PGY1 Program Specifics

The Carolinas Medical Center PGY1 Pharmacy Residency program with a Specialty Pharmacy focus within the Atrium Health Specialty Pharmacy Service is a 12-month program designed to build upon the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education to develop the resident to fulfill the major functions of a Specialty Pharmacist.

The emphasis of the residency is to train the pharmacist to support and manage specialty pharmacy clinical care and operations across the continuum of care. Residents will graduate with well-rounded skills in the specialty pharmacy, ambulatory, and inpatient settings, and will have the opportunity to pursue early commit to Atrium Health’s southeast regional PGY2 programs.

Anticipated start date: 6/16/2025

Application deadline: 1/2/2025

Interview Set-up: All applicants will be offered an in-person interview. Applicants may also choose a virtual interview which will be scored the same as an in-person interview. 

Estimated stipend: $52,760 

Positions available: 1 

Required Monthly Learning Experiences

Clinical learning experiences are completed in one-month blocks with inpatient services and outpatient clinics along specialty pharmacy service lines.  

• Internal Medicine (Inpatient or Outpatient) 
• Critical Care 
• Infectious Diseases (HIV/ Hepatitis/ Antimicrobial Stewardship Network) 
• Research (month-long – December) 
• Specialty Pharmacy Administration 

Select Elective Learning Experiences

• Neurology (strongly recommended) 
• Oncology (strongly recommended) 
• Ambulatory Care 
• Toxicology 
• Classical Hematology/ Bleeding Disorders 
• Sickle cell disease 
• Pediatric oncology/ hematology/ bone marrow transplantation 
• Cystic fibrosis/ Pulmonary 
• Behavioral health 
• Women’s health/ fertility 
• Population health/ Managed care 
• Heart failure 

Operational Core (staffing)

• Covering the specialty pharmacy service on call service the first week of each month 
• Medication therapy management service (1-on-1 Rx) on the third Saturday of each month 
• Specialty Pharmacy Service clinical queue one day each week (covering service lines aligned with current or past rotations) 
• Up to 3 concentrated 1-week experienced throughout the year in direct dispensing among outpatient pharmacies handling specialty medications 

Required Longitudinal Learning Experiences

• Research: Must be IRB-approved with research project results presented at the REPS regional residency research conference in the spring of the residency year.  Research practice presentations will be presented to the Specialty Pharmacy Clinical team and RAC.  A written manuscript suitable for publication must be completed and submitted by the end of the residency year.  The Specialty Pharmacy Clinical team and RAC provides oversight for research projects and coordinates an annual Research Education Series with the Atrium Health Pharmacy Department inclusive of lectures on study design, biostatistics, drug information, data management with REDCap, data analysis using Excel and medical writing lectures. 
• Medication Use Evaluation: Must be IRB-approved with MUE results presented via poster at ASHP Midyear Meeting or another equivalent conference in the PGY1 calendar year.  MUE results and recommendations are required to be written up and presented to the appropriate subject matter expert committees and may include a P&T (or relevant subcommittee) meeting presentation or the Specialty Pharmacy Service staff.  The Specialty Pharmacy Clinical team and RAC provides oversight for MUEs. 
• Teaching Certificate: A variety of teaching opportunities are available to the residents which include providing lectures, giving continuing education activities to pharmacists within the state, and precepting and mentoring 4th year pharmacy students.  Our longitudinal, teaching and learning certificate offers interdisciplinary teaching experiences and includes building a teaching portfolio throughout the year.  Atrium Health serves as an experiential site for Wingate University School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Medical University of South Carolina, and High Point University Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy.  
• Mentorship: Each resident will have a longitudinal mentor throughout the year that will attend their monthly rotation handoff meetings between incoming and outgoing preceptors.  The mentor also meets with the resident outside of the monthly meeting to provide support with professional development, career advice, time and stress management and whatever else might be needed. 

Vacation and Leave

All residents will be allowed a maximum of 30 days away from the residency program to include: 

• 10 paid time off days 
• 5 sick days 
• 5 professional business days for interviews 
• 5 bereavement days (maximum of 3 days per event in accordance with Atrium Health policy) 
• 5 holidays (based on Atrium Health Holiday schedule for the year) 
• Residents will be assigned to work one major holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years) and one minor holiday (Memorial Day or Labor Day). 
• If the resident is not assigned to work, the following holidays may be taken off and will not count towards the 10 days of PTO 
• Thanksgiving Day 
• Christmas Day 
• New Years Day 
• Memorial Day 
• Labor Day 

Professional meetings that residents are presenting poster abstracts or platform presentations (ASHP Midyear and REPS) are classified as additional business days and do not count towards PTO. 

Residency Showcases

SCHSP Residency Showcase, Columbia, SC: October 11

NCAP Residency Showcase, Winston-Salem, NC: November 2

MUSC Virtual Showcase: November 12-14

SNPhA/ACCP Virtual Residency Showcase: November 12th 8 to 9 p.m. EST 

ASHP Midyear Residency Showcase: booth 4421, Monday 12/9 afternoon session