St. Joseph Medical Center PGY1 Residency Program

The St. Joseph Medical Center PGY1 acute care residency is an ASHP accredited program that has provided a robust practice-based experience since 1985. We strive to develop a foundation of critical thinking and leadership skills that will promote continuous professional development and innovation in health care. Our program affirms a dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion practices in an effort to improve health care for underserved and marginalized populations while enhancing our learning and professional work environments.

Learning experiences are available across four community hospitals and multiple clinics, allowing residents to experience diversity in practice settings and patient populations in order to build upon PharmD training. Our program fosters creation of a skill set to prepare residents for practice as clinicians in a variety of patient care, academic, and research settings, as well as eligibility for PGY2 residency training, fellowship, and board certification. The program recruits for five positions from candidates throughout the United States.

As integral members of the health care team, residents work to achieve optimal drug therapy outcomes for their patients. They will display leadership and professionalism in all aspects of their practice and function as effective communicators and educators.

Our residency program, based in a non-academic health care setting, has become a catalyst for innovative pharmacy practice models within Virginia Mason Franciscan Health and throughout Western Washington as a whole. In addition to the year-long residency research project, there are three required longitudinal, and eight required practice-based rotations designed to provide the resident with a well-rounded clinical and administrative experience. Within each rotation, additional time may be devoted to specific areas of interest, thus providing the opportunity for specialized training. Clinical rotations are designed to enhance the resident's expertise in promoting, assessing, and ensuring safe, efficacious, and rational drug therapy. Residents also have the opportunity to elect to complete a teaching certificate program.

Residents are supported by a robust set of preceptors in addition to the Residency Program Director (RPD) and Residency Program Coordinators (RPC). Beyond administration of the residency program, the RPD and RPCs meet weekly with residents to check in on clinical and professional progress, overall well-being, and regular discussions on topics such as leadership development, systemic health inequity, and identification of implicit bias in practice.