Pharmacy Residency and Internships

The Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center (ZVAMC) is a tertiary care medical center located five miles west of downtown Milwaukee. The Milwaukee VA is part of the Veterans Health Administration’s Integrated Services Network 12 (VISN 12), which also includes facilities in Wisconsin, Illinois and northern Michigan. The Medical Center delivers primary, secondary and tertiary medical care to over 230,000 Veterans and provides over 700,000 visits annually through an extensive outpatient program. Average daily inpatient census is comprised of 110 acute care beds in addition to 113 extended care beds and 125 domiciliary beds on-site. 

Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center is a teaching hospital that provides a full range of health services for Veterans, with state-of-the-art technology as well as education and research.  The  primary affiliation is with the Medical College of Wisconsin, but the medical center offers training experiences to  34 other colleges and 27 allied health fields. Each year, ZVAMC offers more than 100 medical residency training positions in all major medical and surgical specialties and subspecialties. 

The ZVAMC pharmacy department hosts over 100 student experiential learning experiences each year.  Introductory, advanced and longitudinal experiences are available. 

Post Graduate Year One (PGY-1) Pharmacy Residency - Milwaukee VA

The PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program conducted by the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center is accredited by the American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists (ASHP). The program offers a well-balanced pharmacy experience in both ambulatory and acute care settings which prepares residents for all aspects of pharmacy practice. The program has a strong commitment to ensuring that the PGY1 experience is customized to meet the future career goals of the resident. 

To demonstrate that commitment, PGY1 residents are allowed to tailor the length of their elective rotations to best match the interests of the resident and what needs the resident has to achieve those future career goals. Each required core rotation will have a standardized length that reflects what the program believes to be adequate to understand the practice setting and achieve related rotation goals and objectives.  To allow residents to tailor the program to their personal interests, residents may extend the amount of time they would like to spend in required rotations by opting for any of our advanced elective rotations. Advanced rotation options include cardiology, critical care, infectious diseases, internal medicine, mental health and primary care.

For example, a resident interested in pursuing a PGY2 or career in ambulatory care may choose to maximize the number of weeks spent in Primary Care, and choose to do additional elective rotations in Advanced Primary Care, Endocrine, and Neurology . A co-resident may choose to spend more time in Critical Care and Internal Medicine and may choose to do additional elective rotations in Advanced Critical Care and Advanced Internal Medicine. No two residents will have the exact same rotation schedule. The ZVAMC experience is about meeting the needs of the resident and their future path in Pharmacy. 

Consideration is also given to timing and scheduling of rotations in which residents have the most interest. It is important that residents have that exposure to areas of PGY2 interest early in the residency year in order to inform PGY2 decisions including potential early commitment.   Residents’ interests may be fluid throughout the residency year, and at times changes are made to the residency schedule during the year based on newfound interests. This is an advantage of the smaller PGY1 class size. Having a smaller class allows for more flexibility in rotation scheduling, ensuring that the resident gets the rotations he or she desires, when most imperative to have them.

During the residency year, residents will learn skills to effectively outline and perform medication use evaluations. Throughout the course of this one-year program, residents will further develop drug information, administrative, time management and organizational skills to aid in the practice of pharmacy. Verbal and written communication skills will be enhanced. In addition, residents will be required to design, conduct, and complete a project throughout their residency year. This project should be suitable for publishing. Project proposals are reviewed by the Medical Center’s Research department and deemed research (which requires Investigational Review Board (IRB) approval) or process improvement (which is exempt from IRB). Final results are then presented at the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin (PSW) Educational Conference in April.

Clinical Training
Required Rotations

• Orientation – 2 weeks
• Infectious Disease (inpatient medicine) – 4 weeks
• Internal Medicine (inpatient medicine) – 4 weeks
• Mental Health (inpatient) – unless completed as APPE– 4 weeks
• Primary care (ambulatory care) – 6 weeks
• Critical Care/ICU– 4 weeks
• Cardiology (inpatient) – 4 weeks
• Recruitment - 1 week
• Project – 3 weeks

Elective Rotations

Up to 20 weeks of the residency program are dedicated to elective learning experiences.  Elective rotations may be completed in various specialty areas. Residents have the option to repeat a prior required rotation at an advanced level or choose from a variety of new experiences (see list below). Per ASHP standards, residents cannot spend more than one third of the residency year (17 weeks) in non-direct patient care activities. 

