Annual Program Structure [PDF].

During the month of July (forty hours per week), the resident will undergo orientation and training for the University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy, University Health, the Pharmacy Residency Program, and the Pharmacy Department. Departmental and residency training will include orientation to policies and procedures, University Health computers, the inpatient pharmacy, IV Lab, and decentralized areas.

All items on the Inpatient Training List should be covered during this training period, and the completed checklist should be submitted to the residency program director (RPD) at the end of the training period. The resident will also be oriented to the ASHP Residency Accreditation Standards, Program Design and Conduct, and the required Competency Areas, Goals, and Objectives for PGY1 residency training. In addition, the resident will be oriented to the evaluation process and the PharmAcademic online evaluation system. Residents who are not previously certified will also be scheduled for training in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) early in the residency.

The resident is required to participate in the University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy (UTCOP) residents’ Pharmacotherapy Seminar every Friday afternoon. The resident will be required to teach and lead discussions on at least one topic throughout the year, as assigned by the group coordinator.

In addition, the resident is required to attend Pharmacotherapy Rounds with fellow UTCOP residents every Friday afternoon. Each resident will be required to present one formal Pharmacotherapy Rounds (“Resident Rounds”) during the year. Attendance of at least 70% of these sessions is required throughout the year in order to successfully complete the requirements of this rotation.

Throughout the residency year, each resident is required to facilitate a minimum of six pharmacy student labs for UT and/or The University of the Incarnate Word Feik School of Pharmacy (UIW) as assigned.

The UTCOP Teaching and Leadership Fellows Program (TLFP) is a learning experience provided to residents participating in pharmacy residency programs affiliated with UTCOP. The program provides the opportunity for pharmacy residents to gain fundamental knowledge and skills in teaching, learning, and leadership. The skills obtained can be utilized when providing medication and practice-related education to patients, caregivers, health care professionals, students and the public (individuals and groups) in an experiential or didactic role. Residents will be required to document growth in teaching skills as well as leadership development throughout the program. There are two tracks for participation- the clinical educator track, and the academia/faculty track. The resident will receive a certificate at the completion of the program.

The resident is required to present 1 ACPE-approved continuing education programs to the pharmacy staff throughout the residency year.

The resident must become licensed in the State of Texas as a Registered Pharmacist no later than September 1. The resident will also be required to staff the inpatient pharmacy throughout the year with specific scheduling to be determined annually based on the number of residents and staffing needs, not to exceed an average of sixteen hours per two-week pay period over ten months.

For the last month of the residency, each resident will choose a patient care area from the resident’s previous patient care rotations to provide clinical pharmacy services. The RPD and the pharmacist in charge of the selected patient care area must approve of the resident’s choice, and the resident will assume all routine responsibilities of the pharmacist in charge of the selected patient care area during the rotation.

The resident may also be required to staff when extenuating circumstances demand, but not more than three days per residency year. While there are no specific criteria defining extenuating circumstances, the individual situation is evaluated and efforts are made to minimize time away from the resident’s current rotation. Approval to require a resident to staff must be obtained from the RPD.

Successful completion of a major project is required. The major project will focus on a pharmacotherapy-related clinical research or process improvement topic. Residents are encouraged to include fiscal assessments when applicable. The resident must adhere to the established timeline for the project to assure successful completion during the one-year residency. The major project topic may be an idea of the resident, from a suggested list, or individually assigned. The project will be directly supervised by the preceptors who have expertise in the selected pharmacotherapy discipline.

The major project proposal must be approved by the RAC, the UT Health San Antonio Investigational Review Board, and the University Health Research Committee. The major project will be presented as an abstract and as a platform presentation at the Southwest Alcalde Residency Leadership Conference or an equivalent residency research event, and as an abstract and poster presentation at UT’s “Celebrating Pharmacy Research Excellence Day” in the spring.

The resident is strongly encouraged to submit an abstract of the major project at a state or national pharmacy meeting. The major project must also be submitted in final manuscript form to the RAC in order to receive a residency certificate. The resident is strongly encouraged to publish the results of the major project in a peer-reviewed journal. 

This longitudinal rotation is structured to provide the resident experience in self-evaluation of his or her strengths, progress throughout the residency, areas for improvement and goals. Self-evaluations will be completed and discussed between the resident and residency leadership on a quarterly basis then incorporated into each resident’s personal development plan.

Each resident will complete nine rotations throughout the residency year. The length of most rotations is four weeks, but may be flexible depending on the needs and interests of the individual resident.

Available rotations within University Health include but are not limited to:

1. Cardiology
2. Diabetes Management (Ambulatory Care)
3. Emergency Medicine
4. Family Medicine (Ambulatory Care)
5. General Pediatrics
6. Infectious Diseases
7. Internal Medicine
8. Medical ICU
9. Neonatal ICU
10. Neurosurgical ICU
11. Palliative Care
12. Pediatric Congenital Cardiac Unit
13. Pediatric ICU
14. Practice Management & Drug Information/Evidence-Based Practice
15. Solid Organ Transplant
16. Surgical/Trauma ICU

The following rotations are required:

1. Orientation
2. Ambulatory Care
3. Critical Care (may choose from any ICUs listed above)
4. Internal Medicine
5. Pediatrics (e.g., General Pediatrics or PICU) or Neonatal ICU
6. Practice Management and Drug Information/Evidence-Based Practice

A resident may not complete more than two off-site (i.e., outside University Health facilities) rotations per residency year.

During patient care rotations throughout the course of the residency year, each resident is required to present a minimum of two patient cases and two journal clubs.