PGY2 Oncology Program Design

The information below outlines requirements and opportunities within the PGY2 Oncology Residency at UNC Hospitals.

Program at a Glance

The UNC Hospitals PGY2 oncology residency is a 12-month program tailored to each resident’s interests and career goals. In addition to core and elective rotations, residents are required to complete a research project with formal presentation of findings, deliver an ACPE-accredited continuing education session, and fulfill approximately 400 hours of staffing. Staffing includes operational responsibilities in the Cancer Hospital Infusion Pharmacy and clinical coverage within the acute care oncology service line, typically every third weekend and 15 weekdays annually.

Residents also serve as teaching assistants at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy and may participate in optional teaching and leadership certificate programs during their residency year.

Rotational Experiences

Core (required):

• Acute Care Malignant Hematology (1 month)
• Acute Care Medical Oncology (1 month)
• Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy (acute care or clinic; 1 month)
• Oncology Administration (1 month)
• Longitudinal Clinic (1 month)
• Two experiences from the following solid tumor clinics (1 month each)
  • Breast Malignancies Clinic
  • Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology Clinic
  • Genitourinary Malignancies Clinic
  • Thoracic Oncology Clinic
  • Gynecologic Oncology Clinic
  • Melanoma and Head & Neck Malignancies Clinic

Elective:

Residents may choose from the elective offerings below and/or repeat any of the core experiences above. Electives are generally 1 month in duration, but two-week experiences may be considered during the second half of the year based on each resident’s interests and goals.

• Acute Care Electives:
  • Acute Care Benign Hematology Consult Service
  • Acute Care Gynecologic Oncology
  • Medical Intensive Care Unit (oncology focused) 
  • Pediatric Acute Care Hematology/Oncology 
• Ambulatory Electives:
  • Oncology Palliative Care Clinic
  • Genitourinary Malignancies Clinic 
  • Melanoma and Head & Neck Malignancies Clinic 
  • Neuro-Oncology Clinic Malignancies Clinic
  • Breast Malignancies Clinic
  • Gynecologic Oncology Clinic 
  • Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology Clinic 
  • Thoracic Oncology Clinic 
  • Leukemia Clinic 
  • Lymphoma Clinic 
  • Myeloma and Amyloidosis Clinic
  • Benign Hematology Clinic 
  • Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Clinic 
• Other Electives:
  • Oncology Precision Medicine 
  • International Oncology Pharmacy Experience 
  • Academic & Cardio-Oncology Clinic
  • Oral Chemotherapy Clinic (UNC McCreary – Remote)
  • Adult Hematology/Oncology Clinic at Hillsborough 
  • Chemotherapy Infusion Center Clinic 

Longitudinal Responsibilities

Longitudinal Clinic

Residents will be assigned a longitudinal ambulatory oncologic clinic experience for the year. This assignment (based on resident preference and preceptor availability) will be the resident’s first or second rotation of the year. Following the month-long experience in this clinic, residents will continue to rotate through this clinic two days per month, typically once every other week.

Educational/Research Activities

• Hematology Oncology Power Hours (HOPS): This course engages PGY2 oncology pharmacy residents in a structured process of learning fundamental concepts of oncology pharmacy practice. All residents meet with an assigned instructor for 2 hours every other week throughout the residency year. During these sessions, a team-based learning approach is utilized to facilitate an engaging group discussion on the assigned topic and associated chemotherapy.
• Continuing Education (CE): Residents provide two ACPE-accredited CE sessions during the residency year. One session is a 30-minute presentation to members of the clinical oncology group, designed to prepare residents for job interview presentations. The second session is the hour-long departmental CE session open to pharmacists and technicians across the state (presented live and virtually).
• Professional Development Series: Residents participate in a monthly leadership series with the oncology residency leadership team to enforce vital skills needed to be a successful clinician. Examples of topics include a CV workshop, emotional intelligence, interview preparation, transitioning to new practitioner, and building resilience.
• Processing Patient Care Series: Residents participate in meetings every other month to reflect and process challenging aspects of providing patient care to a critically ill population. These sessions are intended to address moral distress, compassion fatigue, and coping with death and dying in the residency training model.
• Research Project: The UNC PGY2 Oncology Residency Program participates in the “flipped research model”. Residents will review research project options and submit a rank list to the RPD/RPC who will then aim to assign each resident their highest ranked research project.
• Medication Use Evaluation (MUE): Residents will also collectively complete a MUE while on their oncology administration rotation. Each resident will be assigned a portion of the MUE during their administration rotation, with the project to be completed and presented to a relevant oncology committee or working group by the end of the year.