• Academia (Concordia) – 4-6 weeks
• Administration – 3-4 weeks
• Cardiology – Advanced (inpatient) – 2-4 weeks
• Critical Care – Advanced (inpatient) – 2-4 weeks
• Heart Failure Clinic– 3-5 weeks
• Endocrinology (inpatient/outpatient) – 3-5 weeks
• Emergency Department (outpatient) – 2-4 weeks
• Geriatrics (inpatient and outpatient) and/or Home-Based Primary Care– 3-5 weeks
• Infectious Diseases – Advanced (inpatient) – 2-4 weeks
• Internal Medicine – Advanced (inpatient) – 2-4 weeks
• Medication Safety (Admin) – 3-5 weeks
• Mental Health – Advanced (inpatient/outpatient) – 2-4 weeks
• Neurology (outpatient) – 3-5 weeks
• Oncology (inpatient / outpatient combined) – 3-5 weeks
• Primary Care – Advanced (outpatient) – 2-4 weeks

Longitudinal Responsibilities

Residents have several longitudinal responsibilities throughout the residency year.  Training for each activity takes place with a clinical pharmacist during the orientation period.  The length of each longitudinal varies slightly and is listed below. Evaluations for longitudinal rotations are completed quarterly in PharmAcademic. 

• Administration – 52 weeks
• Drug Safety subcommittee – 2-3 months (1-3 hours per month)
• ECC/SCI anticoagulation monitoring – 50 weeks (starts after orientation) - daily activity
• Project – 48 weeks, 3 weeks of dedicated project time
• Pharmacoeconomics – 49 weeks (starts after oriented to LE) - weekly activity (1-3 hours per week)
• Weeknight staffing – 40 weeks, one 3.5 hour staffing shift per week

Administration: Throughout the residency program, the resident will be exposed to pharmacy administration and drug use policy issues.  These are incorporated into the residency to make a more true to life experience than devoting a full block to the activity. Part of the pharmacy administration experience will include meetings with Chief of Pharmacy and other leaders to discuss administrative topics.  Please refer to the administration longitudinal learning experience for a detailed list of topics and tasks. 

Drug Safety Subcommittee: Residents will rotate responsibilities on the Drug Safety Subcommittee throughout the year.  Drug Safety responsibilities include attending at least 3 drug safety meetings, taking minutes at up to three meetings and following up on one ISMP action item and reporting back to subcommittee. Additionally, residents will prepare two articles for the Drug Safety newsletter which is published three times per year. 

Extended Care/Spinal Cord Anticoagulation Service: Pharmacy residents play a key role in this service. Residents and staff clinical pharmacists monitor patients on the extended care and spinal cord services for complete anticoagulation care. This includes adjusting anticoagulation medications, ordering labs, providing education to patients, and arranging follow-up appointments upon discharge.

Project: A completed research or quality improvement project is required during the residency program. The intent of the project is to provide the resident with the opportunity to develop the skills and processes necessary to perform research or quality improvement.  A list of potential projects is provided by the program. Discussions with the preceptors of possible projects should be undertaken early in the residency. After deciding upon a topic, a project mentor will be responsible for guiding the resident through the entire project. Residents will also be asked to present their project to the Pharmacy Residency Research Panel.  Each resident is expected to have made sufficient progress to present results at the Wisconsin Pharmacy Residency Conference (or other conference as agreed upon by RPD) which takes place in the spring.  A final manuscript is required, and residents are encouraged to pursue publication.  A project timeline and project institute program are provided for residents to guide them through the project experience and outline expectations.   

Pharmacoeconomics (i.e. Prior Authorization Drug Requests review): Pharmacy residents are involved in the process of reviewing prior authorization drug requests (PADR) entered by providers. The resident will assigned PADRs on a weekly basis.  They will receive the request, determine if the request meets criteria for use of the medication, discuss decision with preceptor, approve or deny the request, and communicate the decision to the provider. Participation in this process enhances residents' decision making, communication and negotiation skills.

Weeknight staffing – PGY1 residents will be scheduled for one weeknight staffing shift per week.  The hours for this experience will be 1630 to 2000. The day of the week assigned will rotate throughout the year as equitably as possible.  This experience is estimated to start around early September. The responsibilities during the staffing experience will evolve over the course of the year.  Residents will start with outpatient staffing experiences which will include filling, checking prescriptions, processing prescriptions, counseling patients and answering phones. Inpatient experiences will occur later in the year which will include preparation, IV room staging, processing and checking of unit dose and IV medications, troubleshooting phone calls to the IV room, and performing PK and anticoagulation monitoring.  Residents will also have opportunity to staff in the Emergency Department late in the residency year. 

