The PGY2 in Ambulatory Care is designed to prepare residents to practice independently as a clinical specialist in an ambulatory care setting. The resident is exposed to a variety of practice settings across the Northwestern Medicine health system to ensure a well-rounded experience. The resident serves as a key member of the ambulatory care team and assists in transitions of care to improve the safety of patients in the outpatient setting. Focus areas of the program include clinical rotations, specialty pharmacy practice, quality improvement projects, transitions of care and creation or expansion of new service lines. Clinical rotations facilitate the development of skills needed for management of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart failure; as well as a focus on specialty clinics such as women’s health, hepatology, transplant, oncology, and inflammatory diseases.

Rotations

Orientation introduces the responsibilities and skills of a clinical pharmacist, including the policies at NMH, as well as training residents to independently practice in the Specialty Pharmacy and assigned clinics.

Required Rotations

• Administration
• Cardiology
• Internal Medicine
• Infectious Disease (HIV)
• Transitional Care Clinic + CHAMP
• Specialty Pharmacy focused clinic – resident’s choice
• Pharmacy Practice (initiation of new clinic or enhancement of existing clinic)

Elective Rotations

• Oncology (Specialty pharmacy and clinic)
• Transplant
• Psychiatry
• Inflammatory
• Anticoagulation (VAD)
• Hepatitis C
• Neurology
• Women’s Health
• Advanced Internal Medicine
• Off campus (suburban) clinics:
  • Cardiology, Internal Medicine

Additional Activities

• Pharmacy Practice: The resident will work to develop a new clinic or expand services in an established clinic. The area where the resident completes this requirement may change from year to year.
• Longitudinal Clinic: The resident will spend one day every week in longitudinal primary care focused clinics.
• Transitions of Care (weekend experience): The resident will work every third weekend and holidays (one summer and one winter) to ensure appropriate transitions of care from the hospital to home. The services include counseling patients, ensuring access to medications, and follow-up telephone calls after discharge.
• On-Call: The resident will be on call for four weeks out of the year including holidays. The on-call experience will include Specialty Pharmacy after-hour clinical questions and operational needs.
• Noon Conference: The resident is required to present at two noon conferences, one CE presentation, and practice presentations for the research project.
• Research: The resident will be required to complete and present a research project. The research project topic should be one that is of interest to the resident and is valuable to the advancement of the profession of pharmacy. The research project will be selected with the assistance and recommendation of various research mentors and co-investigators. The resident will have a research mentor and a research advisor to assist with their progress.
• Quality Improvement Project: The resident is required to participate in a process improvement project that contributes to the advancement of pharmacy practice and patient care at NM.
• Precepting: The PGY2 resident will be involved with precepting PGY1 residents and pharmacy students during their learning experiences.
• Teaching Certificate: The resident may participate in a teaching certificate program and may present didactic lectures based on available opportunities.

Staffing

• The resident will staff in the inpatient/outpatient transitions in care position every third weekend.
• In addition, the resident will be expected to staff one winter holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year's) and one summer holiday (Memorial Day, 4th of July, or Labor Day).

How to Apply

Eligible applicants include:

• Graduate of a Doctor of Pharmacy program from an ACPE-accredited school or college of pharmacy
• Completion of a PGY1 pharmacy residency program
• Eligible for Illinois licensure
• Participation in an interview

Application Requirements

All interested candidates must register with both PhORCAS and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Resident Matching Service (NMS Code 743465).

All application materials must be submitted through the PhORCAS online portal. Additional requirements include:

• Curriculum vitae
• Letter of intent
• Three letters of recommendation (the Standard Reference Form in PhORCAS may be utilized for recommendations; a separate letter is not necessary)
• Pharmacy school transcripts
• Interview process (All candidates are required to attend an onsite interview)

Number of positions: 1
Start date: July 1
Estimated stipend: $52,000
Application deadline: January 2

