Pharmacy Critical Care Residency Program

PGY2 pharmacy residency programs build on doctor of pharmacy (Pharm.D.) education and PGY1 pharmacy residency programs to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists in advanced or specialized practice. PGY2 residencies provide residents with opportunities to function independently as practitioners by conceptualizing and integrating accumulated experience and knowledge and incorporating both into the provision of patient care that improves medication therapy. Residents who successfully complete an accredited PGY2 pharmacy residency should possess competencies that qualify them for clinical pharmacist and/or faculty positions and position them to be eligible for attainment of board certification in that practice area (when board certification for the practice area exists).

This residency provides a well-rounded experience in both the medical and surgical critical care populations. A number of core and elective rotations strengthen the resident’s critical care fundamentals as well as providing flexibility to meet the individual's needs. The program is designed to transition PGY1 residency graduates from general pharmacy practice to specialized practice that meets the needs of critically ill patients by developing the resident's clinical expertise in critical care. It also provides additional opportunities for teaching, research, quality improvement, and professional writing.

Training focuses on developing resident capability to deal with a range of diseases and disorders that occur in the critically ill. Special emphasis is placed on the complexities of multiple organ system failure and the difficulties imposed on care when patients require life-sustaining equipment.

At residency completion, PGY-2 graduates exit equipped to be fully integrated members of the interdisciplinary critical care team, able to make complex medication recommendations in the acute environment of the critically ill patient population. Graduates of the critical care residency are also experienced in short-term research in the critical care environment and excel in their ability to teach other health care professionals. They also acquire the experience necessary to exercise leadership for critical care practice in the health system.

The goal of the program is to develop independent pharmacy practitioners to become integral members of the critical care multidisciplinary team.

The resident must meet the following requirements for employment at Corewell Health as the PGY-2 critical care resident:

• Licensed pharmacist or eligible for licensure in the State of Michigan (including controlled substance license)
• Successful completion of a PGY-1 ASHP accredited residency

• Active participation and support of residency recruitment activities
• Complete the residency research project and initiate the incoming resident research project
• Complete two (2) presentations for pharmacy noon conferences
• Complete one (1) medication use evaluation and present the findings
• Complete four (4) journal club presentations
• Complete one (1) pharmacy grand rounds presentation
• Complete four (4) formal presentations
• Present one (1) CE to pharmacy staff (extended residency project and/or another of resident’s choosing)
• Update and maintain residency binder on Sharepoint and complete resident development plan on a quarterly basis
• Consistent documentation of interventions (IVents, QSRs)
• Complete weekend service requirements
• Complete one major and one minor holiday service requirement
• Participate in the pharmacy on-call service
• Support the precepting of doctor of pharmacy students and PGY-1 pharmacy residents
• Present the residency project at a regional pharmacy residency conference
• Approval by the research committee of final manuscript for residency project
• Submission of an acceptable manuscript to a peer reviewed journal
• Achievement of 90% of the objectives for the required goals and have no educational objectives remaining in which the last assessment was recorded as needs improvement

Coverage includes medical, dental, vision, prescription drug, life and disability insurance.

• Library access
• Photocopying
• Resident office with individual work station
• Shared personal computer access
• Pharmacy continuing education
• Free parking
• Friend at work program

Approved travel to conferences is at the discretion of the organization. Previously attended conferences included ASHP midyear clinical meeting and a regional pharmacy residency conference. If travel is approved, paid expenses (hotel, registration, meals, transportation) will typically be approved up to $3,000 annually. If total expenses are expected to exceed $3,000, approval will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

The anticipated salary for incoming PGY2 residents is approximately $61,000/year.

Residents will accrue paid time off (PTO) throughout the year. Residents can take 2 weeks of vacation throughout the year however no more than 5 days per any one rotation can be taken. Vacation time requires prior approval and must be taken before June 15th. PTO time cannot be used for weekend staffing shifts.  Residents will work one major holiday (Christmas Day or Thanksgiving) and one minor holiday (Memorial Day or New Year's Eve).

