The PGY1 Residency at St. Luke's Magic Valley is a 12-month program that develops expertise and competency in providing clinical care to a wide variety of patients. The residency accommodates three PGY1 residents and has 6-week learning experiences that provide the residents the opportunity to precept P4 students in adult medicine.

Our pharmacy department utilizes a centralized/decentralized clinical staffing model, a centralized sterile IV preparation area compliant with USP 797, extensive pharmacy automation, an anticoagulation clinic, an outpatient infusion center, and ambulatory pharmacy services.

Required Rotations 

• Orientation
• Adult medicine
  
• Critical care
• Infectious disease
• Rural medicine

Required Longitudinal Rotations

• Ambulatory care (anticoagulation)
• Leadership
• Medication safety
• Project

Elective Rotations 

• Adult diabetes care (ambulatory)
• Behavioral health
• Cardiopulmonary medicine
• Emergency medicine
• Medication safety
• Oncology
• Pediatrics/NICU

Program Details

• Number of positions available each year: 3
• Start date: late June or early July
• Estimated stipend: $50,000
  
  

Staffing Requirements

Residents are required to staff every third weekend (Friday–Sunday) and one major holiday during the year. This provides the opportunity to incorporate what they are learning into daily practice and to be fully competent in all areas of the pharmacy. They are also eligible to staff additional shifts at full pharmacist wages once they are trained and able to work independently.

Projects & Presentations

ASHP requires that residents engage in a research or quality improvement project and that they present the results of that project at a regional residency conference.  Our residents prepare a pharmacy technician CE presentation for the ISHP fall meeting in Sun Valley, a poster presentation on their research project at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting, and a final oral presentation at the Mountain States Pharmacy Residency Conference in Salt Lake City. A final written manuscript of the project is also required.

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt

As residents complete their major residency projects, they have the opportunity to incorporate the quality improvement principles of Lean Six Sigma into their learning. This methodology has been validated and re-validated for over six decades in many different industries and provides a valuable framework to define, measure and assess their work. A certificate of completion is awarded at the conclusion of the course.

Teaching Certificate & Residency Forum

Dr. Barbara Mason from the Idaho State University (ISU) College of Pharmacy facilitates the completion of a formal teaching certificate program. Residents give a clinical lecture to the pharmacy students at ISU, are featured presenters at ISHP conferences, and lead case review classes at ISU during the year. They also hold a monthly Resident Forum with other PGY1 residents in the Boise area, where residents teach and discuss clinical topics to complete assignments for the teaching certificate.

Post Residency Directions

Historically, about half of our PGY1 residents accept a full-time clinical pharmacist position with St. Luke's at the completion of their PGY1 program year. The others have taken positions in PGY2 programs. ambulatory settings, academic medical centers, and other acute care health system positions. St. Luke's strives to keep each of our PGY1 residents as permanent clinical staff pharmacists at the completion of their PGY1 year, however, this is always dependent on the availability of open positions.

Application Instructions and Process

1. Submit an application via PhORCAS by first Friday in January; application to include:
   • Letter of intent
   • Three letters of reference
   • Current CV
   • Pharmacy transcripts
2. Applicants must also complete a St. Luke's online application by first Friday in January for Pharmacy Resident (PGY1) - Twin Falls
3. On-site interview
   
   • 12 applicants are invited for an on-site interview during February in a block-style rotating format, meeting with the residency program director, local pharmacy leadership, program preceptors and staff. Applicants also meet with current residents and give a 10-minute presentation on a topic of their choice.

Contact Information

Dallin Poulsen, Pharm.D. 
Phone: (208) 814-2503
Cell: (507) 206-8087 
Fax: (208) 814-2920
Email: [email protected]

Accreditation

The PGY1 Pharmacy Residency conducted by St. Luke's Magic Valley Medical Center in Twin Falls is accredited by ASHP.