Residency Program Director

Bridget Dolan, PharmD, BCPS

Bridget is a Chicago-land native where she received her Bachelor’s of Science in Microbiology from the University of Iowa. She then earned her Doctorate in Pharmacy from Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy. Following graduation, Bridget went on to complete a PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at Northshore University Healthsystem and a PGY2 in Ambulatory Care at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. After graduation Bridget served as the outpatient clinical pharmacist in the Northwestern Medicine Specialty Pharmacy within the Inflammatory – gastrointestinal focused and Osteoporosis disease states then moved into a split role in Women’s Health and Fertility and Internal Medicine clinic. She has been practicing at Northwestern since 2017 and now practices as an ambulatory care pharmacist in the internal medicine clinics on the downtown campus assisting the value-based care team at Northwestern Medicine. She helped start collaborative practice agreements with a therapeutic protocol within internal medicine, which focuses on optimizing medication regimens for patients with Type 2 Diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. She loves connecting with each patient to try to achieve their personal health goals. Bridget also serves on the care coordination team, assisting all internal medicine patients with their medication needs whether it is adherence, education, medication optimization, and/or coordination and triage with other team members to provide optimal care. Bridget started her involvement within the program right after she graduated her residency and was the program coordinator from 2019-2021. She became the PGY2 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency Director in winter 2021. She has helped expand the role for the pharmacist in clinics across Northwestern Medicine through collaborative practice agreements for chronic disease state management and enjoys helping other ambulatory care pharmacists grow their service lines. She is the primary preceptor to many IPPE, APPE students and PGY1 residents. She was the ICHP Ambulatory Care Network Vice- Chair from 2019-2020 and then became the Chair for the 2020-2021 year. Her passion is to advocate for pharmacists within Illinois to hopefully achieve provider status in the future. Bridget loves working with the residents each year in fulfilling their career goals. In her free time, Bridget enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She also loves to go on adventures with her son, husband and dog!

Contact

Northwestern Memorial Hospital
251 East Huron Street
Pharmacy Department, Feinberg LC 700
Chicago, Illinois 60611

Phone: 312.926.3578

Email: bridget.dolan@nm.org

This one-year training program focuses on delivering optimal pharmacotherapy to patients with cardiology issues in a variety of settings, ranging from the ICU to ambulatory care settings. In our program, you will gain exposure to many cardiovascular disease states, helping you become a well-rounded practitioner.

We offer one resident position each year.

Rotations

Required rotations:

• Orientation
• Heart Failure Titration Clinic
• General Cardiology
• Advanced Heart Failure
• Cardiac/Coronary Care Unit (CCU)
• Electrophysiology Consult
• Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit (CTICU)
• Cardiothoracic Surgery Step-Down
• Advanced Heart Failure in Cardiac Surgery
• Medication Safety and Policy/Administration
• Ventricular Assist Device and Heart Transplant Clinic (longitudinal)
• Pharmacy Practice (longitudinal)
• Research (longitudinal)

Elective rotations include the options below. You may arrange additional elective rotations based on your interests and service availability:

• Transplant Infectious Diseases
• Congenital Heart Disease
• Medical ICU
• Emergency Medicine

Additional Activities

• Research project: Each resident will complete an independent, longitudinal research project that they present at the American College of Cardiology Conference or another cardiology conference.
• Presentations: Each resident will present:
• Two formal noon conference presentations throughout the year
• One continuing education presentation
• Two defense presentations related to their research project
• Quality improvement project: Each resident will help produce, edit or change at least one cardiology procedure or protocol.
• Committee participation: You will longitudinally participate in two institution-based subcommittees. We encourage residents to get involved in one professional society committee.
• Transitions of care: Throughout your residency year, you will serve as the clinical pharmacist one day every other week in the Ventricular Assist Device and Heart Transplant Clinics.
• Precepting experiences: You will be involved with precepting PGY1 residents and pharmacy students during their learning experiences.
• Teaching certificate: You may participate in a teaching certificate program. Didactic lecture opportunities at local colleges of pharmacy are available upon request

Staffing

As a resident, you will:

• Provide evening clinical service coverage every third weekend as the decentralized ICU pharmacist.
• Be expected to staff one winter holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year's Day) and one summer holiday (Memorial Day, Fourth of July or Labor Day).

Program Staff

Allie Mowery, PharmD, BCCP
Practice Coordinator, Clinical Service, Cardiology, ICU, ED, NICU
312.472.4814
allie.wasik@nm.org

Mowery attended Ferris State College of Pharmacy where she received her Doctor of Pharmacy. She completed pharmacy practice residency at Munson Medical Center and a cardiology residency at University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. She is certified by the Board of Pharmacy Specialties as a cardiology specialist. Mowery has been at Northwestern Memorial Hospital since 2018, and she is the practice coordinator for Cardiology, ICU, Emergency Department and NICU clinical teams.

