Draft - PGY2 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency

Longitudinal Ambulatory Care Practice Model

Residents gain extensive experience through a longitudinal ambulatory care practice embedded within a high-volume academic internal medicine clinic. This model provides exposure to a wide variety of disease states and emphasizes continuity of care, allowing residents to follow patients over time, assess outcomes, and refine clinical decision-making based on real-world experiences. Residents work closely with internal medicine residents and attendings in a longitudinal fashion, fostering strong interprofessional relationships and collaborative learning. The practice is primarily in-person, supporting development of patient communication, physical assessment integration, and real-time clinical problem solving.

Pharmacists are fully integrated into the healthcare team within a highly collaborative environment. Robust operational support, including medical assistants for rooming patients, schedulers for coordinating visits, and nurses and pharmacy technicians for prior authorizations and patient assistance program facilitation, allows pharmacists and residents to focus on high-level comprehensive medication management and practice at the top of their license.

Team-Based Care Across Specialties

Residents train within a deeply collaborative environment that extends beyond internal medicine to include close partnerships with cardiology, endocrinology, and other specialty services. This interprofessional model enhances the resident’s ability to manage complex cardiometabolic and chronic disease states while understanding specialty-specific considerations and transitions of care.

Strong Teaching and Academic Integration

Through a structured academic day and teaching opportunities across multiple learner levels, residents develop skills in didactic instruction, precepting, and curriculum development. Teaching experiences include pharmacy students, internal medicine residents, and specialty trainees (e.g., cardiology and endocrinology), preparing residents for academic and precepting roles.

Comprehensive Scope of Practice and Autonomy

Residents practice under a collaborative practice model that supports independent clinical decision-making, including initiating, modifying, and monitoring pharmacotherapy. This level of autonomy, combined with structured preceptor support, promotes progressive independence and prepares residents for advanced ambulatory care practice.

Service Development and Leadership Opportunities

Residents are actively involved in the development, implementation, and evaluation of ambulatory care pharmacy services. Through quality improvement initiatives, population health efforts, and exposure to operational workflows, residents build skills necessary to expand and sustain clinical pharmacy services in a variety of healthcare settings.

Positions: 1

Residency Start Date: July 1

Duration: 52 weeks

Staffing Requirements: There is no formal staffing requirement for this residency program. Non-clinic time is dedicated to academic and professional development activities, including teaching responsibilities, completion of research and scholarly work, and engagement in practice management and service development projects.

Required Learning Experiences

Elective Learning Experiences

Residents will complete a total of 16 weeks of elective learning experiences during the residency year. Rotations will depend on resident preference, learning needs, and preceptor availability. Electives may be structured as either:

• Two 8-week rotations
• One 8-week rotation and two 4-week rotations
• Four 4-week rotations

Additionally, residents will have the opportunity to participate in a 1-week American Diabetes Association diabetes camp experience as part of their elective time.

Elective experiences are designed to be tailored to each resident’s career interests and professional goals. Scheduling will be coordinated with the Residency Program Director to ensure alignment with desired areas of specialization while maintaining a well-rounded ambulatory care experience. Electives will provide opportunities for expanded clinical responsibility, interprofessional collaboration, and/or exposure to specialized patient populations. Elective learning experiences may occur outside of the primary clinic site based on resident interests and available opportunities.

Elective rotations may be developed within a variety of ambulatory care and specialty practice settings. Examples of disease states and focus areas include, but are not limited to:

• Diabetes and Endocrinology 
• Cardiology 
• Infectious Diseases – HIV and Hep C
• Geriatrics 
• Oncology 
• Population Health
• Psychiatry / Behavioral Health 
• Rheumatology 
• Specialty pharmacy: 
  • Inflammatory
  • Neurology
  • Oncology
  • Women’s health and reproductive medicine
• Transitions of Care
• Transplant

Upon completion of this residency, the resident will be able to:

• Provide comprehensive, patient-centered medication management across diverse ambulatory care settings, integrating evidence-based guidelines, clinical expertise, and individualized patient factors to optimize outcomes. 
• Function as an independent ambulatory care practitioner within a collaborative practice model, effectively initiating, modifying, and monitoring pharmacotherapy as part of an interprofessional healthcare team. 
• Deliver high-quality, effective education to a variety of learners, including pharmacy students, residents, and interprofessional trainees, and demonstrate a sustained commitment to teaching and advancing the profession of pharmacy. 
• Communicate clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing, with patients, caregivers, and members of the interprofessional team to support shared decision-making and coordinated care. 
• Design, implement, evaluate, and advance ambulatory care pharmacy services, including contributing to quality improvement initiatives and population health strategies. 
• Collaborate with internal medicine and specialty services (e.g., cardiology, endocrinology) to provide integrated, team-based care for patients with complex chronic conditions. 
• Demonstrate professionalism, leadership, and a commitment to continuous quality improvement through self-assessment, reflection, and ongoing professional development.

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Graduated from an ACPE-accredited pharmacy program with a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree 
• Successful completion of an ASHP-accredited PGY1 pharmacy residency 
• Eligible for pharmacist licensure in the state of Illinois

Competitive candidates will demonstrate strong motivation, self-direction, and excellent communication skills. A commitment to teaching and a genuine interest in ambulatory care practice are essential.

Application Deadline:

• All application materials must be submitted through PhORCAS by January 5

Application Submission via PhORCAS: 

• Current curriculum vitae (CV) 
• Letter of intent outlining interest in the PGY2 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency at Midwestern University and Northwestern Medicine 
• Official pharmacy school transcript 
• Three letters of recommendation using the standard PhORCAS recommendation form

Match Information: 

• ASHP Match Number: #710690 
• This PGY2 ambulatory care pharmacy residency program abides by ASHP Resident Matching Program policies and does not solicit, accept, or use ranking-related information from applicants

Additional Information:

• This program does not sponsor visas for pharmacy residency applicants

For additional details, please visit the PhORCAS website.

Stipend: $63,480

Faculty Appointment: Each resident will receive a faculty appointment as a Visiting Instructor in the Midwestern University College of Pharmacy Department of Pharmacy Practice.

Professional Development

Residents receive funding support to attend national and local conferences, such as the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting and the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Annual Meeting. Residents may also attend a local pharmacy residency conference, the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists (ICHP) Annual Meeting, or another conference aligned with their interests.

Residents are also provided professional development funds to support the pursuit of the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) Pharmacotherapy exam, membership in professional organizations, and other professional resources and educational needs.

In addition, internal continuing education (CE) programming and other professional development opportunities are offered regularly to support ongoing growth and advancement.

Time Off & Holidays:

Flex/Sick Time: Up to 20 days per year, available for medical appointments, personal needs, and unforeseen circumstances

Vacation: Up to 20 days annually, with the option to carry over or receive a payout for unused time

Paid Holidays

Residents receive the following paid holidays: 

• New Year’s Day
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day 
• Memorial Day 
• Juneteenth 
• Independence Day (observed)
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving
• Day after Thanksgiving
• President’s Holiday Break: Two-week break from late December through early January, encompassing Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day

In accordance with ASHP Residency Accreditation Standards and Guidance, total time away from the residency program must not exceed the greater of 37 days per 52-week training period or the minimum number of days required by applicable federal and/or state laws, without requiring an extension of the residency. If time away exceeds the allotted limit, the residency will be extended to ensure all required competencies are achieved. Any extension will be equivalent to the amount of time missed and structured to ensure completion of all program requirements.

Comprehensive Insurance Benefits:

Medical, dental, and vision coverage options 

Wellness & Work-Life Support:

• Access to wellness programs with incentives up to $300/year 
• Mental health and well-being support, including counseling and mindfulness resources (Headspace, EAP) 
• Access to virtual care services for convenient, ongoing care

This structure supports resident well-being, flexibility, and sustainable work-life balance throughout the year.