Pharmacy Residency Programs

Overview

Thank you for your interest in the pharmacy residency programs at the University of Tennessee Medical Center. At UTMC, we are committed to excellence in patient care, education, and research. Our Pharmacy Residency Program is an integral part of this commitment, designed to prepare pharmacists for successful careers in a variety of practice settings. We are a nationally renowned pharmacy residency program, developing leaders in pharmacy since 1991.  

We distinguish ourselves as the exclusive academic medical center and Level 1 Trauma Center in the region. Moreover, we proudly bear the distinction of being an Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center, in addition to housing a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. 

Our programs are accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. The Department of Pharmacy offers both Postgraduate Year One (PGY1) and Post Graduate Year Two (PGY2) pharmacy residency programs. 

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Mission, Vision, Preceptors and Residents

Mission and Vision

 

Residency Program Mission

To develop pharmacy leaders through a personalized approach within an integrated practice model and collaboration in discovery, education, and patient care.

Department Of Pharmacy Vision

To be nationally recognized for excellence in patient care, medical education and biomedical research.

Department Of Pharmacy Mission

The department of pharmacy operates to ensure positive drug therapy outcomes for our patients and contribute to achieving the objectives of the Medical Center by:

  • Ensuring safe and effective use of medication through integration of multiple disciplines
  • Attracting and retaining highly qualified and motivated staff
  • Educating and developing future leaders in pharmacy and other health care professions
  • Affecting change through practice-based research

Program Highlights

Diverse Clinical Rotations

Our residents benefit from a wide range of clinical experiences in acute care, ambulatory care, and specialized areas such as critical care, infectious diseases, oncology, and more. These rotations are conducted in collaboration with our expert clinical preceptors.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

UTMC places a strong emphasis on interprofessional collaboration. Our residents work alongside healthcare professionals from various disciplines, enhancing their ability to provide comprehensive patient care. 

Research

At UTMC, residents engage in research projects and present their findings at regional and national conferences. Our institution provides resources and mentorship to support residents in their research endeavors. Residents will present their research findings at ASHP Midyear in December and at the Southeastern Residency Conference (SERC) in May. UTMC follows the flipped research model, allowing residents to participate in two research projects yearly and allows for a complete project to be presented at ASHP Midyear and SERC.  

Teaching and Precepting Experience

Residents have the opportunity to work with pharmacy students and participate in teaching activities. Residents can participate in the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s Pharmacy Educator Academy. This experience allows residents to develop a teaching philosophy, effective communication and leadership skills, and a deep understanding of the importance of lifelong learning. Learn More

Resident Development

We offer personalized mentorship and professional development opportunities to help residents achieve their career goals. Each resident is thoughtfully paired with a mentor who shares similar interests and objectives. Our Mentorship Program is intended to assist residents with both professional and personal growth during the residency year.  

Resident Wellness

We prioritize resident well-being and work to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Our institution offers wellness programs and resources to support your overall health and happiness. Additionally, on a monthly basis, residents engage in wellness events that delve into a spectrum of subjects, ranging from understanding enneagram types, overcoming failures and professional disappointments, navigating imposter syndrome, to cultivating financial well-being.

About Our Programs

PGY1 Pharmacy Residency (7 positions/year)

Purpose and Competencies

PGY1 pharmacy residency programs build on Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) education and outcomes to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists responsible for medication-related care of patients with a wide range of conditions, eligible for board certification, and eligible for postgraduate year two (PGY2) pharmacy residency training. They will have demonstrated competency in the following areas:

  • Patient care
  • Advancing practice and improving patient care
  • Leadership and management
  • Teaching, education and dissemination of knowledge
  • Management of medical emergencies

Description

This program is a one year ASHP-accredited residency designed to allow pharmacists to develop strong foundational pharmacotherapy, operational, and practice management skills enabling them to progress towards personal goals. PGY1 residents will refine these skills via a well-established integrated clinical practice model. Required rotations and experiences include internal medicine, critical care medicine/critical care trauma, ambulatory care, family medicine, practice management, hospital pharmacy practice including cardiac arrest response, drug information/drug policy, and the completion of a research project. Electives include infectious disease, emergency medicine, women and infants medicine, transitional care, oncology, transplant, neurology/neurocritical care, nephrology, cardiology, night-shift medicine, pharmacy informatics, and completion of a teaching and learning program.