The PGY2 Critical Care Program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, a Level I Trauma and Comprehensive Stroke Center, offers training in six specialized ICUs:

• Coronary Care Unit
• Cardiothoracic ICU
• Medical ICU
• Surgical ICU
• Thoracic ICU
• Neuro-spine ICU

Residents will gain exposure to treating critical patients in our emergency department, and they will become active members of the Code Response team and Airway Response team.

We equip our PGY2 residents to be fully integrated members of the interdisciplinary critical care team, capable of dealing with a wide range of diseases and disorders that occur in people who are critically ill and with complex multiple organ system failure.

Rotations

Required rotations:

• Administration and Medication Safety
• Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit
• Coronary Care Unit
• Emergency Medicine
• Medical Intensive Care Unit I
• Medical Intensive Care Unit II
• Neuro-spine Intensive Care Unit
• Surgical Intensive Care Unit
• Pharmacy Practice (initial orientation and longitudinal)
• Research (longitudinal)
• Professional Development and Committee (longitudinal)
• Presentations (longitudinal)

Elective rotations include the options below. You may arrange additional elective rotations based on your interests and service availability:

• Burn Intensive Care Unit (through John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County)
• Trauma ICU and/or Trauma ED (through John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County)
• Advanced Mechanical Circulatory Support/Thoracic ICU
• Solid Organ Transplant Service
• Lung Transplant Service
• Infectious Diseases Consult
• Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (through Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago)
• Solid Organ Transplant ICU
• Toxicology (through Illinois Poison Control Center)

Additional Activities and Staffing Requirements

Residents must:

• Complete a longitudinal research project.
• Give a quarterly education lecture series to anesthesiology residents, formal internal presentations and one continuing educational presentation.
• Create one ICU institutional policy, procedure or protocol.
• Participate in one institutional committee and one external professional committee.
• Precept PGY1 residents and students throughout rotations; additional formal teaching experiences based on resident interest and availability.
• Earn Emergency Neurological Life Support (ENLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification.
• Work toward longitudinal wellness goal(s) as determined by resident and revisited quarterly with residency program director.
• Provide decentralized ICU evening staffing coverage every third weekend, one winter holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s Day), and one summer holiday (Memorial Day, Fourth of July or Labor Day)

Program Staff

Sophia earned her Doctorate in Pharmacy at University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy. She went on to complete both a PGY1 pharmacy practice residency and PGY2 critical care pharmacy residency at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Sophia has been practicing at Northwestern Memorial Hospital since her residency start in 2019 and now practices as a critical care pharmacist in various ICUs, primarily in the Medical and Surgical ICUs.

Dr. Brown serves as an active member in the Society of Critical Care Medicine Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology Section, as well as various institutional committees, including the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee. She recently served as the PGY2 critical care pharmacy residency coordinator before assuming her current role.

Stacy Lin, PharmD, BCCCP
Residency Program Coordinator

Stacy earned her Doctorate in Pharmacy at Cedarville University School of Pharmacy. She completed a PGY1 pharmacy practice residency and PGY2 critical care pharmacy residency at Cleveland Clinic Akron General. Stacy has been practicing at Northwestern Memorial Hospital since 2022, serving primarily as the evening ICU pharmacist. She is an active member of the Society of Critical Care Medicine.

Our residency program offers training in multiple care environments and exposure to diverse patient populations. Northwestern Memorial Hospital Emergency Department is a Level 1 Trauma and Stroke Center in downtown Chicago, allowing for a rewarding learning environment.

We offer one resident position each year.

As a resident, you will rotate through multiple areas of the hospital, generally in conjunction with the emergency medicine medical residents. This fosters relationship development and the importance of working on an interdisciplinary team.

You can gain experience in multiple ICUs and will also have the opportunity for rotations like advanced infectious disease. Our residency program aims to help create the next generation of pharmacy leaders in emergency medicine, with training to pursue a future in any emergency medicine practice setting or specialty of your choosing.

