Pharmacy Residency Program

The PGY1 Pharmacy Residency conducted by Denver Health in Denver, Colorado, is accredited by ASHP.

The purpose of the PGY1 Pharmacy Residency program is to build on the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) 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. Denver Health PGY1 pharmacy residents are eligible to apply for our PGY2 programs through the early commitment or match process.

The program is a 12-month postgraduate curriculum that offers training opportunities in acute care, ambulatory clinical care, drug use policy development, clinical services, and pharmacy leadership.

The program includes 7 required learning experiences (4 to 6 weeks in length) and a choice of 3 elective learning experiences (4 to 5 weeks in length). There are 5 required longitudinal learning experiences.

Required Learning Experiences (4-5 weeks each)

• Orientation
• Internal Medicine
• Critical Care – choice of Medical ICU or Surgical ICU
• Maternal Child Health / Pediatrics
• Infectious Diseases
• Ambulatory Care
• Medication Safety, Regulatory and Quality

Longitudinal Learning Experiences

• Formulary Management / Drug Policy (3-4 months)
• Service Commitment / Operational Knowledge/Staffing (every 3rd weekend, with the potential for overnight coverage)
• Leadership Development
• Research
• Teaching (including an optional teaching certificate program)

Elective Learning Experiences (4-5 weeks each)

• Ambulatory Care (primary care or geriatrics)
• Behavioral Health
• Clinical Toxicology
• Emergency Medicine
• Critical Care Days (medical or surgical ICU)
• Critical Care Evenings (all critical care areas)
• Neurosurgery
• Oncology/Hematology
• Pediatrics
• Substance Use Disorders
• Teaching Certificate (longitudinal) through The University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Any required learning experience may also be taken as an elective
• Opportunities to create new or off-site learning experiences around the resident’s interest (limited to 1 off-site learning experience per year)

PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Research Requirements

• Major Project (presented at Colorado Residency Conference)
• Medication Use Evaluation (presented at Vizient and ASHP Midyear poster sessions)

Attendance and participation in the following events:

• Vizient and ASHP Midyear poster session (December)
• ASHP Midyear residency showcase (December)
• Recruitment and interview process
• Regional residency conference (May/June)
• Participation and completion of the ASPIRE (A Structured Program to Guide Residents’ Experience in Research) program 
• LEAN training through the Organizational Development department at Denver Health

Application Information

Applicants must be a PharmD graduate or candidate for graduation of an Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) accredited degree program and licensed and in good standing, or eligible for licensure, in the state of Colorado by September 1st of the starting year. If not licensed by November 1st, the resident will be terminated from the program.

Denver Health participates in the ASHP National Matching System. Applications should be submitted electronically through PhORCAS. All materials must be received by December 27 to be considered for the residency program. Necessary application materials include:

• Letter of intent that helps us get to know you beyond your CV (maximum of 2 pages) highlighting the following:
  • Your goals and reason for doing a PGY1 Residency
  • Why you chose to apply for the Denver Health residency program
  • Your strengths and weakness at this point in career and how residency will help you develop and achieve your goals
• Three letters of reference using the PhORCAS Standardized Reference Template. Letter writers should be able to provide unique perspectives, therefore we request that each one be chosen based on their ability to satisfy the following requirements. If one writer is able to speak from two perspectives, they may be used for both, allowing you to choose a third writer of any relationship.
  • A preceptor able to speak to your clinical performance (i.e. clinical, problem solving, communication, and patient care skills)
  • An employer or someone able to speak to your skills as an employee (i.e. timeliness, customer service, teamwork, etc.)
  • A professional contact who has known you for over half of your pharmacy education who can speak to your character and performance over time
• Curriculum Vitae.
• Official college of pharmacy transcript (need not include the current fall semester if unavailable prior to the application deadline).

All completed applications will be reviewed by the Residency Advisory Committee to determine which candidates will be invited for an interview.

Resident applicants are responsible for submitting all required materials online through PhORCAS.

ASHP Code: 82101
NMS#: 134213