PGY2 Solid Organ Transplant Residency

Program Purpose Statement

PGY2 residency programs build upon Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and PGY1 pharmacy residency training to develop pharmacist practitioners with knowledge, skills, and abilities as defined in the educational competency areas, goals, and objectives for advanced practice areas. Residents who successfully complete PGY2 residency programs are prepared for advanced patient care or other specialized positions, and board certification in the advanced practice area, if available.

Residency Goals

• In collaboration with the health care team, provide comprehensive medication management to solid organ transplant patients following a consistent patient care process.
• Ensure continuity of care during solid organ transplant patient transitions between care settings.
• Manage and facilitate delivery of medications to support safe and effective drug therapy for solid organ transplant patients.
• Demonstrate ability to manage formulary and medication-use processes for solid organ transplant patients, as applicable to the organization.
• Demonstrate ability to conduct a quality improvement or research project.
• Demonstrate leadership skills for successful self-development in the provision of care for solid organ transplant patients.
• Demonstrate management skills in the provision of care for solid organ transplant patients.
• Provide effective medication and practice-related education to solid organ transplant patients, caregivers, health care professionals, students, and the public (individuals and groups).
• Effectively employ appropriate preceptor roles when engaged in teaching students, pharmacy technicians, or fellow health care professionals in solid organ transplant. 

Program Overview

The Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacy Residency Program at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania has been in existence since 2007. Residents will serve as an integral part of the multidisciplinary team, ensuring, the safe, effective and optimal use of medications, educating patients and caregivers pre- and post-transplant, participating in multi-disciplinary rounds and meetings, and facilitating smooth transitions between patient care settings. Longstanding relationships and a culture of collaboration between pharmacy and medical/surgical providers are cornerstones of residency training at HUP and allows complete integration of pharmacy residents into the multidisciplinary care team. 

This residency is a full-time practice commitment and is 52 weeks in duration. The program offers comprehensive learning experiences in all major solid organ patient populations, including kidney/pancreas, liver, heart, and lung transplantation, as well as transplant infectious disease. Residents can expect dynamic experiences in caring for transplant patients in the in-patient and outpatient settings while on core organ rotations as well as a focused ambulatory care experience. Residents will also attend an Immunology and HLA didactic and interactive lecture series to provide a baseline foundational knowledge prior to starting rotations.

 All required learning experiences are one month in duration except where noted in table below. Longitudinal experiences start after orientation and continue until the end of residency. These experiences are designed to focus on pharmacy operations, transplant medication adherence assessments, clinical research and professional development which includes opportunities to deliver formal and informal presentations, teach and mentor residents and students, participate in quality and performance improvement projects and develop professional writing skills. The transplant pharmacy group is very active in clinical research and collaborate on multiple research projects including PGY1 and PGY2 residents every year. The program will be tailored specifically for each resident based upon the resident’s goals, interests and previous experience.

Elective learning experiences are available to enhance the resident’s experience and knowledge in solid organ transplantation and related practice areas. Electives may be structured as two week, or one month learning experiences where noted in the table below. Elective rotation requests will be considered on an individual basis, with regards to resident interests and preceptor availability. 

Learning Experiences

* 1-month experience; activities may vary based on in-coming early commitment status
† 1-month experience
‡ Available as 2-week, or 1-month experience

Longitudinal Experiences

Professional Development

• Provide an ACPE-accredited presentation at Pharmacy Grand Rounds
• Present monthly topics to the transplant preceptors during monthly Transplant Conference
• Participate and complete assigned presentations and activities as part of the residency program’s Therapeutics Conference
• Develop and present lectures at various forums based on interest and availability including the Penn Transplant Institute (PTI) Education Series, Gift of Life Patient Lecture Series, Kidney Transplant Symposium, Transplant Education Day, organ specific transplant recipient support groups, and/or in-services to nursing, pharmacy and physician staff
• Serve as a secretary for the Clifton Center for Medical Breakthroughs 11 City Unit Based Clinical Leadership council, the monthly Transplant Clinical Specialist Meeting and the quarterly Pharmacy Transplant Research Committee Meeting
• Opportunities to attend multi-disciplinary education series to further supplement and enhance transplant knowledge including: Hepatology Conference, Renal Conference, Multi-disciplinary Immunology & Transplantation Interest Conference (MITI), PTI Education Series and didactic lectures on HLA and Immunology as part of the pathology residents training
• Participate in peer review of manuscripts, as opportunities arise, with goal of 2 peer reviews per residency year
• Prepare or revise a transplant related policy/protocol/treatment guideline, drug class review or monograph
• Participate in the clinical intervention program, adverse drug reaction reporting program and medication error program
• Participate in pharmacy learner education topic series
• Assist in mentoring and act as a pharmacy role model to pharmacy students, PGY1 residents, and pharmacy staff
• Participate in department, hospital and clinical unit committees based on areas of interest
• Participate in HUP’s Career Development Topic Series designed for pharmacy residents
• Additional opportunities for professional development may be offered based on interest and availability
  • American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) IMTR PRN blog
  • American Society of Transplantation (AST) Transplant Pharmacy Community of Practice Online Journal Club
  • International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT)
    PULSE Newsletter
  • AST Fellow Conference Case Presentation
  • Journal article peer review
  • Serve as primary preceptor for an APPE student rotation or PGY1 resident