• Research Month (December) and Administration Days: Residents are given the opportunity to forego the December “research month” and participate in a 10-day “mini-rotation” instead. Residents who choose this option will then be allowed to take one administrative day per month throughout the year.

Staffing Requirements

• Clinical Staffing: Residents staff as a clinical specialist approximately every 3rd weekend, alternating from CS8 (rounding BMT service) to CS4 (non-rounding acute care hematology/oncology services).
• CHIP Staffing: Residents staff in our Cancer Hospital Infusion Pharmacy (CHIP) once per month. Residents perform order verification for chemotherapy and assist in the sterile preparation workflows.
• Infusion Center Clinic: Residents staff in this role for 5 days during the year. Responsibilities include chemotherapy education for patients receiving first cycle chemotherapy, triaging nursing questions, and providing supportive care.

Teaching

Residents participate as a teaching assistant in the Eshelman School of Pharmacy during one semester of their residency year in either the Pharmacogenomics Elective or the Oncology Elective.

Committees

Residents will serve on the UNC System Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) Hematology/Oncology Subcommittee. 

Certificate Programs

Residents are permitted to participate in both certificate programs offered through the department (i.e., the Teaching Certificate and Leadership Certificate). 

Longitudinal Residency Leadership Experience

Residents are assigned a residency-related leadership role over the year. Examples include social media committee, recruitment committee, Midyear coordinator, etc. Residents are also eligible to apply for the chief resident role in either the fall or spring semesters.

Unique Opportunities

International Oncology Pharmacy Elective: In the international elective, interested PGY2 residents will have the opportunity to be a part of a layered-learning practice experience in Ethiopia with pharmacy students and other health professionals. The goal of this experience is to participate in several global health projects focused on oncology care. Examples include the creation and implementation of a pediatric cancer registry, advancing clinical pharmacy services through a therapeutic drug monitoring program, and implementation of safe chemotherapy practices. This experience is conducted in collaboration with partners at Addis Ababa University (AAU) and Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (TASH). Funding for this experience cannot be guaranteed and is subject to change each year.

Requirements for Program Completion

To receive a certificate of Residency completion, residents must complete all requirements specified in the appointment agreement:

• Complete all scheduled learning experiences
• Receive an evaluation score of “Achieved for the Residency” (ACHR) for at least 85% of PharmAcademic objectives required by the program
• Complete a one year research project or a pre-specified part of a multi-year research project, including all of the following: data retrieval, data analysis, formal presentation (poster OR platform) at a local/regional/national forum, creation of a draft manuscript in publishable quality, project proposal submission, creation of a data collection tool, and IRB submission (if appropriate)
• Submission of a scientific writing project for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, newsletter, or online educational platform
  • The work must be completed during the PGY2 residency year and may be done individually or as part of a group; the submission must be approved by the RPD. Writing opportunities suitable to fulfil this requirement include, but are not limited to, HOPA News, HOPA Pharmacist Applications to Practice, Pharmacy Times (Pharmacy Practice in Focus: Oncology), ASTCT newsletters, and other peer-reviewed pharmacy and medical journals.
• Contribute approximately 400 hours of staffing support to the department through weekday, weekend, day/evening and holiday clinical and/or operational staffing requirements based on departmental need
• Attend at least 8 hours of resident CE programming
• Complete all evaluations in PharmAcademic, ASHP's approved tool
• Provide two 30-60 minute (RPD determined) ACPE accredited CE programs (Resident CE Series and Oncology Grand Rounds) for pharmacists and/or pharmacy technicians within and outside the Department of Pharmacy
• Participate in required departmental “on-call” services as necessary to support departmental functions
• Serve as a support resource/teaching assistant at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy during at least one semester of the academic year
• Serve on a designated hospital or health system committee as assigned by the program
• Complete a medication use evaluation or quality improvement project
• Document completion of the PGY2 Oncology program appendix as required by ASHP
• Completion of all PGY2-Oncology HOPS sessions (unless absence approved by RPD)
• Completion of chemotherapy counseling rubric evaluation
• Completion of CHIP competency exam
• Upload files to document completion of all required residency components to PharmAcademic (appendix, CE and Grand Rounds slides, counseling rubric evaluation, CHIP competency exam, MUE presentation/write up, research manuscript, IRB protocol, data collection tool, poster/platform research presentation, etc.)