Rotations

Required rotations:

• Adult Emergency Medicine rotations:
• Orientation
• General Emergency Medicine
• Emergency Medicine Resuscitation
• Emergency Medicine Urgent Care and Psychiatry
• Emergency Medicine Capstone
• Emergency Medicine Extended Hours and Overnights
• Toxicology
• Medical ICU

Elective rotations include the options below. You may arrange additional elective rotations based on your interests and service availability:

• Surgical/Trauma ICU
• Neuro/Spine ICU
• Coronary Care Unit
• Infectious Diseases

Additional Activities

• Research Project: You will participate in a longitudinal research project and present it at a regional/national meeting. Additional medication use evaluation and operations-based research opportunities are regularly available.
• Presentations: As a resident, you will:
• Deliver one continuing education presentation.
• Give two presentations in Pharmacy Grand Round.
• Participate in physician, nurse and pharmacy in-services and presentations throughout the year.
• Education: You will attend and participate in the weekly didactic education led by the Northwestern University Emergency Medicine medical residency. During these weekly conferences, separated into organ system modules, you can interact with the physician residents. We consistently include professional development, wellness and literature evaluation in this curriculum.
• Precepting: You will serve as a preceptor for pharmacy students and PGY1 residents.
• Committee participation: As a resident, you will participate in multidisciplinary emergency department (ED) committees, including the sepsis committee and ED practice committee, as well as university- and pharmacy-specific committees. You will also have the opportunity to serve on Northwestern Memorial Hospital pharmacy resident committees and interact with our residents from different specialties.

Staffing

As a resident, you will:

• Provide emergency medicine clinical staffing services every fourth weekend throughout your residency year. Staffing only takes place in the emergency department, and it gives you the opportunity to be the primary emergency medicine pharmacist.
• Be expected to staff one winter and one summer holiday.

Program Staff

Dion Tyler, PharmD, BCEMP, BCPS
Program Director, PGY2 Emergency Medicine Pharmacy Residency Program
Clinical Pharmacist, Emergency Medicine
Northwestern Memorial Hospital

Tyler earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from University of Missouri-Kansas City. He then completed his PGY1 pharmacy residency at University of Colorado Hospital and PGY2 in emergency medicine at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Rosalind Franklin University. After practicing in the emergency department at a community-teaching hospital on Chicago's west side, he returned to Northwestern Memorial Hospital as program director of the PGY2 Residency Program in Emergency Medicine. Tyler’s clinical interests include toxicology and resuscitation efforts in the emergency department.

Alli Cowett, PharmD, BCEMP
Program Coordinator, PGY2 Emergency Medicine Pharmacy Residency Program
Clinical Pharmacist, Emergency Medicine

Cowett received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from University of Maryland. She completed her PGY1 pharmacy residency at Northwestern Memorial Hospital where she also early committed for her PGY2 in emergency medicine and was hired on after for a full-time position in the emergency department. In addition to residency program coordinator, Cowett is APPE preceptor and chair of the Education Committee within SAEM's Academic Emergency Medicine Pharmacist's national organization. Her clinical interests include managing patients with substance use disorders, harm-reduction efforts and antimicrobial stewardship.

This residency program aims to build on competencies achieved in a PGY1 residency to develop proficient, independent clinicians with expertise in infectious diseases pharmacotherapy and antimicrobial stewardship.

We offer one resident position each year.

Rotations

Required rotations:

• PGY2 Infectious Diseases Residency Orientation
• Microbiology laboratory and Infection Prevention
• Antimicrobial & Diagnostic Stewardship
• ID Medicine Consult
• ID Surgery/Oncology Consult
• Infectious Disease Immunocompromised/Transplant Consult
• Health System Stewardship Administration
• Community Hospital Stewardship
• Research (concentrated and longitudinal)
• Pharmacy Practice – ICU Staffing and ADSP Pager (longitudinal)

Elective rotations include the options below. You may arrange additional elective rotations based on your interests and service availability:

• HIV Community Ambulatory Clinic
• Pediatric Infectious Diseases
• Emergency Medicine
• Advanced Infectious Disease consults