Staffing

Weeknight staffing – see above in longitudinal experience section 

Weekend staffing

PGY1 residents are expected to work a minimum of 10 weekend days throughout the residency year. Weekend days are scheduled from 7:30 – 13:30 (6-hour shift) with one 15-minute break included. Pharmacist licensure in any US state, confirmation of dual appointment (pharmacist appointment), and completion of pharmacokinetic and anticoagulation training is required before this experience commences. The resident the responsible for the clinical monitoring and oversight of the pharmacokinetic and anticoagulation pharmacy monitoring services for all inpatients at the Milwaukee VA during these weekend shifts.  A precepting pharmacist will be available for questions, cosigning of progress notes and writing of prescription orders.  Although pharmacists in the VA system can be granted prescriptive privileges, pharmacy residents are not granted these privileges and thus prescription orders must be entered under preceptor’s name and all progress notes must be cosigned by a preceptor.   

Teaching responsibilities

University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy responsibilities: The Milwaukee VA is the coordination site for all University of Wisconsin (UW) pharmacy students assigned to clerkships in the Milwaukee area and pharmacy residents play a key role in their training. Resident responsibilities throughout the year include organizing a seminar series (occurs once per block), independently grading drug inquiries and project presentations and leading pharmacy student orientation sessions. Residents also coordinate and grade case presentations along with other clinical pharmacy staff. Residents receive training by UW and VA staff on all aspects of these UW responsibilities. Residents are appointed to adjunct faculty positions at UW in addition to receiving an additional stipend for their extensive involvement with these students. In addition to working with UW pharmacy students, residents also have opportunities to interact with students from other colleges of pharmacy.

Medical College of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy responsibilities: Residents are required to help coordinate four labs (six if they are completing the teaching certificate).

Teaching certificate: Residents have the opportunity to participate in programs at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Concordia University of Wisconsin or the VA where they can gain additional experience in teaching and earn a specialized teaching certificate.

During the later part of the residency year, residents have opportunities to help precept students while on clinical rotations.  Additionally, PGY1 residents provide orientation to new students starting IPPE and APPEs. 

PGY1 Deliverables and Checklist

The “PGY1 Deliverables and Checklist” document (see below) was developed to document tracking and completion of ASHP objectives deliverables and other residency requirements.  Each resident is responsible for keeping their document updated and the RPD will update each quarter when development plan is completed.  Each quarter the “PGY1 Deliverables and Checklist” document will be uploaded into PharmAcademic.  All activities on the deliverables and checklist tabs must be completed by the conclusion of the Residency Program, or a certificate of completion will not be awarded. The resident and mentor should review and sign off on this list quarterly.  The form will be converted to a PDF at the end of the residency year and the RPD and resident will electronically sign the document and upload the final, signed version in PharmAcademic.   

Resident Development Plans 

Starting in the 2025-2026 residency year, the development plan will be completed directly in PharmAcademic.  PharmAcademic will automatically prompt residents to complete and submit the self-assessment pieces of the development plan document and notify the RPD.  The RPD will review the resident’s self-assessment, electronic portfolio, "PGY1 deliverables and checklist” document, and objectives in PharmAcademic in order to finalize the development plan.  The final development plan will be submitted in PharmAcademic and visible for preceptors.  The development plan must be completed within 30 days of the start of residency and each quarter transition (end July, end October, end January, end April, and end June). 

The Milo C. Huempfner Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care Center (HCC) is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, approximately 120 miles north of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program conducted by the Milo C. Huempfner VA Medical Center is accredited by the American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists (ASHP).  There are about 250,000 residents of Green Bay and its surrounding areas in Brown County.  There are many activities and events throughout the year in this "small-town" setting.  In the fall and winter, NFL fans are happy to have the champion Green Bay Packers in their backyard. There is also the Green Bay Gamblers hockey team in the USHL, and UW-Green Bay men's and women's basketball.  In the spring and summer, there are robust farmers markets to enjoy, outdoor activities, Green Bay Rockers baseball in the independent Northwoods League, as well as the Packers' training camps, which are open to the public. Throughout the year, there are shows at the Weidner Center on the UW-Green Bay campus and a variety of restaurants, parks, trails and museums. 

