The purpose of the PGY1 Pharmacy at Los Angeles General Outpatient Clinics residency program at the University of Southern California Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences is to build on the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and outcomes to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists in the ambulatory care setting who are 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.
This program provides residents with comprehensive pharmacy practice training and focused experience in a variety of ambulatory care settings and prepares residents to:
- Implement or advance outpatient comprehensive medication management programs in any setting including community/safety net clinics, government-run healthcare organizations, outpatient pharmacies, hospital-based clinics, remote telehealth programs, accountable care organizations, and health-maintenance organizations by aligning organization needs with appropriate clinical pharmacy services and resources.
- Serve as an adjunct professor in a school of pharmacy and progress towards joining the faculty of a school of pharmacy. Completion of this residency program will result in the development of skills in clinical practice, teaching (including a teaching certificate), and research, all of which are key elements of university employment.
- Enter a PGY2 Residency Program or fellowship program to continue developing skills and knowledge necessary for specialty practice and related expertise.
Additionally, residents will learn to manage care transitions between inpatient and outpatient, while providing therapeutic recommendations to interdisciplinary teams in inpatient internal medicine service.
Graduates of the program have pursued careers in a broad variety of organizations including safety net clinics, government health care systems, community hospitals, teaching medical centers, private physician practice groups, managed care organizations, health-maintenance organizations, accountable care organizations, pharmaceutical industry, and academia.
Practice Settings
Chronic disease management training is acquired in a variety of unique training sites including: (1) Edward R. Roybal Comprehensive Health Center (ERRCHC), (2) Keck Medical Center of USC Internal Medicine Clinic, (3) Los Angeles County (LAC) Primary Care Clinic, Endocrine Specialty Clinic, Heart Failure Clinic, Geriatric Clinic, Addiction Medicine Clinic, Pharmacy, and Internal Medicine Inpatient Unit, (4) QueensCare Family Clinics (safety net), (5) Los Angeles County (LAC) Maternal Child and Adolescent/Adult Center (MCA) for Infectious Diseases and Virology, (6) Los Angeles County (LAC) Adult Outpatient Psychiatric Clinic, and (7) UCI Senior Health Center at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) Medical Center. These sites expose residents to the challenges of managing high-risk patients with a complex set of chronic conditions, including mental health. Residents will gain experience managing a broad range of chronic conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, asthma / COPD, heart failure, anticoagulation, infectious diseases including HIV, pain management, psychiatric conditions, and substance use disorders.
Additional emphasis is placed on managing chronic illnesses for patients who cannot afford to pay for medical services or medication. Residents will learn to overcome challenging socioeconomic and cultural barriers. Our safety net clinics have been recognized by 3 national organizations for clinical pharmacy practice excellence (ASHP, APhA, AACP). Our program developed a tool that is being used nationally by healthcare organizations to track medication therapy interventions and describe the medication-related problems (including medication safety issues) identified and resolved by pharmacists. Residents in this program are consistently involved in the development and enhancement of clinical pharmacy services in new and established practice settings. Each year brings new opportunities for growth and practice expansion.
Required Learning Experiences
Clinical Learning Experiences
All residents in this program will rotate through various sites within the Los Angeles General Medical Center, including primary care east clinic, pharmacy management, endocrine specialty clinic, Heart Failure clinic, Geriatric clinic, Addiction Medicine clinic, and MCA HIV clinic. All residents will also rotate at Keck ambulatory care pharmacy services clinic, which will consist mainly of patient populations with complex medical conditions requiring specialists and in a high socioeconomic status. . Each clinical rotation is scheduled 1 to 4 days per week for 13 to 26 weeks, depending on the availability of clinics and individual resident’s schedule.
Teaching Learning Experiences
All residents in the program participate in teaching and educational activities every Thursday of the week for the entire residency year. These activities include:
- Assisting faculty mentors with course coordination
- Providing didactic lectures and conducting small group discussions for undergraduate and pharmacy students
- Serving as a preceptor, role model, and discussion leader for students during IPPEs and APPEs
In addition, a teaching certificate is offered which requires specific teaching activities and evaluation of these activities. The teaching certificate offered by USC is consistent with national pharmacy education standards.
Resident Training Seminars
Residents in the USC programs receive expert training on a variety of important topics through weekly residency seminars on Thursdays. These seminars include:
- Instruction on being an effective teacher and small group discussion leader
- Research design and methodology, including presentation skills
- Updates on recently approved medications or therapeutic controversies
- Overview of healthcare reform initiatives and legislation and the impact of clinical pharmacy practice
Research Learning Experiences
Research classes and seminars are provided to residents to assist them in developing high-quality clinical research projects. Residents and preceptors collaborate on the selection and development of their research projects. During the year, residents are required to:
- Complete a residency project
- Present the project’s findings at one of the national pharmacy conference (ASHP midyear or Summer meeting, APhA, CSHP, ACCP) and Western States Conference
- Submit a manuscript suitable for publication prior to the end of the residency
Elective Learning Experiences
Elective learning experiences are available both within USC and its affiliates. The included sites are as follows: Los Angeles General Medical Center Adult Outpatient Psychiatric Clinic, Roybal Community Health Clinic, Keck Pain Clinic, Keck Travel Clinic, QueensCare Health Centers, and UCI Senior Health Center. Some of these elective learning experiences are embedded in the resident’s schedule based on the individual’s interest. Others that are not already included in the resident’s schedule can be added for 6 weeks in the latter half of the residency program up to 2 times.