For additional information contact:

PGY1 Program Director
Nikki B. Freeman, PharmD, BCPS
865-305-9124
knfreeman@utmck.edu

Residency Program Coordinator
Carrie Brusseau, PharmD
865-305-6711
cbrussea@utmck.edu

PGY1 Program Structure

PGY2 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency (2 positions/year)

Purpose and Competencies

PGY2 pharmacy residency programs build on Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) education and PGY1 pharmacy residency programs to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists in specialized areas of practice. PGY2 residencies provide residents with opportunities to function independently as practitioners by conceptualizing and integrating accumulated experience and knowledge and incorporating both into the provision of patient care or other advanced practice settings. Residents who successfully complete an accredited PGY2 pharmacy residency are prepared for advanced patient care, academic, or other specialized positions, along with board certification, if available.

Description

This ambulatory care residency program offers advanced, comprehensive training that provides residents the opportunity to develop competency in various ambulatory care pharmacy practice settings. Residents will have the opportunity to participate in a teaching certificate program, formal lectures, precept students and PGY1 residents, complete a research project, and attend residency conferences. Learning experiences include academia, administration, ambulatory infusion, cardiovascular, emergency medicine, family medicine, gastroenterology, heart failure, hematology/oncology, internal medicine, infectious disease, outcomes research, population health, pulmonary, rheumatology, specialty pharmacy and transplant.

For additional information contact:

PGY2 Ambulatory Care Program Director
Jeff Lewis, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP, CDCES
865-305-2868
JLewis2@utmck.edu

PGY2 Ambulatory Care Program Structure

PGY2 Critical Care Pharmacy Residency (2 positions/year)

Purpose and Competencies

PGY2 pharmacy residency programs build on Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) education and PGY1 pharmacy residency programs to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists in specialized areas of practice. PGY2 residencies provide residents with opportunities to function independently as practitioners by conceptualizing and integrating accumulated experience and knowledge and incorporating both into the provision of patient care or other advanced practice settings. Residents who successfully complete an accredited PGY2 pharmacy residency are prepared for advanced patient care, academic, or other specialized positions, along with board certification, if available. They will have achieved advanced competencies in critical care as evidenced by their ability to:

  • Provide patient care
  • Advance practice and improve patient care
  • Demonstrate leadership and management skills
  • Teach, educate, and disseminate knowledge
  • Demonstrate understanding of key elements of academia

Description

This residency program facilitates the development of critical care pharmacy specialists who excel in providing care to critically ill patients and are qualified for a clinical faculty appointment at a college of pharmacy. Residents will refine their skills in the critical care environment via a well-established integrated clinical practice model with increased autonomy and responsibility for managing patient care, overseeing pharmacy students and residents, and involvement with practice management endeavors. Required learning experiences include trauma I and II, critical care medicine, emergency medicine, metabolic support, neurocritical care, cardiovascular critical care, infectious diseases, and academia. In addition, completion of the teaching and learning program is required if one was not completed during the PGY1 residency year. Elective experiences include neonatology, critical care medicine II, emergency medicine II, nightshift medicine, and transplant medicine.

For additional information, contact:

PGY2 Critical Care Program Director
Amanda McKinney, Pharm.D., BCCCP
865-305-7508
ALMcKinney@utmck.edu

PGY2 Critical Care Program Structure

PGY2 Internal Medicine Pharmacy Residency (1 position/year)

Purpose and Competencies

PGY2 pharmacy residency programs build on Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) education and PGY1 pharmacy residency programs to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists in specialized areas of practice. PGY2 residencies provide residents with opportunities to function independently as practitioners by conceptualizing and integrating accumulated experience and knowledge and incorporating both into the provision of patient care or other advanced practice settings. Residents who successfully complete an accredited PGY2 pharmacy residency are prepared for advanced patient care, academic, or other specialized positions, along with board certification, if available. The PGY2 Internal Medicine Pharmacy Residency will focus on the following competency areas:

  • Patient care
  • Advancing practice and improving patient care
  • Leadership and management
  • Teaching, education, and dissemination of knowledge
  • Academia
  • Management of emergency situations
  • Delivery of medications
  • Added skills for contributing to the body of internal medicine knowledge

Description

This program is a one year ASHP-accredited residency designed to build on the foundational skills gained during the PGY1 residency year. Completion of an ASHP-accredited PGY1 residency is required. Residents will refine their skills in the internal medicine environment via a well-established integrated clinical practice model with increased autonomy and responsibility for managing patient care practice and overseeing pharmacy students and PGY1 residents. Internal medicine (4 months), critical care medicine, infectious diseases, and one medicine sub-specialty are required month-long experiences. Required longitudinal experiences include ambulatory care, academia, drug policy, clinical leadership, hospital pharmacy practice, and completion of a research project. 

