UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh PGY2 Pediatric Pharmacy Residency Program

Patient Care and Pharmacy Experiences

Required Experiences (four weeks unless noted)

• Orientation (six weeks).
• General pediatrics.
• Pediatric oncology.
• Neonatal critical care/nutrition support.
• Pediatric critical care.
• Pediatric cardiac critical care.
• Pediatric emergency medicine.
• Resident research block (four to five weeks).

Research/Quality Improvement Experiences

• Medication use evaluation (MUE) (44 weeks).
  • The resident is required to complete an MUE, which they will select based upon their professional interest. The resident will present their MUE as a poster presentation.
• Research/quality improvement project (44 weeks)
  • The resident is required to complete a research/quality improvement project which they will select based upon their professional interest. The resident will present their project as a platform presentation at the annual UPMC pharmacy resident research day in June and/or at a national conference.

Pharmacy Operations

• Pharmacy inpatient operations
  • Every fourth weekend (two eight hr shifts over 52 weeks).
  • One evening shift per week (four hrs over 46 weeks).
  • One winter holiday (eight hr) (Thanksgiving day, Christmas day, or New Years day).
  • Memorial day (eight hr).
• Clinical pharmacist on-call (during staffing weekend with back up preceptor from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (two 12 hr shifts over 52 weeks).

Continuing Education Presentation (44 weeks)

The resident will present one formal ACPE-accredited presentation during the residency year. The goal of the CE presentation is to improve the resident’s expertise in communication skills and techniques, literature evaluation, and the formal education process.

Professional Development (49 weeks)

• Presentations
  • Two patient case presentations.
  • Two clinical pearls.
  • Two journal clubs.
• Review and/or creation of department and/or hospital policies and guidelines.
• Formulary drug/class review.
• Review of appendix topics.
• Hospital and pharmacy committee participation.
• Encouragement to participate in professional pharmacy. organizations such as PPA, ACCP, and ASHP.

Requirements for Program Completion

• The requirements for successful completion of the program are listed below:
• Completion of all UPMC pre-employment and orientation requirements.
• Obtain Pennsylvania pharmacist licensure prior to or within 120 days after the residency program start date.
• Provide PGY1 residency certificate within 14 days but no later than 30 days from the start of residency.
• Successfully achieve for residency (ACHR) 80% of the required ASHP PGY2 pediatric competencies, goals, and objectives.
• Complete and provide documentation of the required pediatric appendix topics in PharmAcademic.
• Complete the requirements of the individualized training plans.
• Complete all rotation presentation requirements as outlined in the residency manual.
• Complete all required pharmacy operations shifts as outlined in the manual.
• Complete and present at least one drug monograph at either the UPMC Pediatric P&T Subcommittee or CHP P&T Advisory and Implementation Committee.
• Complete a medication use evaluation.
• Complete a new or update a policy or guideline.
• Successfully present a formal continuing education presentation.
• Complete and present a large quality improvement/clinical research project as a platform presentation at a local or national conference.
• Prepare a professional poster.
• Submit a manuscript suitable for publication.
• Maintain an up-to-date electronic residency portfolio and upload files to support deliverables into PharmAcademic.

Electives

Patient Care and Pharmacy Experiences

Elective Experiences (four weeks unless noted)

• Pediatric infectious disease/antimicrobial stewardship.
• Pediatric solid organ transplant.
• Pediatric bone marrow transplant.
• Precepting (five to six weeks).

*Learning experiences above are examples (not all inclusive) and are subject to change based on availability.

Teaching Experiences

Teaching experiences are made available to the resident. If the resident has not completed a teaching certificate during their PGY1 residency year, the resident is highly encouraged to participate in the Mastery of Teaching Certification offered through the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy.

If the resident does not complete the teaching certificate program, they are encouraged to participate in teaching opportunities as available such as didactic lectures, small and large group facilitations, and APPE pharmacy student precepting.

Residency Program Director

• Jennifer R. Shenk, PharmD, BCPPS

Residency Program Coordinator

• Ann Carl, PharmD, BCPPS

Preceptors

• Meyer Aschkenas, PharmD, Pharmacy operations
• Ann Carl, PharmD, BCPPS, Inpatient pediatric solid organ transplant
• Elizabeth Ferguson, PharmD, BCPPS, General pediatrics
• Alex Kibler, PharmD, BCPS, BCPPS, Pediatric/cardiac critical care
• Olya Lovell, PharmD, Outpatient pediatric solid organ transplant
• Shawn Meehl, PharmD, BCPPS, Pediatric BMT/oncology
• Melinda Miller, PharmD, BCPS, BCPPS, Neonatal critical care
• Kevin Ordons, PharmD, BCCPS, Pediatric/cardiac critical care
• Jordan (Serio) Stork, PharmD, BCPPS, Pediatric critical care
• Serene Sheikh, PharmD, Pediatric antimicrobial stewardship/infectious disease
• Jennifer Shenk, PharmD, BCPPS, Neonatal critical care, Precepting rotation
• Erin (Tamulonis) Bordo, PharmD, Pediatric emergency medicine
• Patrick Watchorn, PharmD, Pediatric critical care

Current Residents

• Salvatore Richetti, PharmD

• Phorcas Deadline – January 2

Requirements:

• Complete and submit the required materials through PhORCAS by the designated due date.
  • Curriculum vitae.
  • Letter of intent describing rationale for residency training and career goals.
  • Pharmacy school transcripts.
  • Three completed standardized reference forms in PhORCAS.
    • At least one must be from PGY1 residency program director.
      • At least one must be from a PGY1 clinical preceptor.
      • Reference writers are encouraged to discuss all applicable PhORCAS characteristics, but must provide specific details regarding communication, time management, clinical problem-solving skills, independence/resourcefulness, and accepting constructive criticism.
• Scheduled to graduate or have graduated from an educational program leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy degree from a pharmacy school accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) or have a Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee (FPGEC) certificate from the NABP.
• PGY2 applicants must have completed or be in the process of completing an ASHP-accredited or candidate status PGY1 residency program.
• Licensed or eligible for pharmacist licensure in Pennsylvania.
• Employed by or eligible for hire by UPMC graduate medical education (GME).

Interview requirement

All applicants will be notified by email in early January of the potential interview dates for interview planning purposes. Select candidates will be invited for an on-site or virtual interview, which are typically conducted on select dates in late January/early February.

• Esadah E, Ferguson E, Ordons K, Woodring J, Rosen J. Pharmacy Optimization of Antibiotic Verification and Preparation for Pediatric Emergency Department Patients: A Quality Improvement Project. J Pediatr Pharmacol Ther. 2025 Apr;30(2):191-197. PMCID: PMC12288566.