Additional Activities

• Research project: Each resident will complete an independent, longitudinal research project. You must present this project in a formal setting, such as a department and a local, state or national conference.
• Presentations: As a resident, you must present:
• Two formal presentations to the Pharmacy Department throughout the year
• One continuing education presentation for pharmacists
• Your research project defense and final research presentation
• Administrative project: Each resident will help produce, edit or change at least one infectious diseases or stewardship policy, procedure or protocol.
• Committee participation: You will be involved with the system stewardship P&T committee as well as local and system infection prevention, antimicrobial and diagnostic stewardship, and microbiology committees. We also require you to be involved in a national committee for a professional society, such as the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP) or Vizient’s Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee.
• Precepting experiences: You will be involved with precepting PGY1 residents and pharmacy students during their learning experiences.
• Teaching certificate: You may participate in a teaching certificate program. You may participate in a teaching certificate program and/or present didactic lectures if interested

Staffing

As a resident, you will:

• Provide evening clinical service coverage every third weekend as the decentralized ICU pharmacist.
• Cover the Antimicrobial and Diagnostic Stewardship pager every third week on weeknight evenings and on weekends.
• Be expected to staff one winter holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s Day) and one summer holiday (Memorial Day, Fourth of July or Labor Day).

Program Staff

Christie Bertram, PharmD, BCIDP
Director, Residency Program
312.472.0278
christie.bertram@nm.org

Dr. Bertram is an infectious diseases, and antimicrobial and diagnostic stewardship clinical pharmacist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. She is also an adjunct assistant professor of Pharmacy Practice at Rosalind Franklin University College of Pharmacy. Dr. Bertram earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Butler University College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences. She completed a PGY1 pharmacy practice residency at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and a PGY2 infectious diseases residency at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy.

Her primary interest areas include antimicrobial stewardship, treating multi-drug-resistant infections, antibiotic allergies, as well as microbiology and rapid diagnostic testing. She is an active member of the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists.

Dr. Bertram’s research interests include antimicrobial pharmacokinetics in patients who are critically ill, assessing how penicillin allergy labels affect broad-spectrum antibiotic use, and evaluating the impact of rapid diagnostic testing on antimicrobial optimization.

The PGY2 in Medication-Use Safety and Policy (MUSP) at Northwestern Memorial Hospital is designed to ensure the resident will develop the knowledge, attitude, and skills necessary to become an advanced pharmaceutical care practitioner and organizational leader in the area of Medication-Use Safety and Policy. The learning experiences offered aim to provide the resident an advanced understanding and practical experience with medication-use safety and policy pharmacist responsibilities. The resident will actively participate in the medication-use process, including the Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee (P&T) and its subcommittees, formulary management, precepting, developing medication-related guidelines and policies, conducting research, and improving medication safety and quality.

Rotations

Required Rotations

• Drug Information
• Advanced Drug Information
• Medication Safety
• Medication Safety & Quality
• Formulary Management
• Advanced Formulary Management
• Pharmacy Operations & Drug Shortages
• Pharmacy Informatics
• Medication Use Practice (longitudinal)
• Medication Safety Practice (longitudinal)

Required Rotations

Elective Rotations will be developed on resident interest and preceptor availability in the future

Additional Activities

Research Project: Each resident will complete an independent, longitudinal research project that will be presented at a local or national conference.

Presentations: Each resident will complete two formal presentations to the pharmacy department throughout the year as well as one continuing education presentation for pharmacists. Additionally, the resident will be expected to present their research project defense and final research presentation.

Committee Participation: The resident will be involved with the System Pharmacy & Therapeutics (P&T) Committee and Subcommittees as well as local P&T and Medication Safety committees.

Precepting Experiences: PGY2 residents will be involved with precepting PGY1 residents and pharmacy students during their learning experiences.

Teaching Certificate: Each resident may participate in a teaching certificate program and present didactic lectures based on available opportunities.

Staffing

The resident will staff every third weekend. In addition, the resident will be expected to staff one winter holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s) and one summer holiday (Memorial Day, Fourth of July, or Labor Day).

How to Apply

Eligible applicants include:

• Graduate of a Doctor of Pharmacy program from an ACPE-accredited school or college of pharmacy.
• Completion of an ASHP-accredited PGY1 pharmacy residency program.
• Eligible for Illinois licensure.
• Participation in an interview.

Application Requirements

All interested candidates must register with both PhORCAS and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Resident Matching Service (NMS Code 682377).

