There have been many milestone birthdays at UAB Medicine lately. Two years ago we marked the 50th anniversary of the very first transplant procedure at UAB, and just last year the entire enterprise celebrated its 50th birthday. Now, UAB Medicine’s distinguished pharmacy residency program is celebrating 50 years of service.
Since 1970, UAB has offered an ASHP-accredited (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists) Post-Graduate Year One (PGY1) pharmacy residency program. The goal of the program is to develop highly skilled practitioners who will be successful in a variety of pharmacy practice settings.
Along with training PGY1 pharmacy residents over the past half-century, five specialized Post-Graduate Year Two (PGY2) pharmacy residency programs were added, beginning in 2005. The PGY2 pharmacy residency programs are in oncology, critical care, solid organ transplant, and this year’s new infectious diseases residency. Each program provides training opportunities to give residents intensive, real-world experience under the leadership of some of the top professionals in their fields.
Pharmacy residents are engaged in a wide variety of practice environments, as well as research opportunities that cover the full spectrum of patient care. Special projects conducted through these residencies contribute to the Department of Pharmacy’s development of therapeutic policies and practices regarding drug utilization within the institution.
UAB Medicine is proud to acknowledge this milestone reached by the Pharmacy Residency Program.