Aimed at training the future leaders of integrated health systems, this 24 month program combines the PGY1 Pharmacy Columbia St. Mary’s residency with the PGY2 Health System residency.

Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital Milwaukee is a community teaching hospital located in Milwaukee just north of downtown. The Lake Drive Campus is made up of two hospitals, the Main Hospital and Women’s Medical Center, and two large clinics, Prospect Medical Commons and Water Tower Medical Commons. Average daily inpatient census is approximately 225 patients. Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s offers advanced cardiovascular and neurological surgery services, a regional burn center, women’s health services, a neonatal intensive care unit, 48 adult intensive care unit beds, 130 medical/ surgical beds, an inpatient behavioral health unit, an inpatient rehabilitation unit and a 45-bed emergency department. Additionally, an outpatient chemotherapy infusion center is part of the campus. Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s serves as the tertiary care referral center for seven southeastern Wisconsin Ascension hospitals. As a result, the area’s most complex medical and surgical cases come to Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s for care.

The PGY2 year builds on the clinical foundation developed during the PGY1 year to develop pharmacists capable of being future leaders of integrated health systems. Candidates interested in careers as clinical coordinators, supervisors, managers or directors in an integrated health system are encouraged to apply.

Rotation Sites

During the PGY1 year, the resident will spend the majority of their time at Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Milwaukee with the opportunity to spend time at other Ascension Wisconsin hospitals in the Milwaukee area. The resident will spend at numerous sites within this system based on project, learning experience, and service needs.

Specific Learning Experiences

During the PGY1 year, residents complete core learning experiences in administration (medication safety, informatics), direct patient care (medicine, emergency medicine, critical care, women’s health/NICU), academia, research and staffing. In the PGY2 year, the format of the residency is tailored to the interest, experience, aptitude and career goals of the resident.   This unique residency provides the candidate experience with the management of pharmacy services from statewide and national health system perspectives. 

PGY1Year

Required Rotations

Orientation ............................. 6 weeks

Critical Care ............................ 6 weeks

Emergency Medicine .................... 6 weeks

Internal Medicine ....................... 6 weeks

Pharmacy Administration................ 6 weeks

Research Project ..................... longitudinal

Staffing   ............................. longitudinal

 Elective Opportunities

NICU and Women’s Health .............. 5 weeks

Oncology...............................   5 weeks

Medication Safety....................... .5 weeks

Pharmacy Informatics ................... .5 weeks

Ambulatory Care ....................... 6 weeks

Critical Care II .......................... 5 weeks

Health System Pharmacy Administration . 5 weeks

 Optional Opportunity

Academic Rotation at Concordia University with teaching certificate

 PGY2 Year

Required Rotations

Orientation ............................. 6 weeks

Business Plan Development.............. 4 weeks

Leadership .......................... longitudinal

Staffing   ............................. longitudinal

Pharmacy Finance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 weeks

Pharmacy Operations ................... 4 weeks

Project Management................. longitudinal

Pharmacy Information Systems .......... 4 weeks

Quality and Regulatory .................. 4 weeks

Clinical Management: Health System ..... 4 weeks

Medication Safety....................... 4 weeks

Supply Chain ........................... 4 weeks

 Elective Rotations

Direct Patient Care Rotations (see PGY1 Electives) 

Expectations during residency year include: • Licensure in the State of Wisconsin within 30 days of starting the program • Active participation in the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin (PSW) Pharmacy Advancement Leadership Team (PALT)       • Completion of year-long residency project and presentation at ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting and Wisconsin Pharmacy Resident Conference• Successful written manuscript of PALT or year-long project• Attendance and preparation of minutes at a minimum of 80% of the state-wide Pharmacy Leadership Council meetings • Attendance at a minimum of 75% of regional and statewide Ascension Wisconsin Leadership Development and Formation Retreats • Participation in precepting/mentoring Post-Graduate Year 1 (PGY1) Pharmacy Residents, Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience(IPPE) and Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) students; • Staffing every third weekend as well as up to two holidays • Tracking of duty hours• Participation in new resident recruitment

Number of Positions

One (1) PGY1/PGY2 Pharmacy Resident

Benefits and stipend

• Each resident and their eligible dependents are eligible to participate in Ascension’s benefit programs (paid time off, medical/dental, insurance, disability, etc.)
• The current stipend for the PGY1 year is approximately $48,000 and $58,000 for the PGY2 year.