All application materials must be submitted through the PhORCAS online portal. Additional requirements include:

• Curriculum vitae (CV)
• Letter of intent
• Three letters of recommendation (the Standard Reference Form in PhORCAS may be utilized for recommendations; a separate letter is not necessary)
• Pharmacy school transcripts
• Interview process (All candidates are required to participate in an interview during the month of January or February)

Number of Positions: 1
Start Date: July 1
Estimated Stipend: $52,000
Application Deadline: January 2

Residency Program Director

Brittany Karas, PharmD, BCPS

Brittany Karas is the residency director for the Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH) PGY2 Medication-Use Safety & Policy Residency Program. She is also the Medication-Use Policy Program Manager where she oversees the Center for Medication-Use Policy.

Brittany Karas is from the Chicagoland area and received her Bachelors of Science in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She went on to complete a PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at NMH and a PGY2 Drug Information Residency at Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin. Upon completion of residency, Brittany returned to NMH as a medication-use policy pharmacist. During this time, Brittany, along with medical and pharmacy leadership, led the formation of the Northwestern Medicine (NM) System Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee. With expanded roles at the System level, the medication-use policy team has grown from 2 pharmacists to 4 pharmacists and a PGY-2 Medication-Use Safety & Policy resident. Brittany is Board Certified in Pharmacotherapy (BCPS) and an active member of Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists (ICHP). Prior to becoming PGY2 MUSP Residency Director, Brittany was actively involved with the residency program and has served as primary preceptor for the required PGY1 Medication-Use Policy rotation. In her free time, Brittany enjoys spending time with her family and friends, including her French bulldog Mack. You can always find her cheering on her favorite sports teams – Go Chicago Bears and the Fighting Illini!

The PGY2 Oncology Pharmacy residency is a 12 month training program focused on the delivery of optimal pharmacotherapy to the hematology/oncology/stem cell transplant patient population. The program provides opportunities to help develop clinical expertise and competence in the care of hematology/oncology patients. Residents will interact with multidisciplinary teams on inpatient rounds as well as in the ambulatory care setting. The goal of these experiences is to provide our residents with a comprehensive overview of the hematology/oncology cancer population so they may become successful hematology/oncology pharmacy specialists.

Rotations

Required Rotations

• Orientation
• Acute Care: Leukemia
• Acute Care: Lymphoma and Multiple Myeloma
• Acute Care: Medical Oncology
• Ambulatory Care: Breast and Gynecologic Oncology
• Ambulatory Care: Gastrointestinal Oncology and Melanoma
• Ambulatory Care: Genitourinary Oncology
• Ambulatory Care: Malignant Hematology
• Ambulatory Care: Thoracic Oncology
• Investigational Drug Services
• Oncology Administration
• Stem Cell Transplant/ Cellular Therapies

Longitudinal Rotations

• Acute Care: Oncology Pharmacy Practice
• Ambulatory Care: Oncology Pharmacy Practice
• Research Project

Elective Rotations

• Ambulatory Care: Benign Hematology
• Pediatric Hematology/ Oncology/ Bone Marrow Transplant (offsite at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago)
• Specialty Pharmacy: Oral Oncolytics
• Advanced Oncology Practice
• Additional elective learning experiences available upon request

Additional Activities

• Research Project: Participation in a longitudinal research project that will be presented at the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association Annual Meeting and a residency research conference is required.
• Administrative Project: Participate in the production, editing, or modification of at least one institutional policy, procedure, or protocol related to patient care for hematology/oncology patients.
• Presentations: The resident will be incorporated into the rotating presentation schedule for Noon Conference, which amounts to approximately 2 formal presentations and 1 Continuing Education Program in the year. The residents will have one public outreach presentation that must be completed in the year as well. Residents will also participate in the Chicagoland Drug Seminar and be required to prepare and present oncology drug information to their peers and internal and external oncology preceptors. Additional presentations will be determined on an as-needed basis.
• Committee Participation: The resident will participate in the Oncology Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee
• Precepting Experiences: The PGY2 residents will be involved with precepting PGY1 residents and pharmacy students during their learning experiences.
• Teaching Experiences: A teaching certificate program is available at a local college of pharmacy for interested residents.

