UPMC Shadyside Hospital PGY2 Oncology Pharmacy Residency Program

PGY2 pharmacy residency training builds on the foundations of pharmacy practice established during Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and the PGY1 pharmacy residency experience. The UPMC Shadyside PGY2 oncology pharmacy residency provides residents with a 12-month learning experience that prepares them to function independently as a clinical pharmacist in oncology, to serve as a fully integrated member of a multi-disciplinary team, and to optimize medications used in the provision of cancer care.

Residents who successfully complete the PGY2 oncology pharmacy residency at UPMC Shadyside Hospital will possess competencies that prepare them for future advanced clinical care, research or other specialized positions, and board certification in oncology pharmacy.

About Our Program

The PGY2 oncology pharmacy residency at UPMC Shadyside is designed for the individual interested in developing specialized clinical expertise in pharmaceutical care for oncology patients. The PGY2 oncology residency is ASHP accredited and has been training residents since the 1990s. The PGY2 oncology resident will gain expertise in the management of a wide variety of patients, including oncology, malignant hematology, and hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients, in all phases of their care. Additionally, other experiences in the treatment of oncologic emergencies, adverse reaction monitoring and management of chemotherapy, biotherapy, immunotherapy, therapeutic drug monitoring, and management of drug interactions will be plentiful.

The PGY2 oncology pharmacy residency is housed within UPMC Shadyside. It is a 520-bed academic teaching hospital and is UPMC’s only large, tertiary referral cancer hospital. UPMC Shadyside partners with UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, the only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center in western Pennsylvania, to provide comprehensive cancer care.

The PGY2 oncology resident will be involved in research opportunities and education of students and other health care professionals. The resident will identify a practice-related research project and mentor, learn about study design and implementation as well as complete a residency project suitable for publication.

An optional Teaching Mastery Series allows residents to learn about various teaching methods as well as develop their skills as pharmacy educators and clinical preceptors. There are opportunities to present formal seminars, patient cases, journal clubs, and in-service education for UPMC staff throughout the year.

Moreover, the resident may have an opportunity to gain experience in both didactic and experiential teaching and precepting at Duquesne University School of Pharmacy or the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy. Flexibility is provided to meet the individual resident's goals and objectives.

Required learning Experience and Deliverables

Required learning experiences (11 required)

Inpatient Medical Oncology (four weeks).
Advanced Inpatient Medical Oncology (four weeks).
Inpatient Leukemia I (Inpatient Hematology) (four weeks).
Inpatient Leukemia II (Inpatient Hematology) (four weeks).
Inpatient Hematology (Team H) (four weeks).
Inpatient BMT I (four weeks).
Inpatient BMT II (four weeks).
Investigational Drug Service (two to four weeks).
Outpatient Ambulatory Care Oncology (four weeks).
Oncology Pre-Admissions (two to four weeks).
Professional Development (four weeks).

Longitudinal Learning Experiences

Administration (10 months).
Outpatient Clinic (11 months).
Research Project (12 months).
Staffing (every 3^rd weekend) (11 months).

Electives

Inpatient Infectious Diseases (ID) (four weeks).
Palliative Care (four weeks).
Pediatric BMT (four weeks).
Pediatric Oncology (four weeks).
Precepting and Academia (two to four weeks).
Repeat Any Prior Learning Experience (four weeks).

Requirements for Successful Completion of the Residency

A residency certificate will be awarded when the following requirements are successfully completed:

Pass the exam(s) for licensure as a pharmacist in the State of Pennsylvania within 120 days of starting the residency program.
Must “Achieve" all the competency areas and goals established for the oncology residency program.
Completion of the ASHP PGY2 Pharmacy Residencies in Oncology Appendix, Adult Oncology Pharmacy-focused Programs required topics.
Complete the three (3) longitudinal experiences (e.g., staffing, outpatient clinic, and administration).
Complete the seminar and in-service requirements of the residency program.
Research project completion (with associated manuscript in publishable form). PGY2 oncology resident to submit an abstract/poster to a national/international pharmacy meeting (e.g., HOPA, ACCP, ASHP, etc.).
PGY2 oncology resident must present research project at the Pitt Pharmacy Residency Research Day.

People (RPD, Residency Program Coordinator, Preceptors)

Residents

Application Process

Employment Information and Benefits

Recent Resident Publications

Publications

Bastacky ML, Wang H, Fortman D, Rahman Z, Mascara GP, Brenner T, Najjar YG, Luke JJ, Kirkwood JM, Zasour HM, Diwakar D. Immune-Related Adverse Events in PD-1 Treated Melanoma and Impact Upon Anti-Tumor Efficacy: A Real World Analysis. Frontiers in Oncology 2021: 11:749064. (doi: 10.3389/fonc.2021.749064)

Abstracts

Jamison H, Bastacky M, Brenner TL, Gogniat M, Dewhurst H, Al-Dhumeen F, Rosario A, Sergi R, Nacev B, Burgess M. Comprehensive Evaluation of Risk Factors Associated with Ifosfamide-Induced Encephalopathy: A Real-World Retrospective Review. 2026 HOPA Annual Conference. New Orleans, LA. March 2026.
Hanini A, Kreider M, Patel A, Dulak D, Levenson J, Brenner T, Empey P, Bastacky M. Real-World Retrospective Review: Investigating Cardia Toxicity in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Capecitabine Therapy with and without DPYD Mutations – A Cardio-Oncology and Pharmacogenomic Study. 2024 HOPA AC24 Annual Conference, Tampa, FL, April 2024.
Werner T, Brenner T, Burns T, Huang Z, Bastacky M. Analysis of Neurotoxicity Associated with Lorlatinib Use in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients at a Large Academic Medical Center. 2023 HOPA Annual Conference. Phoenix, AZ. April 2023.
Mansour D, Bastacky M, Brenner T, Burns T. Real-World Evaluation of Drug Interactions with Sotorasib in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Patients at a Large Academic Medical Center. 2022 HOPA Annual Conference. Boston, MA. March 2022.
Woodworth K, Brenner TL, Olesiuk, LM, Trisler M, Mascara G. Evaluation of an Extended-Infusion Dosing Strategy for Cefepime in Febrile Neutropenia. 2021 HOPA Annual Conference. Portland, OR. March 2021.
Casem K, Steele, J, Bastacky, M, Brenner TL. Initiating Venetoclax Treatment in the Outpatient Setting for Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Quality Improvement Project. 2020 HOPA AHEAD Annual Conference, Tampa, FL, March 2020.
Saygin D, Bastacky M, Mascara G, Brenner TL, Oddis C, Moghadam-Kia S, Ascherman D, Diwakar D, Aggarwal R. Musculoskeletal Immune-Related Adverse Events after Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy: Single Center Experience. 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting, Abstract ID: 699814, Atlanta, GA, November 2019.
Bastacky ML, Mascara GP, Diwakar D, Brenner TL. Characterization of Immune-Mediated Colitis Following Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy in Melanoma Patients at a Large Academic Medical Center. 2019 HOPA AHEAD 15^th Annual Conference, Fort Worth, TX, April 2019.