Orientation will take place during the month of July. The resident will spend time orienting to Corewell Health System and the department of pharmacy. Time will be spent with both pharmacy staff and specialists. The resident will be provided training in the use of the department’s computer system (EPIC), staffing on 6CN satellite, the dosing service, and other duties necessary to function as a pharmacist and a resident within the department.

The medical critical care rotation is a required learning experience for the critical care resident. This rotation is completed on the medical intensive care unit, and at least two MICU rotations are required for the critical care resident during the residency year. The overall goal of this rotation is to develop the resident’s skills in identifying and resolving drug-related problems in the critically ill using evidence-based primary literature in the area of critical care therapeutics. The resident will become the lead pharmacist on the medical intensive care unit team, and will assume all responsibilities of the rounding pharmacist. Residents may be involved in precepting doctor of pharmacy students, baccalaureate pharmacy students, or pharmacy practice residents.  

This surgical critical care rotation is one of three possible rotations available to meet the required two SICU rotations during the residency year. The rotation focuses on providing pharmaceutical care to the patients on 3 East, a 20-bed unit caring for patients from a variety of surgery services including: transplant surgery, general surgery, vascular surgery, thoracic surgery and others.  All patients undergoing renal & hepatic transplants are cared for on this unit post-operatively. The resident will participate in daily multidisciplinary rounds and will identify and resolve actual and potential drug related problems in the SICU. The resident will be responsible for all pharmacokinetic dosing and precepting graduate pharmacy students or PGY-1 residents if applicable.  During the month, the resident will meet with the preceptor as needed to discuss patient cases, interventions, and therapeutic topics. The rotation allows the resident to promote adherence to institution-developed guidelines, pathways and algorithms for a variety of disease states and drugs. The resident will present one case presentation or topic discussion to the pharmacy staff as well as one inservice to the surgical residents.

This cardiac critical care rotation is an elective rotation for the PGY2 critical care resident. The rotation focuses on providing pharmaceutical care to the patients on 6 East, a 20-bed intensive care unit caring for patients with a variety of cardiovascular disease states.  Some of the most common admission diagnoses include: acute decompensated heart failure, acute coronary syndrome (ACS), cardiogenic shock, and various arrhythmias. The resident will participate in daily multidisciplinary rounds and work closely with the medical team to identify and resolve actual and potential drug-related problems in the CICU.  The resident will also be responsible for pharmacokinetic dosing and precepting of pharmacy students or PGY-1 residents, if applicable, and will meet with the preceptor regularly to discuss patient cases, interventions, and therapeutic topics. One case presentation or topic discussion to the pharmacy staff and at least one in-service to the medical team will be completed by the resident prior to rotation completion.

This surgical critical care rotation is one of three possible rotations available to meet the required two SICU rotations during the residency year. The rotation focuses on providing pharmaceutical care to the patients on 2 East, a 20-bed unit caring for patients from a variety of surgery services including: cardiothoracic surgery, general surgery, vascular surgery, thoracic surgery, and others. All cardiothoracic surgery patients are cared for peri-operatively on this unit. The resident will participate in daily multidisciplinary rounds and will identify and resolve actual and potential drug-related problems in the SICU. The resident will be responsible for all pharmacokinetic dosing and precepting graduate pharmacy students or PGY-1 residents if applicable. During the month, the resident will meet with the preceptor as needed to discuss patient cases, interventions and therapeutic topics. The rotation allows the resident to promote adherence to institution-developed guidelines, pathways, and algorithms for a variety of disease states and drugs. The resident will present one case presentation or topic discussion to the pharmacy staff as well as one in-service to the surgical residents.

This surgical critical care rotation is one of three possible rotations available to meet the required two SICU rotations during the residency year. The rotation focuses on providing pharmaceutical care to the patients on 5 East, a 20-bed unit caring for patients from a variety of surgery services including: neurosurgery, trauma surgery, general surgery, vascular surgery, thoracic surgery, and others. All major trauma and neurologic injury patients are cared for peri-operatively on this unit. The resident will participate in daily multidisciplinary rounds and will identify and resolve actual and potential drug-related problems in the SICU. The resident will be responsible for all pharmacokinetic dosing and precepting graduate pharmacy students or PGY-1 residents if applicable. During the month, the resident will meet with the preceptor as needed to discuss patient cases, interventions, and therapeutic topics. The rotation allows the resident to promote adherence to institution-developed guidelines, pathways, and algorithms for a variety of disease states and drugs. The resident will present one case presentation or topic discussion to the pharmacy staff as well as one in-service to the surgical residents.

