PGY1 Pharmacy Residency in the Acute Care setting (92350)
Program Purpose
The PGY1 pharmacy residency program (Program 92350) takes place in the acute care setting and is designed to build upon Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and outcomes to develop pharmacist practitioners with knowledge, skills, and abilities as defined in the educational competency areas, goals, and objectives. Residents who successfully complete PGY1 residency programs will be skilled in diverse patient care, practice management, leadership, and education, and be prepared to provide patient care, seek board certification in pharmacotherapy (i.e., BCPS), and pursue advanced education and training opportunities including postgraduate year two (PGY2) residencies.
Program Description
The PGY1 Pharmacy residency (Program 92350) is an accredited and comprehensive 12-month post-graduate training experience that takes place in the acute care setting. PGY1 residents will gain advanced knowledge and hands-on experience in managing acutely ill patients across a variety of settings, including emergency medicine, intensive care units (ICU), oncology, transplant, cardiology, trauma, infectious diseases, and other acute care specialties. The bulk of the training takes place at our Hillcrest and La Jolla campuses. The residency program emphasizes the development of clinical decision-making skills, inpatient pharmacy operations, research, precepting/teaching and leadership in pharmacy practice. Residents will work at the top of their license and be involved in direct patient care, medication management, patient education, drug therapy monitoring, and the implementation of evidence-based practices.
Resident Positions Available
12 new residents are accepted each year
Stipend
The current annual stipend is $79,344.
Beginning Date
Approximately July 1
Pharmacist Intern License
Matched residents must be licensed Pharmacist Interns in the State of California by the start of the residency program.
Pharmacist License
Matched residents must be licensed Pharmacists in the State of California within 120 days of the start of the residency program.
Application Deadline
January 2 of each calendar year
Virtual Showcase Date
11/10/2026, 5-7 p.m. PST
Interview Dates
Feb. 4, 11 (virtual); Feb. 5, 8 (in person)
Virtual Showcase
Please join us for our Virtual Showcase on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026, 5-7 p.m. PST to learn more about our program! The first 20-25 minutes will feature an overview of our program, followed by a Q&A session. During the Q&A, students can move between breakout rooms to connect with and ask questions of our preceptors, current residents and program director. We look forward to meeting you and sharing more about our program!
Zoom link: Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android
Application Procedure
Applicants must participate in the ASHP Match and apply using PhORCAS. Applications must include the following:
- A current Curriculum Vitae (CV) that includes all completed and anticipated experiential rotations, as well as the average number of hours worked per month in the pharmacy work experience section.
- Three electronic references, two of which must be from patient care rotation preceptors who can directly comment on your clinical practice skills.
- Official pharmacy school transcript
- In lieu of a letter of intent, please upload responses to the two supplemental questions below to your PhORCAS application (please upload directly to PhORCAS). Maximum 1,500-character limit per question, please.
- Why is UC San Diego Health a good choice for your post-graduate training?
- These are the UC San Diego Health Core Values: Caring, Creativity, Integrity, Teamwork and Quality. Choose one of our Core Values and describe a time when you demonstrated that characteristic and what you've learned from the experience.
Program Contact
Paricheh (Peach) Azimi, PharmD, BCPS
PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Director
pazimi@health.ucsd.edu
Christopher Smith
Residency Program Administrative Assistant
cjs002@health.ucsd.edu
Pharmacy Residency Manual
Refer to the manual for information on program structure, presentations, meetings, leadership roles and more. The manual is updated annually based on feedback from the previous year.