PGY1 Pharmacy Residency at Olathe Hospital

Orientation is a required 5-week learning experience designed to introduce residents to core hospital and pharmacy systems. It includes training in clinical and operational workflows such as order entry and verification, documentation, dispensing, sterile compounding, automated systems, and controlled substance handling. Residents will also be introduced to pharmacy-managed protocols and clinical responsibilities.

During this time, residents will complete ACLS certification, participate in a 2-day Caregiver Resilience training, and attend didactic sessions covering key acute care pharmacotherapy topics to support clinical decision-making. Orientation begins with hospital onboarding and continues through the end of July.

This antimicrobial stewardship and infectious diseases learning experience provides residents with foundational training in antimicrobial stewardship (ASP) and the management of infectious diseases in both general and complex hospitalized patients. Residents actively participate in prospective audit and feedback, optimize antimicrobial use, and develop evidence-based recommendations to improve patient outcomes. In collaboration with the infectious disease pharmacist and ID consult teams, residents gain experience in managing bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic infections across various patient populations. The experience also includes participation in interdisciplinary rounds, educational conferences, and stewardship subcommittees. Residents develop critical skills in clinical decision-making, formulary management, and communication, while also supporting precepting activities and engaging in longitudinal ASP initiatives.

The Cardiology learning experience provides residents with foundational knowledge and hands-on training in managing common cardiovascular conditions such as heart failure, arrhythmias, ischemic heart disease and thrombosis. Residents participate in multidisciplinary discharge rounds, develop and implement evidence-based care plans, manage drug therapy protocols and provide medication education to patients. As the rotation progresses, residents take on increasing responsibility – including serving as the primary clinical pharmacist for telemetry patients and co-precepting APPE students – while gaining experience in documentation, communication, and clinical decision-making in cardiology practice.

The critical care rotation provides pharmacy residents with in-depth experience managing critically ill patients in the intensive care unit. Residents actively participate in daily multidisciplinary rounds, respond to medical emergencies including Code Blue and Code Stroke, and provide evidence-based pharmacotherapy recommendations for a wide range of disease states. The experience covers complex topics such as hemodynamics, mechanical ventilation, sepsis, renal replacement therapy and toxicological emergencies. The critical care patient population frequently encountered includes patients with multi-organ failure and complex medical problems, as well as surgical intensive care patients.

Daily patient care activities include comprehensive pre-rounding to assess medication-related issues, active participation in interdisciplinary rounds to present recommendations and follow-up on outstanding concerns. Residents also meet daily with the preceptor to review patients and engage in topic discussions. By the end of the rotation, residents will gain increased confidence and skills to function independently as a clinical pharmacist in the ICU setting.

The emergency medicine rotation offers PGY1 pharmacy residents a high-acuity, hands-on experience in the Emergency Care Center (ECC), where they serve as fully embedded members of the emergency medicine team. Working closely with physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, respiratory therapists and paramedics, residents gain experience managing a wide range of emergent conditions – such as stroke, sepsis, toxicologic exposures, respiratory failure and cardiovascular emergencies.

The emergency medicine rotation requires a uniquely real-time, front-line approach to pharmacy practice. Residents respond promptly at the bedside when critically ill patients arrive – providing immediate support in medication selection, dosing, preparation and administration. This rotation is very hands-on; residents will be at the bedside and become comfortable with drug preparation, line priming, pump setup, titration of drips and continuous therapy adjustments based on rapidly evolving patient needs. While reactive decision-making remains a cornerstone of clinical pharmacy practice, this experience emphasizes anticipatory, live-time intervention in the context of unpredictable and urgent care.

Residents will also have the opportunity to participate in a dedicated EMS ride-along day, offering firsthand exposure to pre-hospital emergency care and its influence on ED management. Additional responsibilities include reviewing culture results, responding to pharmacy consults and contributing to clinical education initiatives.

Our rotation in internal medicine build a strong foundation in managing a wide range of adult medical conditions across general medicine floors. Residents gain experience caring for patients with diabetes, renal dysfunction, respiratory diseases, neurological disorders, infections and post-surgical complications. Through daily interdisciplinary rounds and preceptor-guided patient case discussions, residents develop the skills to assess medication appropriateness, resolve drug therapy problems, and provide patient and provider education. The rotation includes hands-on experience with pharmacy consults, protocol-based dosing, and transitions of care. As residents progress, they assume increasing responsibility and serve as the clinical pharmacist for the internal medicine teams, including opportunities to precept APPE students.

