PGY2 Critical Care Pharmacy Residency Program

This one-year Postgraduate Year Two (PGY2) Critical Care Pharmacy Residency program at Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center is designed to further develop the skills to manage the medication needs of complex, critically ill patients. This 52-week residency program builds upon the resident’s PGY1 Pharmacy Residency and provides residents with opportunities to function independently as practitioners by becoming incrementally autonomous throughout 24 weeks spent in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) space.

As a Comprehensive Stroke Center, Level II Trauma Center and major referral center for the region, Avera McKennan offers a robust and diverse clinical environment, with a 28-bed mixed medical and surgical ICU and a 16-bed Neurocritical Care Unit (NCCU). Residents will spend time in each unit and be required to manage a wide variety of disease states and critical situations.

Required rotations in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Emergency Medicine help residents develop into well-rounded practitioners. Upon completing the program, residents will be prepared and qualified to pursue board certification in critical care (BCCCP) and a clinical pharmacist position within critical care.

Early commitment to the PGY2 Critical Care Residency may be an option for those completing a PGY1 Pharmacy Residency at Avera McKennan. Want to learn more? Complete this brief form to request more information.

Residency Program Details

Program Code

ASHP Program Code: 67102 | MS Code: 615452

Program Requirements

  • Marking of at least 90% of all required goals and objectives as “Achieved for the residency” as documented in Pharmacademic
  • Fulfill 90% of staffing requirements
    • One four-hour evening shift every two weeks throughout the residency year
    • Weekend staffing every third weekend through the residency year
  • Satisfactory progress on completion of all additional program requirements and documentation of deliverables in resident portfolio including:
    • Research project
    • Written continuing education project
    • Medication use evaluation/quality improvement project
    • Formulary review
    • Two journal club presentations
    • Two Pharmacy Grand Rounds presentations
    • South Dakota State University College of Pharmacy Lecture
    • All required topic discussions

Program Goals

Producing critical care pharmacists who excel in patient care, leadership, and scholarly activities by providing opportunities to:

  • Deliver comprehensive medication management to critically ill patients
  • Demonstrate leadership in medication-use processes
  • Develop clinical and operational management skills
  • Conduct quality improvement/research
  • Enhance teaching and learning

Learning Experiences

Required Learning Experiences

  • Orientation (2-4 weeks)
  • Adult Critical Care 1 (6 weeks)
  • Adult Critical Care 2 (6 weeks)
  • Adult Critical Care 3 (6 weeks)
  • Adult Critical Care 4 (6 weeks)
  • Emergency Medicine (6 weeks)
  • Pediatric Intensive Care/Neonatal Intensive Care (6 weeks)

Elective (typically 4-6 weeks in length)

  • Infectious Disease
  • Cardiology
  • Toxicology
  • Emergency Medicine II
  • Palliative Care/Hospice
  • Pain Management
  • Pulmonology
  • Nephrology
  • Other specialty electives as available/requested

Longitudinal Experiences

  • Code Blue coverage
  • Evening and weekend staffing
    • One four-hour evening shift every other week
    • Every third weekend
  • Research project
  • Written CE project
  • Practice Advancement
    • Medication Use Evaluation
    • Formulary Review
    • Attendance of practice advancement committees
      • Critical Care Committee
      • ED/ICU/Evening Decentralized team
      • P&T (when presenting agenda items)
  • Development of Presentation, Teaching and Precepting
    • South Dakota State University Lecture
    • Pharmacy Grand Rounds (2)
    • Journal Clubs (2)
    • Teaching Certificate (if not previously completed)
    • Mentoring/precepting of APPE students and PGY1 residents
  • Certifications
    • ACLS (required)
    • PALS (optional)
    • ENLS (optional)

Residency Application Process

Candidate Qualifications

  • Doctor of Pharmacy degree from an Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) accredited degree program
  • Pharmacist licensure in the state of South Dakota within 90 days of program start
  • Completion of an ASHP-accredited PGY1 Pharmacy Residency
  • Adherence to the rules of the ASHP Match

Apply on PhORCAS

Candidates must complete an application through the Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service (PhORCAS) and register for the ASHP Matching program handled by National Matching Services, Inc.

Required application materials:

  • Official pharmacy school transcripts (undergraduate or non-pharmacy transcripts are not required.)
  • Three professional references using the Standardized Reference Template on PhORCAS
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Letter of intent describing reasons for seeking residency

Submit Application

Contact Us

Complete this brief form to inquire about our pharmacy residency programs. For more information, contact:

PGY2 Critical Care Residency Program Director
Kari Taggart, PharmD., BCCCP
Email: kari.taggart@avera.org