Resident Activities

Rotations

Activities while on rotation will include, but are not limited to:

  • Collaboratively managing drug therapy with other members of the health care team
  • Daily rounds with the health care team
  • Admission histories (completed for all UW Health patients)
  • Discharge teaching (completed for all UW Health patients)
  • First-dose teaching
  • Patient monitoring and documentation
  • Pharmacokinetic calculations and dose adjustments
  • Investigation of medication error reports and patient/medication safety follow-up
  • Adverse drug event reporting
  • Drug information; literature review; reading and contributing to team files
  • Attending and participating in code situations
  • Quality improvement activities
  • Team-related research projects
  • Communication and interaction with team preceptor and pharmacists
  • Communication and interaction with physicians and nurses
  • Working with students (first-, second- and third-year IPPE students, fourth-year APPE students)
  • Instructional and patient case presentations

Clinical Staffing

Pharmacy services are provided by teams of pharmacists within an integrated practice model. These teams of pharmacists are de-centrally based and provide care as part of the interprofessional team through patient care rounds, clinical monitoring, medication order review, admission histories, first-dose teaching, discharge teaching and care coordination, code and stroke response teams, drug information provision and medication-use stewardship. The table below depicts which medical services/units are covered by which pharmacist teams. Residents staff in the same roles as their preceptors on the medicine team which covers five hospitalist services, three internal medicine services, an advanced pulmonary service, a family medicine service and a geriatric consult service (ACE). On average, the resident will staff 12 hours every week, including every other weekend.

Projects

Each pharmacy resident completes at least one major research project. Projects are presented at the Vizient Pharmacy Network resident poster session prior to the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting and Great Lakes Pharmacy Residents Conference. Residents are strongly encouraged to submit a manuscript for publication. Projects are selected off a vetted list provided by the resident advisory committee and usually 70 to 80 projects are available to select from. All projects include implementation of change that expands or enhances patient care or pharmacist roles at UW Health. Everything our department has accomplished is a result of resident projects.

Presentation Opportunities

Residents have ongoing opportunities to improve their speaking skills as they prepare for and participate in “Resident Report,” which is an opportunity for residents, preceptors and students to discuss patient cases and how to improve their clinical practice. In addition, residents provide educational presentations and in-services and can present at Pharmacy Grand Rounds or in University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy courses. All residents will present their research, quality improvement and drug usage evaluation projects at local, regional and national meetings.

Teaching Opportunities

Residents receive clinical instructor status at the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy. They can take an active role in teaching second- and third-year students in pharmacotherapy lab and precepting fourth-year students on clinical rotation at the hospital. A teaching certificate program for residents at area hospitals is offered in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy. Additional elective rotations with School of Pharmacy faculty are available.

Other Activities

  • Weekly resident seminar — local and national speakers discussing clinical and administrative topics
  • Participation in clinically focused committees
  • Advanced Cardiac Life Support training
  • Every resident is provided a mentor to meet with monthly for guidance and support
  • Interprofessional mock codes in the state-of-the-art simulation center
  • Participation in resident group service projects/volunteering

Travel

Residents receive travel support to attend one professional meeting annually, the Great Lakes Pharmacy Residents Conference and a visit to other health systems and residency programs to observe, learn and share ideas.