Staffing

• The residents will staff in the inpatient oncology pharmacy satellite every third weekend throughout the residency year.
• The residents will work one 8 hour shift in an operational capacity every three weeks in the outpatient oncology infusion center.
• In addition, the resident will staff in the inpatient oncology pharmacy satellite on one winter holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year's) and one summer holiday (Memorial Day, 4th of July, or Labor Day).

How to Apply

Eligible applicants include:

• Graduate of a Doctor of Pharmacy program from an ACPE-accredited school or college of pharmacy.
• Completion of a PGY1 pharmacy residency program.
• Eligible for Illinois licensure.
• Participation in an interview.

Application Requirements

All interested candidates must register with both PhORCAS and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Resident Matching Service (NMS Code 647860). All application materials must be submitted through the PhORCAS online portal. Requirements include:

• Curriculum vitae
• Letter of Intent
• Three letters of recommendation (the Standard Reference Form in PhORCAS may be utilized for recommendations; a separate letter is not necessary)
• Pharmacy school transcripts
• Interview process (All candidates are required to participate in an interview during the months of January or February)

Number of Positions: 3
Start Date: July 1 (flexible)
Estimated Stipend: $52,000
Application Deadline: January 2

About Lurie Cancer Center

Lurie Cancer Center at Northwestern Memorial Hospital is located in the Streeterville neighborhood in downtown Chicago, IL. It is ranked No. 8 in the country and is the top-ranked cancer program in Illinois by U.S. News & World Report. Lurie Cancer Center is a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), an alliance of 30 of the world’s leading cancer centers devoted to defining and advancing high-quality, high-value cancer care. Our doctors help write the NCCN patient guidelines for each cancer type. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has designated Lurie Cancer Center as one of only 51 Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the nation recognized for their “scientific leadership, resources, and the depth and breadth of their research." The Northwestern Medicine Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Program is a leader in the number and types of transplants, performing 350 transplants each year and resulting in outcomes exceeding the national survival rate. Each year the cancer center sees more than 15,000 new cancer patients.

Program Director

Alison Svoboda, PharmD, BCOP (she/her/hers)
Outpatient Oncology Clinical Pharmacist, Breast Cancer

Alison Svoboda is a native of the greater Chicagoland area. She received her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry at the University of Illinois Springfield. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy from Midwestern University—Chicago College of Pharmacy. She subsequently completed a pharmacy practice residency and a hematology/oncology pharmacy residency here at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. She is certified by the Board of Pharmacy Specialties as a board-certified oncology pharmacist. Dr. Svoboda has been at Northwestern Memorial Hospital since 2017 and is currently practicing as an ambulatory care clinical pharmacist in the breast medical oncology clinic at Lurie Cancer Center’s Maggie Daley Center for Women’s Cancer Care. She works alongside medical oncologists, advanced practice providers and various other clinical support staff to ensure safe and effective therapy and pharmacotherapy education for breast cancer patients. Dr. Svoboda is passionate about caring for breast cancer patients, patient education, pharmacy resident training and advancing the practice of clinical pharmacy in the ambulatory care setting.

Contact

Northwestern Memorial Hospital
251 East Huron Street
Pharmacy Department, Feinberg LC 700
Chicago, Illinois 60611

Phone: 312.695.2845
Email: alison.svoboda@nm.org

The PGY2 Solid Organ Transplant (SOT) residency is a 12-month training program focused on the delivery of optimal pharmacotherapy to solid organ transplant patients. The program provides a broad experience in numerous transplant specialties to help develop clinical expertise and competence in caring for transplant patients. Residents will interact with multidisciplinary teams on inpatient rounds as well as in the ambulatory care setting. The goal of these experiences is to provide our residents with a comprehensive overview of solid organ transplant patients so they may become well-rounded practitioners upon residency completion.

Rotations

Required Rotations (rotations are 4 weeks unless otherwise specified)

• Orientation [2-4 weeks]
• Abdominal Transplant I
• Abdominal Transplant II
• Transplant Hepatology
• Heart Failure and Heart Transplant
• Lung Transplant I
• Lung Transplant II
• Transplant Infectious Diseases [2 weeks]
• Longitudinal Transplant Clinic
• Longitudinal Transplant Weekend Staffing
• Longitudinal Transplant Research
• Longitudinal Transplant Administrative Project

Elective Rotations

• Pediatric Solid Organ Transplant (Lurie Children’s Hospital) [2 weeks]
• Transplant Clinic (Abdominal or Lung) [2-4 weeks]

Additional experiences may be arranged based on resident interest and service availability. 