Research/Scholarly Activities

• Involvement in a comprehensive research educational series focusing on epidemiology, study design, and statistical methods
• Active leadership of a research group within a flipped research model which includes identifying a transplant specific research question and completing a research project including study design, statistical analysis, data collection and results analysis
• Submit a transplant-related abstract to a national meeting
• Develop a transplant-related poster and/or platform presentation for a national meeting
• Attend a pharmacy and/or transplant related national meeting(s) as funding allows
  • ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting
  • AST Fellows Conference (travel grant opportunity available)
  • ACCP Annual Meeting
  • ISHLT Annual Meeting
  • ATC Annual Meeting
• Prepare a manuscript suitable for publication in a professional journal
• Present final research results at the organization level
• Mentor PGY1 residents who are participating in transplant related research

Pharmacy Operations

• Function as a unit based clinical pharmacist during weekend staffing coverage in a transplant practice area, responsibilities include:
  • Order verification
  • Medication distribution
  • Pharmacokinetic consult recommendations
  • Drug information resource for health care providers
  • Emergency response participation at all codes, anesthesia stats, and rapid response calls for assigned units
    • Complete all assigned weekend shifts as a unit based clinical pharmacist with a minimum of 24 shifts which equates to approximately every 3rd weekend
    • Obtain/maintain Advanced Cardiac Life Support certification throughout the residency year

Resources

The residency program provides residents sufficient resources to fulfill the responsibilities of the program, including:

• A dedicated workspace in the pharmacy resident office
• Technological resources, including, but not limited to, a workstation, clinical information systems, laptop computer, and iPhone
• Access to online and print pharmacy and medical references
• Competitive salary and full benefits package with standard comprehensive coverage including medical, vision, prescription drug, life insurance, disability and dental insurance 
• Residents are allotted 15 paid days off to be used as vacation, personal, sick, interview days or other leave. HUP recognizes eight legal holidays and residents are required to work two holidays with the remaining six holidays taken in addition to the 15 PTO days
• Financial support for conference attendance and poster production as well as statistical support for projects
• Professional liability insurance is covered by the hospital as long as residents are working within the limits of their job description and following hospital policies and procedures
• One project day during each learning experience to complete residency related requirements
• Transportation Reimbursement (reduced cost SEPTA Pass or free onsite parking)
• Employee wellness resources
  • Penn Medicine COBALT which offers wellness coaching, self-help resources, therapy, group sessions and spiritual support
  • Employee assistance programs which offer family resources (such as adoption, childcare/caregiving), financial resources (such as financial wellness, mortgages/loans/taxes education), career resources (such as networking advice, exploring options for skill growth/management), living resources (travel, consumer safety), and more
  • Well-focused Program which includes wellness incentive programs, wellness rooms complete with exercise equipment, virtual reality meditation and massage chairs as well as exercise classes and more

Program Information

• Number of Positions: 1
• NMS Code: 785876
• Accreditation Status: Accredited

Training Site

• The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) is the largest institution within the University of Pennsylvania Health System (Penn Medicine) comprised of 6 hospitals. Penn Medicine is world-renowned for its clinical and research excellence, forging the way for new and better ways to diagnose and treat illnesses and disorders. HUP is a 988-bed academic teaching hospital and tertiary referral center located in the heart of Philadelphia. Our hospital is growing with the recent opening of the Clifton Center for Medical Breakthroughs, an innovative 17-story and 1.5 million-square foot hospital facility with 500 beds and 47 operating rooms. We offer a comprehensive pharmacy program with a broad scope of services for all patients, including inpatient, ambulatory, emergency department, outpatient retail and specialty. The Department of Pharmacy has over 50 years of excellence in residency training, due in large part to the staff and preceptors who dedicate their time to prepare residents to become practitioners capable of excelling in patient care, leadership, teaching, and research. 
• The Penn Transplant Institute (PTI) performed their first successful kidney transplant in 1966, and since then has been a pioneer in organ transplantation, providing exceptional global care for the transplant recipient, and leading in cutting edge research in transplant science. Penn's multidisciplinary team leads the region in the total number of transplants performed and is ranked among the top 10 multi-organ transplant centers in the country. Penn has active programs in kidney, pancreas, liver, lung, heart, upper limb, uterus, and islet cell transplantation, as well as living donor programs for kidney and liver. In addition, the liver and kidney transplant programs at Penn Medicine and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have collaborated for decades to allow healthy adults to donate organ tissue to children with end-stage kidney or liver disease. Penn offers total integration of care for all transplant recipients from pre-surgery management, through the transplant surgery and postoperative care.
• Penn’s reputation as a world leader in medical research and clinical care attracts the highest quality medical specialists from around the world. The supportive and collaborative environment encourages physicians and staff to keep reaching ahead to find new ways to improve the quality and length of life for everyone. Pharmacy clinical specialists and pharmacy residents are fully integrated in to the medical and surgical teams, have established collaborative relationships with all levels of providers and represent a valued member of the health care team.
• The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania prides itself on being an inclusive work environment with a workforce who provides care to a complex and diverse patient population as it relates to age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender preferences. 

Special Requirements for Acceptance

• Graduate of an Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) accredited Doctor of Pharmacy program (or one in the process of pursuing accreditation) or have a Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Committee (FPGEC) certificate from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP)
• Enrolled in an ASHP accredited PGY1 Pharmacy residency program with expected completion prior to the official start date of the PGY2 SOT residency
• Licensed or eligible for licensure in the state of Pennsylvania within 90 days of the start of the residency year

Application Requirements

Candidates interested in the program should submit the following through PhORCAS:

• Letter of intent
• Curriculum vitae
• Three letters of recommendation
  • PGY1 Residency Program Director
  • Clinical rotation preceptor, preferably from a transplant rotation
  • Other clinical preceptor

All required application materials should be submitted via PhORCAS by January 2, 2026.

Chelsea Sammons, PharmD, BCTXP
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Abdominal Transplantation
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
3400 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Chelsea.Sammons@pennmedicine.upenn.edu