PGY2 Oncology Pharmacy Residency

Program Overview Oncology

• Orientation/training: 2-4 weeks (duration determined by the resident’s previous work experience)
• Core rotations: Inpatient Oncology – 2 months; Inpatient Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant/Malignant Hematology – 2 months; Outpatient Infusion Center – 1 month; Outpatient Clinics – 3 months
• Electives: Choose 2 – Outpatient Cancer Center Retail Pharmacy, Pain & Palliative Care, Investigational Drug Service, Infectious Disease, Cancer Center Administration (1 month each elective; may repeat any of the core rotations)
• Staffing: 16 weekends throughout the year including 1 minor holiday and 1 major holiday, possible weekday staffing based on rotation
• Research project and publication (may get 2-4 weeks research time – schedule permitting)

Teaching is a large component of our program. PGY2 residents will have many opportunities to precept/teach and their training will include learning how to incorporate teaching into their clinical responsibilities. UC San Diego is a teaching institution affiliated with UCSD Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SSPPS) and UCSD School of Medicine. The PGY2 resident will have multiple opportunities to precept 4th year SSPPS pharmacy students and PGY1 pharmacy practice residents, as well as to work with UCSD physician interns, residents and fellows on most, if not all, rotations. In addition, the resident will be asked to give many educational lectures to their colleagues throughout their residency year.

Grand Rounds: The resident will deliver a 1-hour CE lecture to the pharmacy staff regarding a topic in oncology. Allied health professionals are welcome to attend. Presentations are accredited for continuing education through California Accreditation for Pharmacy Education (CAPE).

BCOP Lecture Series: Residents are required to present 2-4 lectures (45 minutes in length) on various topics relevant to the material covered in the Board Certification in Oncology (BCOP) exam. These lectures will be presented monthly by the Oncology PGY2s and fellows in the San Diego area. This lecture series is meant to encourage the PGY2s/fellows to begin preparation to take the BCOP exam when they are eligible and allow them to network with other oncology specialists in the area.

Journal Clubs: The resident will present oncology related journal clubs to the pharmacy staff/students 4 times throughout the year or as assigned.

Skagg’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences: Involvement with UCSD’s School of Pharmacy will vary. The resident will act as a conference leader for the 3rd year therapeutics course in which the oncology topics are covered. The resident may be asked to give a lecture, write cases for this therapeutics course, or prepare exam questions based on the lectures presented. Residents will also have multiple opportunities to directly precept 4th year pharmacy students who are currently on rotation with them.

PGY2 residents have the option of participating in the San Diego Pharmacy Residency Leaders (SDPRL) Teaching Certificate Program which includes a seminar series with residents from other county-wide residency programs. Seminar topics will focus on teaching and preceptor development. Alternatively, residents may select certain seminars to attend based on their interest areas.

The resident will be involved in 2 research projects throughout the academic year. In order to facilitate approval from our Investigational Review Board (IRB) the major project will be started for the incoming resident by the outgoing resident (ie IRB submission completed except background section which is the responsibility of incoming resident) then the resident will complete data collection, analysis, and presentation of results. The minor project will be chosen toward the end of the year by the newly matched resident then the current resident will complete the IRB submission. This process allows the resident to see all aspects of the research experience while minimizing delays during the IRB approval process – giving the resident more time for data collection/analysis. The major project will be presented at Western States Conference, a national oncology organization meeting or an equivalent conference and written up in manuscript form. A list of project ideas will be generated from the preceptors and the resident is expected to select a project prior to starting the program.

Publication: The resident will be required to write a manuscript suitable for publication by the end of their residency year. The purpose of this requirement will be the development of scientific writing and communication skills. The types of publishable literature can include any of the following types of manuscripts:

• Case reports with a review of the literature
• Primary research /original research
• Medication Use Evaluation
• Meta-analysis of a disease state or therapy
• Review article

The residents will have the opportunity to attend various professional meetings throughout the year. Residents receive an annual travel stipend that is variable based on available funding. In the past, residents have received a set stipend for the year which they can use at their discretion for registration, travel, accommodations, etc. Any costs that exceed the travel stipend will be the responsibility of the resident. Residents are encouraged to attend a specialty meeting (e.g. Hematology/Oncology Pharmacists Association (HOPA)). Attendance at conference to present their research is mandatory.