The internal medicine II experience builds on the foundational internal medicine rotation by offering PGY1 residents greater autonomy, expanded clinical responsibilities and opportunities to lead patient care. Residents independently manage patients across multiple internal medicine teams, provide high-level pharmacotherapy recommendations, respond to clinical consults and participate in code responses. When APPE students are on rotation, residents also serve as preceptors-in-training – leading topic discussions, providing feedback and supporting student development under preceptor supervision.

In addition to direct patient care, residents complete a longitudinal internal medicine–focused project, such as a medication-use evaluation, guideline update or CPE presentation. They lead weekly discussions on current literature and practice guidelines, promoting critical thinking and advanced clinical dialogue. This experience is ideal for residents seeking to refine their leadership, teaching and clinical decision-making skills in preparation for more advanced practice roles.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of internal medicine I

Residents participate in code response coverage (Code Blue and Code Stroke) from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on assigned weekdays as part of a longitudinal experience. While not structured as a formal rotation, this is a core component of the residency program. Residents are continuously assessed until they achieve “sign-off,” at which point they are expected to function independently as the primary pharmacist responder during these critical events.

The practice leadership rotation is a required, 10-month longitudinal experience designed to build residents’ understanding of the administrative and leadership functions of the pharmacy enterprise. Core components include interactive didactic sessions on topics such as finance, strategic planning, medication-use policy and operational practices; attendance at key departmental and organizational meetings; and the completion of a medication-use evaluation and administrative project. Residents also develop skills in formulary management, quality improvement, medication safety and healthcare economics while practicing crucial leadership behaviors such as conducting meetings, navigating conflict and delivering effective presentations. Self-assessments, including Myers-Briggs and StrengthsFinder, are used to enhance leadership self-awareness and communication styles.

To further support residents’ career readiness and personal growth, the rotation incorporates additional professional development activities. These may include sessions focused on career planning, interviewing techniques, personal branding and maximizing the value of residency rotations. Emotional intelligence, resilience and effective communication are emphasized through structured discussions, reflective exercises and selected leadership readings. Activities are intentionally flexible to align with resident goals and may include mock interviews, guidance on preparing for national meetings and opportunities to refine CVs or application materials. Together, these elements create a balanced experience that blends administrative learning with the interpersonal and strategic skills necessary for long-term success.

The research learning experience is a required, longitudinal rotation designed to provide residents with hands-on experience in conducting a traditional, full-scale research project. Residents are expected to identify a topic related to pharmacy practice, develop a research question, and carry the project through to completion, with the goal of generating results that improve patient care and/or organizational processes. Residents receive structured guidance from a dedicated project preceptor, who supports protocol development, statistical planning and support, IRB submission, and data analysis. In addition, Residency Program Coordinators (RPCs) facilitate the process through research programming, milestone monitoring, and regular check-ins. Upon the conclusion of their project, residents will produce a final manuscript and professional presentation to fulfill residency requirements.

The ambulatory care rotation at The University of Kansas Health System offers a dynamic 5-week experience where residents manage patients across diverse clinic settings focused on polypharmacy, chronic disease management, medication access, education and protocol-driven care. Working as an integral member of multidisciplinary teams, residents conduct comprehensive medication reviews, optimize evidence-based treatment plans, address adherence and access barriers, and provide direct patient and caregiver education. Through progressive independence, residents gain experience leading clinic visits, collaborating with providers, documenting patient care encounters, answering drug information questions and contributing to quality improvement or clinic-based projects. This rotation equips residents with the skills necessary to deliver safe, effective, patient-centered ambulatory care while actively participating in team-based practice and precepting learners.

This elective learning experience offers residents the opportunity to provide pharmaceutical care for obstetric and neonatal patients in the Birth Place at Olathe Hospital. Under the guidance of a dedicated pharmacist preceptor, residents will gain hands-on experience managing medication therapy for pregnant and postpartum patients, as well as neonates – many of whom require weight-based dosing, specialized IV medications and individualized parenteral nutrition.

Residents will participate in a variety of clinical activities, including evaluating and adjusting neonatal TPNs, monitoring and optimizing antibiotic therapy in neonatal sepsis, preparing and dispensing compounded medications, and ensuring the safety of drug therapy during lactation. The experience also emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, discharge counseling, patient education and participation in code response. Residents may also engage in teaching, mentoring pharmacy students and completing clinical presentations or projects related to obstetric or neonatal care.

