Pharmacy Residency Programs

Group picture of 2024-2025 pharmacy residents

Since 1970, UAB has offered an ASHP-accredited (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists) PGY1 residency in pharmacy practice. Fifty-two weeks long, the program inspires, builds confidence, and prepares pharmacists for the challenging world of modern medicine. The comprehensive program includes orientation, required rotations, elective rotations, practice coverage, and a residency project.

We also offer a variety of specialized training opportunities in our PGY2 program, including residencies in ambulatory care, critical care, infectious diseases, oncology, and solid organ transplant. Each is a one-year program that provides our residents intensive real-world experience under the leadership of some of the top professionals in their fields.

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PGY1 Pharmacy Residency

PGY2 Oncology Residency

PGY2 Critical Care Residency

PGY2 Solid Organ Transplant Residency

PGY2 Infectious Diseases Residency

PGY2 Ambulatory Care Residency

General Pharmacy Residency Information

Application Process

The applicant must possess a Pharm.D. degree from an ACPE accredited college or school of pharmacy and be eligible for licensure in Alabama. All PGY2 applicants must have completed (or be a current resident in) an ASHP-accredited PGY1 Residency Program. The deadline to submit application components through the Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application System (PhORCAS) is January 2nd. The required components of the application include:

  • Letter of intent – A one-page letter stating future career goals and explaining how the UAB Pharmacy Residency Program can help with the achievement of these goals
  • 3 references (PhORCAS forms required, letters optional)
    • At least two of these should be direct patient care rotation preceptors
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Pharmacy school transcript
  • Please contact the Manager of Residency Programs, Alexandra James, PharmD, BCPS, for more information.
Salary and Benefits

PGY1 & PGY2 Pharmacy Residents enjoy a highly competitive salary and benefit’s package. The Department of Pharmacy at UAB strives to maintain pay programs and benefit structures that attract and reward the best talent in the pharmacy profession.

PGY1 Salary and Benefits

  • Time off around the holidays
  • Health and accident Insurance
  • Support to attend residency related professional conferences
  • $50,000

PGY2 Salary and Benefits

  • Time off around the holidays
  • Health and accident Insurance
  • Support to attend residency related professional conferences
  • $55,000
Frequently Asked Questions

Are residents assigned a mentor or advisor?

PGY1 & PGY2 residents are assigned a pharmacy director or manager who will act as the resident’s advisor during the year. Residents use advisors as sources of guidance, advice, and support.

Are residents involved in committees?

The residents attend and participate in meetings throughout the year. This provides residents the opportunity to witness how pharmacy personnel and leadership are involved in decision making processes throughout the hospital.

Does UAB Hospital provide funding for national and regional pharmacy meetings?

Financial support for conference attendance and travel by residents is subject to approval based on the budget limits of the department.

Does UAB have a teaching certificate program?

Yes. The Teaching Certificate Program is a longitudinal requirement for the PGY1 residents and is optional for PGY2 residents. This program consists of numerous teaching requirements that the resident will complete throughout the year. Teaching activities will include development of CPE programs, a formal lecture, journal clubs, inservices, student pharmacotherapy rounds, and co-precepting responsibilities. Additional requirements include the development of a teaching portfolio & teaching philosophy, attendance of pedagogy seminars, and laboratory or simulation teaching opportunities.

How are vacation days scheduled?

Residents have 120 hours (15 days) of personal time off that must be coordinated with the preceptor and approved by the Residency Program Director and/or Residency Program Coordinator. In addition, there is time around the holidays and professional conferences that residents will be assigned off. Time off from the residency program must not exceed maximum time as defined per ASHP Standards.

What does orientation include?

During the first four to six weeks of the program, the resident will complete orientation within the Department of Pharmacy. The Orientation is designed to involve the resident in many aspects of practice to build a foundation for the residency year. The general objective of this time period is for the resident to gain an overview of the pharmacy support units, a thorough knowledge of procedures in the central area to which he or she is assigned, including use of the Automated Medication Management System, and a unit pharmacist security clearance code for the IMPACT/Cerner system. Orientation activities will include the same didactic and area training that all new pharmacist hires receive. In addition, during the orientation period residents will be oriented to resident responsibilities and policies governing the residency. The initial customized training plan and resident schedule will also be completed during this time.

What is the staffing/practice coverage requirement?

Once orientation is completed, PGY1 and PGY2 residents are responsible for practice coverage as outlined by the respective program (i.e. weekend shift, evening shift, other). Residents provide practice coverage with both staffing and clinical responsibilities. Residents are also responsible for practice coverage during the following times: Thanksgiving Day and the day after and one week around the Christmas or New Year holidays.

What projects are residents involved with?

Residents are involved with numerous projects throughout the year while on rotations. Two longitudinal projects that all PGY1 and PGY2 residents are responsible for include one Medication Utilization Evaluation (MUE) and one Major Project.

Medication Use Evaluation (MUE) – The Department of Pharmacy, in conjunction with the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, develops and monitors the Hospital’s therapeutic policies and practices, particularly with regard to drug utilization within the institution. Each resident participates in this quality assurance activity by performing a medication-use evaluation (MUE) as a longitudinal activity.

Major Project – Early in the residency year, residents are presented with a list of potential topics from which the resident can choose his or her Major Project. Based on the topic, the resident is assigned a pharmacist who will act as the resident’s Project Director. The major project is presented at a state, regional or national professional conference.

Contact UAB Pharmacy Residency

Headshot of Alexandra James

Alexandra James, PharmD, BCPS
Manager, Residency Programs and Student Training
JT 1745, 619 19th Street South
Birmingham, AL 35249
205-934-3603

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