The Green Bay VA HCC is a regional outpatient clinic associated with the Clement J. Zablocki VA in Milwaukee.  The Zablocki VA is part of VA Integrated Services Network 12 (VISN 12), which includes facilities in Iron Mountain, Michigan; Tomah and Madison, Wisconsin; and Danville, North Chicago and two in Chicago, Illinois. The Green Bay HCC is the largest of several outpatient clinics associated with the Milwaukee VA system. 

The Milo C. Huempfner VA Health Care Center offers an accredited postgraduate year one (PGY1) pharmacy residency by the American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists (ASHP). The program offers a well-balanced pharmacy experience in primary care and specialty clinic settings which prepares residents for many aspects of ambulatory pharmacy practice. The program is flexible to meet the career goals of each resident.

During the residency year, residents will learn skills to effectively outline and perform medication use evaluations. Residents will also further develop drug information, administrative, time management and organizational skills to aid in the practice of pharmacy. Verbal and written communication skills will be enhanced. In addition, residents will be required to design, conduct, and complete a research project throughout their residency year. This research project should be suitable for publishing. Residents present their preliminary results at a poster session at the ASHP midyear clinical meeting in December. Final results are then presented at regional pharmacy resident conference in the spring.

The Green Bay VA Health Care Center opened in 2013 and offers a wide variety of ambulatory care services.  In addition to primary care, clinics are established in behavioral health, orthopedics, rheumatology, cardiology, nephrology/dialysis, oncology/ambulatory infusion, same day surgery, GI, podiatry, audiology, and optometry/ophthalmology. The clinic has the capacity to serve up to 20,000 veterans.

The VA is a pioneer in telemedicine. Patients from long distances may be seen by physician specialists via videoconferencing equipment. Specialty clinics that utilize telemedicine provide care to patients who may not otherwise be able to travel to Milwaukee.

The Home Based Primary Care Program also utilizes telemedicine to allow health care professionals to virtually visit patients in their homes. Other patients use technology to log symptoms of specific disease states daily. These responses are then transmitted to the Medical Center and based on the responses, patients will receive triage or additional interventions.

Program Goal

To foster development of knowledge, skills and values in preparation for patient-oriented pharmacy practice.

Philosophy

The philosophy of the Green Bay VA HCC Residency Program is to meet the personal and professional goals of the residents while providing pharmaceutical care to the patients.

Clinical Training
Required Rotations

• Primary Care
• Home Based Primary Care
• Rural Health and Special Populations
• Hematology / Oncology
• Pharmacy Practice
• Formulary Management / Community Care
• Administration
• Mental Health

Elective Rotations

As the VA Health Care Center expands, elective rotations can be tailored to resident interests and site availability. Currently scheduling allows for required block rotations for the first half of the year, and an individualized longitudinal experience for the second half of the year. Training for each activity takes place with a clinical pharmacist during the orientation period.

Longitudinal Responsibilities

• Pharmacy Administration: Throughout the residency program, the resident will be exposed to pharmacy administration and drug use policy issues.  These are incorporated into the residency throughout the year along with leadership training and discussion.
• Community Living Center (CLC) chart reviews: Residents will review the charts of one to two patients monthly residing in the CLC.  Chart reviews are completed to assure appropriate medication therapy based on indication and evidenced-based medicine.
• Drug information: Throughout the year residents are resources for drug information for providers, pharmacists and other staff.

Hospital Committee Involvement

Residents routinely participate in a variety of Medical Center councils and committees. A sampling of these groups provides a wide overview of activities while participating in other groups all year, such as the Pharmacy, Nutrition, and Therapeutics (PNT) Council, and allows residents to observe the process from start to finish. The resident will also participate in the Drug Safety Subcommittee and will participate in patient safety initiatives throughout the year.

Teaching Responsibilities

University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy Opportunities:  Appleton, WI is a regional hub for the University of Wisconsin (UW) pharmacy clerkship students.  Milo C. Huempfner VA HCC has coordinated with this hub to assist with the grading of drug inquiries, project presentations, and assisting with the facilitation of seminar sessions for a defined student block of six weeks.  During the latter part of the residency year, residents have opportunities to help precept students. Residents receive training by UW and VA staff on all aspects of these UW responsibilities.  An optional teaching certificate program is available. In addition to working with UW pharmacy students, residents also have opportunities to interact with students from other schools of pharmacy.