The residency project research month is a mandatory learning experience for the PGY-2 resident and is usually completed during the month of December. The main goals of the residency research project are to provide the resident with experience in 1) conducting a complete research project, 2) giving a presentation at a regional pharmacy conference, and 3) preparing a manuscript for submission to a professional journal. Projects at Corewell Health Hospital, Royal Oak are chosen for their 1) relevance to the current practice of pharmacy, 2) ability to be completed during the residency year, and 3) impact on patient care. The resident will not only experience the process of project development, implementation, and analysis but to also see that all their hard work will be utilized to further patient care and/or advance the provision of pharmaceutical services.

Infectious diseases rotation is an elective learning experience for the PGY-2 resident, and will be rounding with the ID team providing recommendations that ensure safe and effective use of antimicrobials. The resident will be responsible for identifying and resolving drug related problems in the patients assigned to them. They will also become familiar with key articles in the infectious diseases literature and use primary literature to support their desired interventions when appropriate. Residents completing the rotation will have the understanding of microbiology, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of antimicrobial therapy. Residents will also be expected to demonstrate excellent communication skills with the medical team and the pharmacy staff, and may have an active role in precepting doctor of pharmacy students concurrently on the ID rotation.

The nutrition support rotation is a required learning experience for the PGY-2 resident. The Nutrition Support Service (NSS) is a multi-disciplinary team of nurses, pharmacists, and physicians responsible for monitoring all adult total parenteral nutrition (TPN) patients which consists of a significant subset of surgical ICU patients. The PGY-2 resident will be the lead pharmacist responsible for ensuring optimized nutrition therapy by promoting safe and cost-effective use of parenteral and enteral nutrition and to minimize inherent complications. The resident will round with a member of the NSS team on a daily basis and attend formal rounds with the attending physician twice weekly. Residents may be involved in precepting doctor of pharmacy students, pharmacy practice residents, and dietetic interns.  

Transplant is a required learning experience for the PGY-2 resident. The multidisciplinary transplant team consists of a nurse practitioner, surgical residents, attending nephrologists, hepatologists, and surgeons, as well as inpatient and outpatient nurses. The pharmacy resident will work with the team to identify and resolve medication-related issues in patients with end-stage renal or hepatic disease and those with a history of a solid organ transplant. The resident will also assist in transitioning new transplant recipients to the outpatient clinic by providing medication-related counseling. In addition to daily laboratory value monitoring, chart reviews, and participation in team rounds, the resident will also conduct topic discussions, deliver case presentations, and perform educational reviews for the team. Additionally, the resident may gain teaching experience by co-precepting doctor of pharmacy students and/or PGY-1 residents.

The academics rotation is an elective learning experience for PGY-2 residents. Residents will spend their time between Corewell Health Hospital and the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (EACPHS) located in Detroit, MI. The rotation is structured to provide residents with insight into academia as a potential career path. Residents will gain an understanding of the different philosophies of teaching and pedagogy, the different types of faculty positions, the infrastructure of an academic program/college, and challenges facing academia. The preceptor will meet with residents prior to the rotation in order to gauge resident interest in different opportunities which may be available. The rotation activities list will be individualized and finalized after this meeting occurs. The resident must devise efficient strategies for accomplishing the required activities. When there is a doctor of pharmacy student on the rotation concurrently, the resident will have an active role in precepting the student and facilitate the topic discussions prepared by the student. 

