PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program: Ambulatory Care Setting

The first 5 weeks of the PGY1 residency program are dedicated to the Orientation rotation. Orientation focuses on educating residents on policies, procedures, expectations, schedules, and project requirements; developing goals for residency; and familiarizing residents with Billings Clinic and the Pharmacy Department. Residents also learn how to use PharmAcademic™ (electronic evaluation system) during Orientation.

The Pharmacy Practice rotation starts in week 3 of Orientation and lasts 6 weeks. It helps residents become confident in the use of pharmacy information systems, evaluation of prescriber orders, and the utilization of the integrated dispensing system, and general pharmacy workflow. Billings Clinic residents are trained on all pertinent technology and information systems relevant to their practice area (e.g., Oracle/Cerner, Liberty).

Residents spend the remainder of their PGY1 residency program participating in various clinical rotations. Residents are exposed to all aspects of patient care using an integrated approach. Residents work in a dynamic, educationally-stimulating residency environment as they mentor student pharmacists from several colleges of pharmacy during both their introductory and advanced pharmacy practice experience rotations at Billings Clinic. Residents interact regularly with intern, resident, and attending physicians from the Billings Clinic Internal Medicine Residency Program. They may also interact with psychiatry residents and nursing residents.

Core Rotations

• Anticoagulation: 5 weeks + longitudinal
• Cardiology: 5 weeks
• Primary Care: 5 weeks + longitudinal
• Psychiatry (inpatient): 5 weeks
• Orientation: 5 weeks
• Pharmacy Practice: 6 weeks

Residents rank the rotations in order of preference. Whenever possible, residents are scheduled for their top choices of elective rotations at the start of the year. They also have a third elective rotation, which they can choose as the year progresses.

• Neurology: 5 – 6 weeks
• Oncology - Oral: 5 – 6 weeks
• Pediatrics: 5 – 6 weeks
• Specialty Pharmacy: 5 – 6 weeks

• Anticoagulation
• Primary Care
• Pharmacy Academia
• Pharmacy Administration/Medication Safety
• Practice Advancement Projects
• Staffing

Flexible Time
Residents are also allotted 2 weeks of "flexible" time in their year, which can be used for vacations, project time, and/or extending a rotation. These flexible weeks are scheduled around the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

Project Time
Once residents start clinical rotations, they are allotted approximately one project day per rotation, which may be used for projects, meetings, or other residency assignments. Additionally, residents have 2 – 3 dedicated weeks for project time in the second half of the year.

Residents are required to staff on a rotating basis approximately every 3rd weekend throughout the year. Staffing includes weekend shifts in the Atrium Pharmacy (outpatient), which is located within the Billings Clinic hospital. Additionally, residents are each required to staff 1 holiday (usually New Year’s Day or Memorial Day).