Milwaukee Veterans Affairs Medical Center Post Graduate Year Two (PGY2) Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Residency

The Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center offers a one-year PGY2 residency in Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Practice for pharmacists desiring advanced clinical training in infectious diseases pharmacotherapy. The PGY2 Infectious Disease pharmacy residency program conducted by the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center is accredited by the American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists (ASHP).  The Milwaukee VA PGY2 ID pharmacy practice residency builds on experiences gained through a PGY1 program and is designed to offer both didactic and clinical experiences leading to the development of a practitioner with expert knowledge and skills in the area of infectious diseases pharmacotherapy.

The goals of the PGY2 ID residency are to:

• Develop expertise in clinical infectious diseases pharmacotherapeutics and antimicrobial stewardship.
• Optimize understanding of anti-infective pharmacology, pharmacotherapy and pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics of antimicrobials.
• Enhance teaching skills by precepting students on ID clinical rotations.
• Contribute to an interdisciplinary healthcare team.
• Contribute to a pharmacist-run antimicrobial stewardship program by offering patient specific recommendations to optimize treatment of infectious diseases.
• Strengthen communication skills by presenting formal and informal lectures and in-services as well as interacting with other healthcare providers.
• Enhance clinical research and/or quality improvement skills by completing a major project.
• Develop skills to become an independent ID clinical pharmacy specialist.

CLINICAL TRAINING

Required Rotations:

• Orientation: (4 weeks; customized based on the resident's knowledge, skills, and abilities)
  • Hospital orientation, including personnel procedures, safety, sexual harassment, ethics training.
  • Overview of Pharmacy Program (inpatient satellite, IV room, outpatient pharmacy).
  • Service policies and procedures.
  • Computer systems.
  • Practice experience in a major area(s) (IV room, de-central inpatient).
  • Identification of a project.
  • Assessment of personal goals and needs.
• Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (4 weeks)
• Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP)/ID Consults Combined – Part 1 (8-10 weeks)
• Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP)/ID Consults Combined – Part 2 (8-10 weeks)
• Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP)/ID Consults Combined – Part 3 (8-10 weeks)
• ID Consult Service (six weeks)
• Infectious Diseases Administration (48 weeks)
  • Antimicrobial drug information, antimicrobial stewardship intervention and antimicrobial use reporting (Annual Antimicrobial Stewardship Report), antimicrobial drug use policy, formulary management, and order set development (longitudinal)
• Microbiology lab (4-6 weeks)
  • 1-2 sessions/week for a total of ~15 sessions; depending on microbiology availability.  
• Outpatient ID Clinic/OPAT Clinic (~36 weeks following completion of outpatient block)
  • Assist with ID provider and fellow clinics depending on coinciding block rotation, escalating responsibility as resident progresses through ASP/ID consults part 1, 2 and 3.
• Outpatient Infectious Diseases – BLOCK Rotation (4 weeks)
  • Includes Hepatitis C clinic, OPAT program management, and HIV/ID clinics.
• PGY2 Research Project (48 weeks)
• Longitudinal ID Clinic (~36 weeks following completion of outpatient block)
  • One half clinic day per month for the first six months.
  • Two half clinic days per month for the latter six months.
• Other longitudinal responsibilities built into core rotations: Biannual OPAT and ASP reports, microbiology projects, educational in-services, fecal microbiota transplant monitoring, quality improvement projects/initiatives, and multidisciplinary meetings

Elective Rotations (2 rotations, total of 8 weeks):

• Critical care (4 weeks)
• Emergency Department/Outpatient Antimicrobial Stewardship (BLOCK) (4 weeks)
• Hematology/oncology (4 weeks)
• Internal medicine (4 weeks)

Longitudinal Rotations/Activities:
The ID resident has several longitudinal responsibilities throughout the year.