Pediatric ICU is an elective patient care rotation for the PGY-2 resident. During this rotation the resident will be expected to be involved in all aspects of pharmacotherapy and to provide direct patient care for selected patients in the pediatric intensive care unit. The resident will work with the medical team to identify, present, and resolve medication therapy issues in the pediatric critical care setting. In addition, the PGY-2 resident will also be required to understand the operations within the pediatric pharmacy satellite, precept any pharmacy students on rotation, and provide education to pediatric pharmacy staff, pediatric ICU nursing staff, and the medical team. The resident may be asked to also complete a pediatrics/pediatric ICU related project during this rotation.

The neonatal ICU rotation is an elective patient care rotation for the PGY-2 resident. The resident will be involved in all aspects of pharmacotherapy and provide direct patient care for infants on the medical resident service in the neonatal intensive care unit. The resident will assume responsibilities of the rounding pharmacist and work with the medical team to identify, present, and resolve medication therapy issues for neonatal patients. In addition, the PGY-2 resident will also be required to understand the operations within the pediatric pharmacy satellite with regards to verifying and dispensing medications for neonatal patients as well as to provide education to the medical resident team and medical students.

The medication safety rotation is longitudinal learning experience for the PGY-2 resident. This rotation will provide residents the opportunity to gain experience with evaluation of both internally- and externally-identified sources of actual or potential medication safety concerns, action plan development, and implementation of system safety measures where applicable. There will be topic discussions throughout the year based on assigned readings, for which the resident is expected to be well-prepared. Residents may be actively involved in the monthly medication safety committee meeting throughout the year.

Gabrielle Tschannen, PharmD

Dr. Tschannen is from Brighton, Michigan. She earned both her undergraduate and doctor of pharmacy degrees from Northeastern University. She completed her PGY1 training at Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital. Her professional interests include critical care and emergency medicine, with specific topics of interest including shock states, cardiology, trauma, neurological disorders, and toxicology. Outside of pharmacy, Gabi enjoys spending time with her family and friends, playing/watching sports, reading, and going on long walks with her dog, Lou. 

One

July 1

A critical care PGY-2 residency was first offered in 2011. The program achieved accreditation status in 2012.  

Orientation, medical intensive care unit (x2), surgical intensive care unit (x2), research, emergency department, nutrition support, transplant

Medical ICU, general / transplant SICU, cardiovascular SICU, neurological / trauma SICU, infectious diseases, nutrition, transplant, burn unit (off-site), academics, pediatric ICU, neonatal ICU, cardiac ICU

The PGY-2 critical care residency has 4 competency areas 8 goals and 33 required objectives which are evaluated throughout the year. Each rotation evaluates a number of the program objectives. At the end of each rotation residents receive a summative evaluation from their preceptor. Residents maintain a grid of their accomplishment on program goals throughout the year. Residents also receive a quarterly evaluation which focuses on the longitudinal goals of the program as well as consensus feedback from their rotation preceptors during that quarter. Residents must complete program goals and all longitudinal requirements to be eligible for a residency certificate at the end of the year.

Residents will be expected to play an active role in precepting doctor of pharmacy students and PGY-1 residents who are scheduled on rotation with them. Corewell Health receives students from a number of different colleges of pharmacy.

There is an opportunity for residents to provide a didactic lecture at the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, Wayne State University if the resident has such an interest.

The PGY-2 resident will participate in presenting at Tuesday/Thursday noon conference for pharmacy staff periodically throughout the year. Residents also provide 2 continuing education lectures to the department and one pharmacy grand rounds.

Residents interested in teaching can select the academic rotation as an elective. Residents have an opportunity to participate in a teaching certificate program offered in conjunction with Wayne State University.

Yes. The residents attend the ASHP midyear clinical meeting in December, as well as the Great Lakes Pharmacy Residency Conference in the spring. There is also a possibility for the resident to attend The Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) Congress meeting to present a clinical research poster.

Yes. Residents are provided with a resident's office with available computers.

Yes, there is an opportunity for burn ICU in Southeastern Michigan.

