure to academic pharmacy practice. Additionally, residents will hold an adjunct teaching appointment in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at MCPHS Boston. The learning experience is designed around the completion of the MCPHS teaching certificate program, which allows residents to develop their teaching skills through varied teaching experiences, including facilitating two semesters of Pharmacotherapeutics Seminar, delivering a formal didactic lecture and an accredited continuing education presentation, and co-precepting APPE students.

The Ambulatory Hematology/Oncology learning experience immerses residents in the specialized field of cancer care, focusing on both hematologic and oncologic disorders. This rotation offers exposure to a variety of disease states, treatment modalities, and interdisciplinary collaboration within a dynamic care team.

Cardiology is an elective learning experience that provides an opportunity for the pharmacy resident to round with both the Cardiology consult service and the Cardiothoracic Surgery service and collaborate with the team to optimize care for the cardiac patients through an interdisciplinary approach. Residents will be challenged to utilize evidence-based medicine, national guidelines, and pharmacology principles to develop high-impact treatment plans for patients admitted with cardiac disease.

Pharmacy Informatics is an elective learning experience designed to introduce the technological aspects of pharmacy and how they connect to medication safety, Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee (P&T), and maintaining hospital standards. During this rotation, residents will learn how healthcare technologies interplay with one another and how to implement new medications from the start, from P&T approval to EHR ordering. A focus will be placed on validating medication build and data collection using Epic reports. Soft skills include interdisciplinary communication, management of projects, and documenting changes in systems.