• OPAT Program: Patients discharged home on long-term home IV antibiotics are followed by the clinical ID pharmacist via the Outpatient Parenteral Antibiotic Therapy (OPAT) program. Patient’s laboratory parameters and clinical progress are monitored weekly. Patients are then followed-up in the outpatient ID clinic by the ID team. The ID resident will support this program by arranging home IV antibiotics in the outpatient setting, performing and evaluating the weekly lab assessments, and provide patient follow up as needed.
• Infectious diseases/HIV clinic: The Zablocki VA Medical Center has several ID clinics in which patients with either HIV/AIDs and/or chronic infections are seen by the ID team. The ID resident will participate in these clinics by providing medication counseling, laboratory monitoring, and assisting with antimicrobial management.
• Infectious Diseases/Antimicrobial Stewardship In-services: The ID resident will provide in-services to providers and/or pharmacy trainees/staff throughout the year.
• ID Pharmacy administration: The ID resident will be assigned various administrative assignments throughout the year, which may include policy writing, stewardship initiatives, and clinical decisions support design.

HOSPITAL COMMITTEE INVOLVEMENT
The ID resident will be involved in the Pharmacy, Nutrition, and Therapeutics Council, Infection Control Council, and the Antimicrobial Subcommittee.

TEACHING RESPONSIBILITIES
The PGY2 ID resident will have extensive involvement with pharmacy students on the infectious diseases clinical clerkship rotation. Responsibilities include providing one-on-one mentoring, presenting seminars and in-services, and assisting with the evaluation process. The resident will also provide at least 2 formal lectures to pharmacy students at Concordia University with additional optional opportunities should the resident be interested. 

Milwaukee Veterans Affairs Medical Center Post Graduate Year Two (PGY2) Internal Medicine Pharmacy Residency

The PGY2 Internal Medicine pharmacy residency program conducted by the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center is accredited by the American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists (ASHP). 

The PGY-2 Internal Medicine pharmacy residency program will focus on inpatient medicine. The resident will work with medical teams to maximize the pharmacotherapy for medicine patients and provide education to staff and patients. The resident will also have extensive precepting experiences with pharmacy students completing advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPE). In addition, the resident will have the option to obtain a teaching certificate and become involved in on-campus teaching at Concordia University Wisconsin School of Pharmacy.

The purpose of this PGY2 Internal Medicine pharmacy residency is for the resident to develop expertise in internal medicine pharmacotherapy and foster development of teaching and precepting knowledge and skills. The goal is for the resident to develop into an internal medicine clinical specialist with skills and abilities in teaching and precepting pharmacy students and other health care providers. Incorporation of leadership, administrative, medication safety, academic, and pharmacoeconomic learning opportunities will further assist in comprehensive resident professional development.

Required Rotations:

• Internal Medicine
• Cardiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Critical Care
• Orientation

Elective Rotations:

• Nephrology
• Oncology
• Mental Health
• Gastroenterology
• Primary Care
• Academia (Concordia University of Wisconsin)
• Academic Detailing
• Administration
• Heart Failure Clinic
• Emergency Department
• Neurology
• Palliative Care
• Antimicrobial Stewardship
• Recruitment

Longitudinal Rotations:

• Project
• Formulary Management
• Medication Use Evaluation
• Medication Use Safety
• Anticoagulation Stewardship
• MCW Lab Facilitation

Teaching Opportunities:

• Concordia teaching certificate (optional)
• Medical College of Wisconsin teaching certificate (optional)
• VA teaching certificate (optional)
• Precepting students and PGY1 residents
• Medicine team teaching
• Journal Club
• Grand Rounds Presentation or equivalent

Milwaukee Veterans Affairs Medical Center Post Graduate Year Two (PGY2) Psychiatric Pharmacy Residency

The Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center offers a one-year PGY2 residency in psychiatric pharmacy designed for pharmacists desiring a specialized practice focused on the care of patients with psychiatric and neuropsychiatric disorders. The PGY2 Psychiatric pharmacy residency program conducted by the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center is accredited by the American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists (ASHP). The psychiatric pharmacy resident will work as part of an interdisciplinary team focusing on improving patient care in a variety of mental health settings. The PGY2 Psychiatric Pharmacy Residency builds upon experiences gained through a PGY1 program and is designed to offer both didactic and clinical experiences leading to the development of a practitioner with expert knowledge in the area of psychiatric pharmacotherapy. The resident will also have extensive precepting and teaching responsibilities over the course of the year. Leadership, administrative, medication safety, and pharmacoeconomic skills will further develop the resident into a well-rounded practitioner. Upon completion of the Psychiatric Pharmacy Residency, the resident will be well-equipped to establish and/or expand upon a successful psychiatric pharmacy practice.