Longitudinal Experiences

• Abdominal Transplant Clinic: The resident will work in the abdominal transplant clinic one weekday every other week for the first six months of the year. Residents are exempt from regular monthly rotation requirements during longitudinal clinic days.
• Lung Transplant Clinic: The resident will work in the lung transplant clinic one weekday every other week for the latter six months of the year. Residents are exempt from regular monthly rotation requirements during longitudinal clinic days.
• Transplant Weekend Staffing: The resident will work in a clinical capacity on the transplant service for two weekend shifts every third weekend.
• Transplant Administrative Project: The resident will work with the RPD and team lead to determine and select an appropriate project. The administrative project responsibilities are further outlined below under "Residency Program Requirements."
• Transplant Research: There will be 20 research days that can be utilized by the resident throughout the year to complete their research projects. The research responsibilities of the resident are further outlined below under "Residency Program Requirements."

Additional Activities

Research Project: Each resident will complete a transplant-related clinical research project that is suitable for poster or platform presentation at the American Transplant Congress as well as a regional conference.

Administrative Project: Each resident will complete a transplant-related administrative project which involves creating, developing or modifying an institutional policy, procedure or protocol in relation to solid organ transplant patients.

Longitudinal Clinic Experience: The resident will work in the abdominal transplant clinic one weekday every other week for the first six months of the year. The resident will work in the lung transplant clinic one weekday every other week for the latter six months of the year. Residents are exempt from regular monthly rotation requirements during longitudinal clinic days.

Presentations: Residents are required to give 3 formal presentations throughout the year during Resident Noon Conference. One of these presentations will be a continuing education program.

Committee Participation: The resident will participate in the following committees:

• 14E Quality Committee
• Transplant Quality Committees (Kidney and Pancreas, Liver, Lung)
• Transplant Listing and Selection Committees (Kidney and Pancreas, Liver, Lung)

Precepting Experiences: The PGY2 resident will be involved with precepting PGY1 residents and pharmacy students during their learning experiences.

Staffing

• The resident will staff on the inpatient transplant unit every third weekend throughout the residency year
• In addition, the resident will be expected to staff one winter holiday on the inpatient transplant unit (Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year's) and one summer holiday (Memorial Day, 4th of July, or Labor Day)

How to Apply

Eligible applicants include:

• Graduate of a Doctor of Pharmacy program from an ACPE-accredited school or college of pharmacy
• Completion of an ASHP-accredited PGY1 pharmacy residency program
• Eligible for Illinois licensure
• Participation in an interview

Application Requirements

All interested candidates must register with both PhORCAS and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Resident Matching Service (NMS Code 699076).

All application materials must be submitted through the PhORCAS online portal. Additional requirements include:

• Curriculum vitae
• Letter of intent
• Three letters of recommendation (the Standard Reference Form in PhORCAS may be utilized for recommendations; a separate letter is not necessary)
• Pharmacy school transcripts
• Interview process (All candidates are required to participate in an interview during the month of February or March)

Number of positions: 1
Start date: July 1
Estimated stipend: $52,000
Application deadline: January 2

Program Director

Katie Cunningham, PharmD, BCTXP
Clinical Pharmacist, Solid Organ Transplant
PGY2 Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacy Residency Director
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Assistant Professor, Pharmacy Practice
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science

Katie Cunningham, PharmD, BCPS, received her BS in Biology from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and her Doctor of Pharmacy from the UIC College of Pharmacy. She completed her PGY1 residency at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL and her PGY2 residency in Solid Organ Transplant at the University of Wisconsin Hospital & Clinics in Madison, WI. Dr. Cunningham has been practicing in both the inpatient and outpatient settings caring for abdominal and lung transplant patients at Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH) since 2014. In 2017, Dr. Cunningham joined the Department of Pharmacy Practice at Rosalind Franklin University as an Assistant Professor and maintains both her clinical position at NMH and her faculty role at the College of Pharmacy.

Contact

Northwestern Memorial Hospital
251 East Huron Street
Pharmacy Department, Feinberg LC 700 
Chicago, Illinois 60611

Phone: 312.926.5154
Email: Kathleen.Cunningham@nm.org