For additional information, contact:

PGY2 Internal Medicine Program Director

John R. Yates, Pharm.D., BCPS
865-305-3711
JRYates@utmck.edu

PGY2 Internal Medicine Program Coordinator

Skyler Brown, Pharm.D., BCPS
865-305-6009
srbrown@utmck.edu

PGY2 Internal Medicine Program Structure

PGY2 Oncology Pharmacy Residency (2 positions/year)

Purpose and Competencies 

PGY2 pharmacy residency programs build on Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) education and PGY1 pharmacy residency programs to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists in specialized areas of practice. PGY2 residencies provide residents with opportunities to function independently as practitioners by conceptualizing and integrating accumulated experience and knowledge and incorporating both into the provision of patient care or other advanced practice settings. Residents who successfully complete an accredited PGY2 pharmacy residency are prepared for advanced patient care, academic, or other specialized positions, along with board certification, if available.

Description 

This oncology pharmacy residency offers advanced, comprehensive training that provides residents the opportunity to develop competency in both inpatient solid and blood tumors, transplantation and cellular therapy (TCT), and ambulatory clinics. Residents will have the opportunity to initiate or expand oncology pharmacy services, provide formal lectures, precept students and PGY1 residents, complete a research project, and attend residency conferences. Graduates of this program will gain a broad experience-based foundation in hematology/oncology, preparing them to practice independently in a variety of inpatient or ambulatory oncology patient-care settings and to successfully obtain BCOP certification.

For additional information, contact:

PGY2 Oncology Program Director
Hima Patel, PharmD, BCOP
865-305-9132
hpatel4@utmck.edu

PGY2 Oncology Program Structure

24-Month PGY1/PGY2 Pharmacotherapy Residency (1 position/year of the program)

Purpose and Competencies

Pharmacists completing the 24-month pharmacy residency in pharmacotherapy will be prepared for a career as a clinical pharmacy specialist caring for diverse inpatient and outpatient populations with the ability to qualify for faculty positions at a college of pharmacy. They will have achieved advanced competencies in a variety of patient settings and academia in the following competency areas:

  • Patient care
  • Advancing practice and improving patient care
  • Leadership and management
  • Teaching, education, and dissemination of knowledge
  • Academia
  • Management of medical emergencies
  • Contribute to pharmacotherapy knowledge

Description

This program is a 24-month residency designed to allow the pharmacist to develop strong foundational pharmacotherapy, operational, practice management, and academic skills enabling them to progress towards personal goals. Residents will practice with an increasing level of autonomy and responsibility for managing patient care practices as well as overseeing pharmacy students and residents as the years progress. Teaching, writing and research skills will be enhanced to prepare for a faculty position. Required components of the program include family medicine, ambulatory care, critical care medicine, transplant medicine, oncology, infectious disease, academia, practice management, drug information/drug use policy, hospital pharmacy practice and the completion of a project. Additional requirements include the completion of a teaching certificate program with opportunities for didactic, small-group and case-based teaching. Multiple inpatient and outpatient opportunities are available as elective experiences.

For additional information, contact:

Pharmacotherapy Program Director
Andrea Franks, Pharm.D., BCPS
865-974-2357
afranks@uthsc.edu

Pharmacotherapy Program Coordinator
Thaddeus McGiness, Pharm.D., BCPS
865-946-3412
tmcgines@uthsc.edu

24 Month Pharmacotherapy Program Structure

Important to Know 


Application Process

Applications for all pharmacy residency programs will be processed using the PhORCAS residency application system. The application deadline is January 2. 

Application Requirements

  1. Curriculum vitae (CV) 
  2. College of Pharmacy Transcripts 
  3. Three letters of recommendation submitted via PhORCAS 
  4. Letter of Intent

Benefits

Benefits include comprehensive health insurance, annual leave, sick leave, educational leave, and travel allowances.