The goals of the PGY2 psychiatric pharmacy residency are to:

• Serve as an authoritative resource on the optimal use of medications used to treat individuals with psychiatric and neuropsychiatric disorders.
• Optimize the outcomes of inpatients and outpatients with a variety of psychiatric and neuropsychiatric disorders and a range of complexity of problems by providing evidence-based, patient-centered medication therapy as an integral part of an interdisciplinary team.
• Demonstrate leadership and practice management skills.
• Demonstrate excellence in the provision of training or educational activities for health care professionals, health care professionals in training, and the public.
• Evaluate and improve the medication-use process in psychiatric and neuropsychiatric patient care areas.
• Conduct psychiatric pharmacy practice research
• Demonstrate skills required to function in an academic setting.

CLINICAL TRAINING

Required Rotations (46 weeks):

• Orientation (2 weeks)
• Inpatient Psychiatry #1 (6 weeks)
• Inpatient Psychiatry #2 (6 weeks)
• Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program #1 (6 weeks)
• Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program #2 (6 weeks)
• Outpatient Mental Health – Iron Mountain (6 weeks)
• Outpatient Mental Health – Milwaukee (6 weeks)
• Immediate Mental Health Access Clinic & Consult/Liaison Psychiatry (4 weeks)
• Neurology (4 weeks)

Elective Rotations (6 weeks):

• Extend required rotation(s) (1-3 weeks)
• Pain Management – Iron Mountain (3-4 weeks)
• Internal Medicine (4 weeks)
• Pharmacy Administration (3-4 weeks)
• Academia – Concordia University Wisconsin (1 day per week during the fall semester)
• Advanced Mental Health Elective – Concordia University Wisconsin (1/2 day per week during the spring semester) 

Required Longitudinal Rotations:

• Primary Care Mental Health Integration team
• Outpatient Mental Health Pharmacy e-consults
• PGY2 Residency Administration  
• Research

HOSPITAL COMMITTEE INVOLVEMENT

The PGY2 psychiatric pharmacy resident will be expected to participate in various meetings. These include Primary Care Mental Health Integration team staffing, clinical pharmacy meetings, journal club, and other relevant medical conferences.

TEACHING RESPONSIBILITIES

The PGY2 psychiatric pharmacy resident will have extensive teaching involvement over the course of the year, both formal and informal. The resident will help precept pharmacy students and PGY1 residents on the mental health learning experience. Responsibilities include providing one-on-one mentoring, leading topic discussions and patient case discussions, as well as assisting with the evaluation process. In addition, the resident may be called upon to provide teaching to the interdisciplinary psychiatric teams as needed.

Formal teaching opportunities include the following: CUW Pharmacotherapy lecture, CUW Mental Health Elective lecture, Medical College of Wisconsin Pharmacotherapy lecture, VISN 12 Continuing Education Presentation, and various journal clubs/topic discussions throughout the year.

PGY1 Pharmacy - Milwaukee Practice:
Jen Koch, PharmD, BCPS, BCGP
jennifer.koch@va.gov

PGY1 Pharmacy - Green Bay:
Shannon Pace, PharmD
shannon.pace@va.gov.

Mikki Harms, PharmD, BCPP
michelle.harms@va.gov

PGY2 Infectious Diseases:
Grace Mortrude, PharmD
grace.mortrude@va.gov

PGY2 Internal Medicine:
Jeremy Barnes, PharmD, BCPS
jeremiah.barnes@va.gov

PGY2 Psychiatric Pharmacy:
Matt Haas, PharmD, BCPP
matthew.haas@va.gov

• Competitive salary
• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Life insurance
• Free parking
• 11 federal holidays
• Sick leave (days off for illness/medical appointments/family care)
• Annual leave (Vacation)
• Access to the University of Wisconsin and Medical College of Wisconsin resources
• Tuition and travel support for professional conferences
• Opportunity to work for pharmacist wage on off-duty time (some staffing required for PGY1s, optional for PGY2s)

The application requirements are the same for all of our pharmacy residency programs (PGY1 and PGY2).   Applications are due on on or near the first of the year – please see individual programs for due dates.   

Applicant Requirements: 

• Graduate of an American Council of Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE) accredited School of Pharmacy with a Pharm.D. or equivalent degree or a school with candidate status from ACPE.
• U.S. citizenship (requirement to be employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs).
• Pharmacist licensure (residents can obtain licensure in any state in the United States).  PGY1 residents must obtain licensure within 120 days of starting the residency program.  

