Frequently asked questions
What is a PGY1 pharmacy residency program?
Geisinger's PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program is designed to train and educate pharmacists in the fundamentals of exemplary contemporary pharmacy practice in organized healthcare systems. The residency focuses on total pharmacy practice, including the concepts and philosophies of contemporary pharmaceutical care. The program builds upon practice experience and academic education and provides the foundation of practice competence. The residency will provide experiences and knowledge that can give the graduate's career a significant boost. For the more seasoned pharmacist, the residency can accelerate a career move to a higher level of practice.
How is the residency offered at Geisinger Community Medical Center?
The residency is a full-time, 12-month program that requires a commitment of at least 40 hours per week and is compliance with all American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) duty hour requirements. The residency is conducted through the accomplishment of formal learning goals and objectives. The start date is June 19, 2023.
What are the staffing requirements?
Pharmacy residents are required to staff the inpatient pharmacy area approximately four hours per week after daily rotation requirements, and 16 hours every other weekend. The work is structured so that the experiences are discussed and assessed against learning objectives. Assignments are made based on skill and experience needs of the resident. At Geisinger, we believe that staffing experiences are an important part of meeting the residency goals and objectives, and that the absence of such experiences diminishes the resident's clinical growth and practice maturity in the program.
What is the stipend, and what benefits are included?
The stipend is $47,476 per year. This is paid in two-week intervals and is taxed as salary. Other benefits include an excellent healthcare package and paid time off. You’ll also receive paid administrative leave for educational meetings (the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting in December and Eastern States Residents Conference). You’ll also have a dedicated workspace with access to a personal computer.
What services are provided by the Department of Pharmacy?
The Department of Pharmacy at Geisinger Community Medical Center consists of approximately 52 employees, of whom 34 are pharmacists. The department practice model involves integration of distribution and clinical activities at the patient care level supported by centralized distribution, support functions and management systems. Pharmacists from decentralized locations provide expertise in anticoagulation, internal medicine, critical care medicine, antimicrobial stewardship and infectious disease, emergency medicine, trauma services and cardiology. Our pharmacists are involved in drug therapy management, multidisciplinary patient care, pharmacokinetic consultations, anticoagulation consultations, adult and pediatric code response, medication utilization and outcome evaluation, and medical, nursing and pharmacy staff education programs.
What teaching opportunities exist?
Residents participate in a variety of teaching opportunities throughout the residency year and will develop a broad range of teaching skills. As part of the Pharmacy Department, the resident will provide numerous educational programs for a variety of healthcare professionals. These opportunities include presenting formal lectures, providing informal in-services and precepting pharmacy students. In addition, residents are required to prepare and present an Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) accredited continuing education program, to prepare and present an educational poster at the ASHP Midyear Meeting, and to present a platform presentation at the Eastern States Conference for Pharmacy Residents and Preceptors.
What are some useful links related to the program?