The Outpatient Hematology/Oncology rotation at The University of Kansas Cancer Center provides residents with an immersive experience in the longitudinal care of patients receiving ambulatory cancer treatment. Working closely with medical oncologists, hematologists, advanced practice providers, nurses, and research staff, residents participate in treatment planning, chemotherapy verification, supportive care management, and patient counseling across a wide spectrum of malignancies—including lymphoma, leukemia, myeloma, breast cancer, lung cancer, GI and GU cancers, melanoma, sarcoma, and gynecologic oncology. Residents develop expertise in reviewing therapy plans, assessing toxicities, evaluating disease response, and facilitating safe, effective transitions between clinic and infusion services. Additional responsibilities include addressing drug information questions, improving medication access, and providing chemotherapy and supportive care education to patients and caregivers. This rotation strengthens residents’ ability to deliver evidence-based, patient-centered oncology care while functioning as an essential resource within a high-volume specialty clinic.

The pharmacy management provides residents with an immersive introduction to pharmacy leadership and management. Through shadowing and active project participation with the director of pharmacy, clinical manager and operations manager, residents gain firsthand exposure to departmental operations, strategic planning, budgeting, human resources, regulatory compliance and clinical leadership initiatives.

Residents will attend interdisciplinary meetings, contribute to operational and clinical improvement projects, assist with informatics and automation tasks, and help facilitate pharmacy safety huddles and performance monitoring. Time spent with each preceptor is customized based on the resident’s interests and goals, providing a broad overview of pharmacy administration in a dynamic health system.

The Precepting elective experience is designed for PGY1 pharmacy residents who want to strengthen their teaching and leadership skills through active precepting of advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) students. Best suited for later in the residency year, this rotation requires residents to have previously co-precepted at least two APPE students and emphasizes direct involvement in onboarding, teaching, coaching, and evaluating student learners in clinical practice.

Residents are responsible for orienting APPE students, organizing and facilitating topic discussions, providing timely feedback, coordinating patient care activities, and leading midpoint and final evaluations. They will also develop tailored educational materials, adapt their precepting style to meet learner needs, and complete a written project or teaching-related assignment. This experience supports the development of confident, reflective preceptors who are equipped to take on layered learning responsibilities in future clinical or academic roles.

Advanced critical care is an elective rotation designed for residents who have completed the core critical care experience and are ready to expand their clinical and leadership skills in a high-acuity environment. This rotation emphasizes greater autonomy in patient care, with the resident expected to take the lead in managing critically ill patients, facilitating interdisciplinary rounds, and making evidence-based pharmacotherapy recommendations. While residents will operate with increased independence, preceptor support and guidance remain readily available to ensure continued development and patient safety. When applicable, residents will also serve in a mentorship role for APPE students, providing coaching, feedback, and support with daily responsibilities.

In contrast to the foundational critical care rotation, which focuses on core skill development and structured learning, Advanced critical care encourages residents to take ownership of their learning and professional growth. Residents independently select and lead topic discussions, contribute to the education of others, and complete a critical care-focused administrative project designed to enhance both their experience and the quality of care delivered within the ICU.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of the critical care rotation.

This advanced elective rotation is available to PGY1 residents who have successfully completed the Emergency Medicine rotation. It provides a more autonomous, high-intensity clinical experience in the Emergency Care Center (ECC), designed for residents ready to function with increased independence.

Residents are at the bedside from the moment critically ill patients arrive, engaging in real-time, proactive clinical decision-making. They independently recommend and prepare medications, initiate therapy, titrate drips, prime lines and set up pumps. Residents continuously monitor and follow patients to adjust therapy live, triage evolving clinical needs and collaborate directly with providers and nurses during acute events such as stroke, toxicologic emergencies, procedural sedations and advanced cardiovascular support.

Residents may elect to participate in an additional EMS ride-along day to deepen their understanding of the prehospital-to-ED care continuum. Additional responsibilities include managing culture callbacks across multiple campuses, leading advanced topic discussions and providing formal and informal education to ED staff. By the end of the rotation, residents are expected to function confidently and independently, demonstrating readiness for emergency medicine pharmacy practice.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of the emergency medicine rotation.

Building on the foundational pharmacy management rotation, this 1-month elective provides residents with increased autonomy and deeper engagement in leadership activities. Residents take the lead on high-impact projects involving strategic planning, performance improvement, controlled substance surveillance, and Joint Commission preparation. They also serve as the “manager on call” during assigned periods to handle daily staffing decisions.

Under the guidance of the director of pharmacy and optional collaboration with clinical and operations managers, residents drive change by applying lean management principles, creating written standards of work and engaging stakeholders across the health system. By the end of the rotation, residents will have demonstrated the ability to manage real-world administrative challenges and contribute meaningfully to the advancement of pharmacy services.

Prerequisite: Completion of the pharmacy management rotation.