ASHP Match 

• The application requirements are the same for all of our pharmacy residency programs (PGY1 and PGY2) for the ASHP Resident Matching Program.   Applications are due on or near the first of the year – please see individual programs for due dates.   

Application Process & Requirements: 

• Register and participate in the ASHP Resident Matching Program.
• Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service (PhORCAS) must be used to submit electronic application.
• Please visit PhORCAS for more information on PhORCAS.
• Information required by PhORCAS includes demographics, curriculum vitae (CV), transcripts (including cumulative GPA), letter of intent and three letters of recommendation.
• The PhORCAS form should be used for letters of recommendation. An accompanying letter is not necessary.
• Once accepted, residents must complete all Human Resources onboarding forms and requirements. 

Selection of Candidates: 

• Criteria considered by the residency selection committee include: PhORCAS application, knowledge of professional practice, communication skills, ability to apply theory to practice, leadership ability, interest in the program, confidence, and maturity.
• An interview, if offered, is required.

VA Internal Early Commitment

Application Process & Requirements: 

• Eligibility: PGY1 resident at the Zablocki VA Medical Center
• Application deadline is the 2nd Friday in October
• Email the following application materials to the respective PGY2 RPD
  • Letter of intent
  • Curriculum vitae (CV)

Selection of Candidates: 

• Criteria considered by the residency selection committee include: application materials, PGY1 rotation performance, PGY1 RPD recommendation, knowledge of professional practice, communication skills, ability to apply theory to practice, leadership ability, interest in the program, confidence, and maturity.
• An interview is required.
• Program may offer early commitment to resident no later than Oct.31.

VA Nationwide Early Commitment (VANEC)

• Eligibility: PGY1 resident at any VA facility
• Application deadline is the first Monday in November
• Complete VANEC Dashboard Registration for PGY1 Residents
• Email the following application materials to the respective PGY2 RPD
  • Letter of intent
  • Curriculum vitae (CV)
  • Three letters of recommendation (one from PGY1 RPD):
  • VANEC Recommendation Form (see below)

Selection of Candidates: 

• Criteria considered by the residency selection committee include: application materials, knowledge of professional practice, communication skills, ability to apply theory to practice, leadership ability, interest in the program, confidence, and maturity.
• An interview, if offered, is required.
  • Interviews take place after the first Monday in November but prior to the third Monday in November.
• Rank List submissions are due by the third Monday in November.

Directors

PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency Director Jennifer Koch

PGY-1 Green Bay Pharmacy Residency Director Shannon Pace

PGY-2 Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Residency Director Grace Mortrude

PGY-2 Internal Medicine Pharmacy Residency Director Jeremy Barnes

PGY-2 Psychiatric Pharmacy Residency Director Matthew Haas

Clinical Pharmacy Preceptors

Karen M. Adwan

Wendy Antoine

Alisyn Baciak

Jeremy Barnes

Kimberly Bell

Morgan Berger

William Blaser

Caryn Bremberger

Kristen Charlson

Joe Dutzy

Bradley Endres

Sara Erdahl

Steven Finkenbinder

Christopher Frye

Mike Grunske

Matt Haas

Mohammed Hamdan

Jill Hansen

Mikki Harms

Brian Holtebeck

Mary Jo Jablonski

Nicole Huebner

Anna Husek

Steven Kennedy

Jen Koch

Michael J. Masse

Erin McAllister

Bryan McGill

Ray Miller

Grace Mortrude

Karolyn Mosbacher

Jen Mulhall

Katie Nichols

Karla Opheim

Courtney Pagels

Elizabeth Papa

Daisy Peterson

Le Pham

Ryan Prouty

April Rogers

Mirella Sabol

Michelle Schafer

Michael Schmidt

Erin Stoop

Ana Tomaich

Jill Underberg

Amy Van Ermen

Ben Weitzel

Nicole Zimmerman

PGY1 Resident Milwaukee Luke Kelsey

PGY1 Resident Hannah Schuh

PGY1 Resident Lauren Thompson

PGY1 Resident Nicole Zachwieja

PGY2 Resident Milwaukee Louis Austin

PGY2 Resident Milwaukee Bridget Nelson

PGY2 Resident Milwaukee Tim Vogt