The resident must meet the following requirements for employment at Corewell Health as the PGY-2 critical care resident:

• Licensed pharmacist or eligible for licensure in the State of Michigan (including controlled substance license)
• Successful completion of a PGY-1 ASHP accredited residency

Tips for licensure

1. Application materials:

• Make yourself very familiar with the Michigan Board of Pharmacy website. Many questions will be answered in the "licensing information and frequently asked questions" sections
• Don't be afraid to call the board, at 517-335-0918, with any questions you have about how to's and what's required for the applications
• The board will send you a customer number where you can check online for the status of your application

2. Registering for exams:

• Register and pay for the MPJE online thru the NAPB
• As soon as you get your ATT, schedule the exam! It doesn't matter if you feel ready for them at that point, schedule it anyway. They can be changed later on, but this gives you a definite time frame to work with
• If you plan to change a set testing date, it must be done at least two days before test date by noon on that day
• Depending on when you take your exams, it will be a minimum of 7 - 10 days before your exam results will be mailed to you

3. MPJE study guide:

Per MI board pharmacy, this is what you need to study in terms of state law:

• All of administrative rules
• Three sections of the Public Health Code: Article 7 Controlled Substances, Article 15 Part 161 General Provisions, and Article 15 Part 177 Pharmacy Practice and Drug Control. You can print these out or call the Board and request copies be sent to you.

4. Other helpful sources/sites:

• Pharmacist Manual at DEA website
• Website/text by law professor at Wayne State: Jesse Vivian, JD. If you purchase the text book through MPA, make sure you compare text with current regulations as things may have changed; particularly in regards to controlled substances and electronic prescribing. These updates may be available on his website too.
• Law review conducted by Michigan Pharmacists Association

We recommend the following websites:

• Oakland County
• Pure Michigan - Michigan's Official Travel and Tourism Site
• City of Royal Oak
• Downtown Royal Oak

Located in the quaint city of Royal Oak, Michigan in Oakland County. A few miles to the north is the city of Birmingham, known for its upscale shopping, luxurious homes, and its downtown area, which is considered by some as "the place to be seen." To the west is the city of Southfield. Suburban Southfield is considered a commercial center for the metropolitan Detroit area, has a nationally recognized school district, and 700 acres of parkland. East of Royal Oak, you will find the city of Madison Heights, a large residential area of single family homes and condominiums. To the south is Detroit metropolitan, one of the largest cities in the U.S., with performing arts and entertainment, sports, food, and historical districts.

When looking for a place to live, here are some tips to follow:

• Use internet websites such as those listed below to find apartments in the area. You will likely want to limit your search to Oakland County
• Real estate agents are also able to help find rental properties. Use your bargaining skills to lower your rent. Fees assessed for a real estate agent are paid by the owners of the rental property, not by the renter!
• Look at the mileage away from the hospital. Woodward and neighboring streets are busy at rush hour, and may extend commute times
• Ask how old the buildings are and if they have recently been renovated. There are newly constructed condominiums which may be available for rent in the heart of downtown Royal Oak which provide easy access to restaurants and stores
• Don't forget to ask about parking, which can be limited when living in downtown areas
• View the apartment complex and neighborhood before signing the lease
• Take note of proximity of necessary amenities such as grocery store, laundry mat or bank. Not all areas are equally safe
• Some rental properties include some utilities in the rent. Check this out!
• Save money by finding a roommate such as a fellow resident
• Here are some links to websites for apartment shopping: www.apartmentratings.com/rate/MI-Royal-Oak.html, www.rent.com, www.apartments.com
• Corewell Health also provides discounted housing services close to the hospital through Belle Court Apartments. More information can be obtained by calling 248.288.0715

Residency candidates must be a graduate of a college of pharmacy accredited in the United States and must be eligible for licensure in the State of Michigan. Candidates must have successfully completed an ASHP accredited PGY-1 residency. In addition, candidates must register for the Matching Program and have a National Matching Services (NMS) applicant number.

Please submit all applications through Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service (PhORCAS).

Tentative deadline for applications: January 2, 2026

Completed residency packets will be reviewed. Upon favorable review, residency candidates will be contacted to schedule an interview.

Jim Winegardner, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP
Director, critical care PGY-2 residency
Critical care clinical specialist - MICU
Call 248.898.3339
Fax: 248.898.4046