Clinical Pharmacy Residency Program

SSMC Clinical Pharmacy Residency Program

The Clinical Pharmacy Residency Program at Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, SSMC was established in 2022. The program’s main goal is to provide advanced clinical training for pharmacy graduates. This Postgraduate (PGY1) residency is a structured program designed to build upon the undergraduate education level, preparing the residents to learn and develop evidence-based, patient-centered care skills across a wide range of clinical practice areas. The program offers comprehensive learning experience through a combination of core and elective rotations, enabling residents to develop a strong clinical foundation while exploring areas of individual interest. Learning plans take into consideration the resident’s background, career goals, and previous experiences to ensure professional growth. Residents engage in a variety of activities including a major research project, teaching, patient and staff education, and leadership development. The program emphasizes clinical competence, communication, professionalism, and interprofessional collaboration-skills essential for advancing practice in dynamic healthcare environments. Upon successful completion, residents are awarded a PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Certificate and are well prepared to pursue board certification, advanced clinical positions, or Postgraduate Year Two (PGY2) residency training.

Program Structure

The SSMC PGY1 Clinical Pharmacy Residency is delivered over a structured 24 month training period. The program begins with a required orientation learning experience, followed by a sequenced schedule of core and elective rotations. In parallel, residents complete longitudinal learning experiences, including research, medication use evaluation, pharmacy practice activities, and staffing, which span the duration of the residency and provide continuity, progressive responsibility, and integration of learning across practice settings.

Program Accreditation Details

• Accreditation candidate status with the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)

Eligibility Requirements. Applicant for SSMC Clinical Pharmacy Residency Program shall be:

• Graduate of an Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, ACPE accredited Pharmacy Program.
• Eligible for pharmacist licensure as per the Department of Health of Abu Dhabi, DOH
• With a competitive score on the Emirates Pharmacy Residency Entrance Examination
• With a competitive GPA (3.0 or more)

What is a postgraduate year one (PGY1) pharmacy residency?

PGY1 pharmacy residency training is a 2-year program following the American Society for Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) standards. The program builds upon knowledge, skills, attitudes, and abilities gained from a professional pharmacy degree program.

The first year of the residency program enhances general competencies in managing medication-use systems and supports optimal medication therapy outcomes for patients with a broad range of disease states.

The second year is designed to perfect the clinical expertise of the resident to enable them to be practice-ready in the healthcare system.

The Clinical Pharmacy Residency Program at SSMC, is designed to expose the residents to a variety of practice areas in a tertiary care hospital in order to build and expand knowledge and skills necessary for direct patient care.

The program consists of a series of learning experiences that cover a 24-month period. Specific learning experiences and goals will be accomplished in defined blocks of time, while others will occur longitudinally throughout the duration of the residency. Residency time will be generally structured as follows:

• Residency Learning Experiences/Rotations: 96 weeks which include:
  • 1. Orientation: 2 weeks
  • 2. Research Rotations: 6 weeks
  • 3. Staffing (the last Tuesday of each month): 30 days
• Vacation, holidays, and emergency leave: 8 weeks
• Total weeks: 104 weeks

The Core Learning Experiences include:

• Orientation: 2 weeks
• Drug Information: 3 weeks
• Pharmacotherapy 1: 5 weeks
• Pharmacotherapy 2: 5 weeks
• Toxicology: 2 weeks
• Ambulatory Pharmacy Services 1: 4 weeks
• Ambulatory Pharmacy Services 2: 4 weeks
• Pharmacy Administration: 4 weeks
• Introduction to Inpatient Pharmacy: 6 weeks
• Introduction to IV Pharmacy: 4 weeks
• Internal Medicine 1: 5 weeks
• Internal Medicine 2: 5 weeks
• General Pediatrics: 6 weeks
• Infectious Diseases: 6 weeks
• Oncology/Hematology: 7 weeks
• Intensive Care Unit (ICU): 5 weeks

The Elective Learning Experiences (5 weeks each) include:

• Cardiology
• Nephrology
• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
• Parenteral Nutrition
• Medication Safety

The Longitudinal (12 weeks or more) rotations include:

• Medication Use Evaluation
• Research Project
• Pharmacy Practice

Staffing (for each year of the residency program):

• 15, 8 hours shift, occurring during one day of each month.

Additional Activities

Additional activities include involvement in educational programs such as conferences, journal clubs, Continuous Medical Education and case presentations. The residents will complete a research project and participate in awareness campaigns. Residents who successfully complete this program are well-prepared for a Pharmacy position, PGY2 residencies, and other career opportunities.

Application and Eligibility Criteria

• Eligibility for licensure in the UAE
• Minimum 5-year BS degree in Pharmacy or Pharm. D, minimum GPA 3.0
• Pass score in residency entry exam administered through the Department of Health

To apply, candidates must submit the following:

• Complete DOH online application form
• Academic transcripts
• Curriculum vitae
• Letter of intent (LOI)
• Two letters of recommendation

Candidates meeting the requirements for the position may be contacted for an onsite interview.

Resources for more information:

For more information about the pharmacy residency program, please contact the Education Department of SSMC, [email protected] or visit the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.