Program Design

The PGY2 Ambulatory Care Residency Program consists of one orientation month, one research month, ten one-month rotations, two six-month longitudinal learning experiences, and ongoing staffing responsibilities. Rotation schedules are individualized based on each resident's interests, career goals, and prior experiences. The program emphasizes direct patient care across a variety of primary care and specialty clinic settings, with the goal of developing advanced clinical knowledge, exemplary patient care skills, and professional competencies. Given the breadth of available learning experiences, residents are encouraged to pursue a diverse range of clinical rotations to broaden their knowledge and skill set. A detailed overview of the program structure is provided below.

Required Rotations

  • Orientation
  • Research
  • Three (3) of four core clinic rotations: Family Medicine, Endocrinology, Cardiology, Cardiorenal Metabolic Risk Reduction
  • Three (3) specialty clinics: Chronic Pain, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Rheumatology, Pulmonology, Neurology, HIV, OPAT, Immunocompromised ID Host
  • One (1) transplant clinic rotation: Abdominal Solid Organ Transplant, Cardiothoracic Solid Organ Transplant, Bone Marrow Transplant, Pediatric Solid Organ Transplant
  • One (1) non-clinical rotation: Academia, Administration, Precepting

Elective Rotations

  • Non-specialty clinics and experiences: Advanced Diabetes, Geriatrics, Population Health
  • Non-clinical rotations (not previously selected): Academia, Administration, Precepting
  • Core clinics (not previously selected): Family Medicine, Endocrinology, Cardiology, Cardiorenal Metabolic Risk
  • Specialty clinics (not previously selected): Chronic Pain, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Rheumatology, Pulmonology, Neurology, HIV, OPAT, Immunocompromised ID Host

Longitudinal Rotations

  • Core clinic rotations: Family Medicine, Endocrinology, Cardiology, Cardiorenal Metabolic Risk Reduction

Pharmacy Practice Responsibilities

Residents will receive comprehensive orientation and training on departmental services during the first few weeks of the residency program. Pharmacy practice responsibilities include remote staffing through the Enhanced Care Program (ECP) for six (6) hours every other week on a weekday, as well as three (3) one-week staffing blocks throughout the year. Staffing blocks are generally assigned during non-clinical rotation months, such as during orientation & research month, to minimize disruption to clinical learning experiences.

Educational Opportunities & Teaching Responsibilities

UNC Medical Center pharmacy residents are integrated into a layered learning practice model that allows for collaboration between student pharmacists, co-residents, and clinical specialists.

Required Teaching

  • Residents will serve as Instructional Assistants (formally Teaching Assistants) in a required or elective ambulatory care-focused course at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy (ESOP) for one semester.
  • Residents will deliver one (1) 30-to-60-minute ACPE-approved continuing education (CE) program in person (with a virtual option for attendees).
  • Residents will facilitate literature- or case-based discussions with ambulatory care learners and preceptors for up to five months during the residency year through the Ambulatory Care POD series (every 2nd and 4th Wednesday).
  • Residents may co-precept pharmacy learners through active participation in the layered learning model during rotations.

Other Teaching Opportunities

  • Deliver didactic lecture(s) to pharmacy students or other health professional learners within or outside of UNC.
  • Present clinical topics to interprofessional teams or other organizations upon request
  • Participate in the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Teaching Certificate Program, by application and selection.

Leadership Opportunities

Residents may pursue a Leadership Certificate through the UNC Medical Center Pharmacy Residency Leadership Certificate Program, by application and selection. Residents selected for the program will receive structured guidance in leadership development through focused topic discussions, completion of a Leadership in Motion (LIM) project, mentorship, and other activities to receive their certificate.

Additionally, residents are assigned longitudinal committee responsibilities and are involved in various administrative tasks throughout the year.

Research and Publication

Residents will engage in research through a flipped research model, inheriting an ongoing project from the previous residency class while initiating a new project for incoming residents. Throughout the residency year, residents will develop a research hypothesis and study design, collect, analyze, and interpret data, and disseminate study findings through a poster or podium presentation. Each resident will be paired with a pre-identified research mentor and may collaborate with student pharmacists to support project-related activities. In addition to completing their research project, residents are required to prepare a manuscript suitable for publication and are strongly encouraged to submit their work to a peer-reviewed journal. Ideas for publication include research reports, review articles, case reports, or drug/therapeutic updates based on the nature of the work.

Mentorship

UNC offers a strong culture of mentorship that is integrated throughout the residency program. Residents are paired with multiple mentors to support research, presentations, quality improvement projects, and professional and personal growth. Each resident is matched with a dedicated mentor (outside of the ambulatory care practice area) who provides guidance, feedback, and mentorship throughout the year. Residents will also engage with the Residency Advisory Committee (RAC), a group of ambulatory care preceptors committed to resident success, professional development, and well-being.

Requirements for Program Completion

To receive a Certificate of Residency Completion from the University of North Carolina Medical Center, residents must fulfill all requirements outlined in the appointment agreement including:

    • Successfully completing all scheduled and required learning experiences.
    • Earning an “Achieved for the Residency” (ACHR) for at least 85% of PharmAcademic objectives required by the program.
    • Attending, participating in, and/or presenting at all required educational activities, meetings, and conferences.
    • Completing a one-year research project (or a desginated component of a multi-year research project) including all of the following:
      • Date retrieval, data analysis, formal presentation (poster OR platform) at a local/regional/national forum, writing a manuscript in publishable quality, project proposal submission, creation of a data collection tool, and Institutional Review Board (IRB) submission (if aplicable)
    • Providing longitudinal staffing support to UNC Specialty and Primary Care clinics as assigned.
    • Completing all required evaluations within PharmAcademic.
    • Developing and delivering a 30-to-60 minute ACPE accredited CE program for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
    • Serving as an Instructional Assistant at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy for at least one semester.
    • Participating in a designated hospital or health system committee as assigned.
    • Completing a quality improvement project related to population health, or developing a new or enhancing an existing clinical service within ambulatory care pharmacy practice.
    • Demonstrating completion of the PGY2 Ambulatory Care supplemental document(s) as required by ASHP.
    • Leading a minimum of four (4) Ambulatory Care POD sessions for pharmacy learners.
    • Participating in all PGY2 Ambulatory Care Topic Discussions unless excused by the RPD.
    • Attending at least eight (8) hours of UNC Pharmacy Resident CE presentations throughout the residency year.
    • Uploading required documentation of completed residency activities and deliverables into PharmAcademic (CE, research project, data collection tool, manuscript, IRB, research proposal, development plan supplemental, quality improvement project, etc.).
    • Serve as the attending pharmacist one evening per semester at the Student Health Action Coalition (SHAC), which provides free health services to local underserved populations, while creating an interdisciplinary learning environment for health professions students at UNC.

For more information contact:

Anne Komé, PharmD, CPP, BCACP, CDCES
Residency Program Director, PGY2 Ambulatory Care
Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner – Endocrinology and Metabolism