Residency Showcase Program Listings

Come join Michigan's number 1 hospital and be the Leaders and Best! The University of Michigan Health Residency program is one of the first residency programs in the country and has received countless awards throughout the years, including ASHP Residency Excellence Award! 

Why come to Michigan? Here are some notable aspects of our program: 

• All residents receive adjunct clinical faculty appointments at the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy and teach 1 course in the Fall or Winter semester, which provides endless opportunities to refine your didactic and precepting skills. We also provide an optional teaching certificate.  

• A Residency Wellness Program aimed at helping you build your resiliency skills with dedicated time off from residency to practice wellness activities. 

• A dedicated pharmacy department and residency program Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee focused on creating a department and residency class where everyone feels valued and can thrive in our organization. 

• All residents will have 2 opportunities to publish manuscripts through their longitudinal research project and a writing project (case series/review article). 

• Residents are provided with an assigned mentor and select an additional mentor help ensure success during the year. 

• Over 160 preceptors with >90 different rotation options for you to customize your experience! 

Program Specific information:

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan’s managed care residency program in collaboration with the University of Michigan Health, will provide residents with training in evidence-based clinical decision making and program design. Residents will learn and apply skills in the areas of drug information, formulary management, drug utilization review, benefit design, and clinical program implementation and assessment. Participation in research, manuscript preparation, and teaching are required. Previous residents have successfully published their work in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy.  

Program Purpose:

The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan managed care residency program, in collaboration with the University of Michigan Health, prepares residents to be proficient in several areas of managed care pharmacy, including formulary management, pharmacy benefit design, clinical program development, drug use management, and drug information communications.   

The program builds upon Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and outcomes to develop pharmacist practitioners with knowledge, skills, and abilities in diverse patient care, practice management, leadership, and education, and be prepared to provide patient care, seek board certification in pharmacotherapy (i.e., BCPS), and pursue advanced education and training opportunities including postgraduate year two (PGY2) residencies.  

Residents completing this program will be qualified and confident to practice as a managed care clinical pharmacists in a variety of managed care practice settings, such as health plans, pharmacy benefit management organizations, and physician groups.  

Requirements:

Eligibility for the Pharmacy Residency Program requires that candidates maintain primary residence in the state of Michigan throughout the program.

Residency candidates must be a graduate of a College of Pharmacy accredited in the U.S. and must be eligible for or hold active pharmacist and controlled substance licensure in the State of Michigan. Candidates must also register for the Matching Program and have a National Matching Services (NMS) applicant number.  

Interested candidates must submit the following materials via PhORCAS no later than January 2, 2026:  

• academic transcripts  

• curriculum vitae  

• letter of intent  

• three letters of reference on the standard PhORCAS form  

Please direct any questions to Christopher Bigness, BS, PharmD, MS, BCPS; PGY1 Managed Care Pharmacy (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan) Residency Program Director (cbigness@bcbsm.com)  

We hope you will consider the University of Michigan Health for your residency training experience!

Check out our residency website for graduation requirements and to contact current residents and preceptors: University of Michigan Residency Website

Follow us on Instagram for updates and residency life at Michigan @UMichRxResidency

About University of Michigan Health

The vision of the University of Michigan Health is to create the future of health care through discovery and to become the national leader in health care, health care reform, biomedical innovation, and education. As part of this world-class organization, the Department of Pharmacy Services has high standards for service, education, and research. Our department has a rich history of excellence and residency training; you have the opportunity to join a world-class team to provide exceptional patient care! The University of Michigan medical campus, located in the heart of Ann Arbor, Michigan includes an adult-based University Hospital, a pediatrics/women's-based C.S. Mott Children's Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital, the Rogel Cancer Center, and the Cardiovascular Center with a total of 1000 licensed beds, with 244 dedicated to pediatric care. We are a level 1 adult and pediatric trauma center with a burn unit. University Hospital is a 577-bed tertiary care teaching complex. We are closely affiliated with the College of Pharmacy, which is within walking distance of the medical center. We have approximately 30 health centers and 120 outpatient clinics, many located on t...he main medical campus. University of Michigan Health maintains the first university-owned hospital in the United States and the oldest College of Pharmacy in a state-supported institution. We currently have 15 Pharmacy Residency Programs with 31 Pharmacy Residents, and 1-3 Fellows annually. All Pharmacy Residency Programs are fully accredited by ASHP. At UMH, you will have the opportunity to learn from some of the leading practitioners in the world. The University of Michigan Pharmacy Residency program is committed to the recruitment, training, and support of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and those from all diverse backgrounds and experiences.

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