The ASHP-accredited Critical Care Pharmacy Practice Residency Program is a one-year program designed to train pharmacy practitioners in developing expert skills and competencies necessary to provide comprehensive pharmaceutical care to critically ill patients. Practitioners graduating from this program will be prepared for positions in an academic or acute care hospital setting.

As part of its accreditation by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), this program is committed to the following general purpose:

Postgraduate Year 2 (PGY2) pharmacy residency programs build on Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and Postgraduate Year 1 (PGY1) pharmacy residency programs to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists in specialized areas of practice. PGY2 residencies provide residents with opportunities to function independently as practitioners by conceptualizing and integrating accumulated experience and knowledge and incorporating both into the provision of patient care or other advanced practice settings. Residents who successfully complete an accredited PGY2 pharmacy residency are prepared for advanced patient care, academic, or other specialized positions, along with board certification, if available.

Because this residency program is accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, the resident will complete the following outcomes:

  • Demonstrate leadership and practice management skills.
  • Optimize the outcomes of critically ill patients by providing evidence-based medication therapy as an integral part of an interdisciplinary team.
  • Demonstrate excellence in the provision of training, including preceptorship, or educational activities for health care professionals and health care professionals in training.
  • Demonstrate the skills necessary to conduct a critical care pharmacy research project.
  • Participate in the management of medical emergencies.

Additionally, our program adheres to the "Goals and Objectives for a Post-Graduate Year Two Program in Critical Care" set forth by ASHP. These goals and objectives can be found in the ASHP Residency Accreditation Regulations and Standards.

Learning Experiences:

Required Rotations:

  • Medical ICU
  • Surgical ICU
  • Medical ICU II
  • Neuro Critical Care ICU
  • Cardiac surgery ICU/Advanced Heart Failure
  • Infectious Disease
  • Code Blue Team Call (longitudinal)
  • Clinical Consults (longitudinal)
  • Clinical and Operations Weekend support (longitudinal)

Elective Rotation Opportunities:

  • Toxicology (Poison Control Center)
  • Pediatric ICU (PICU/NICU)
  • Cardiac Care Unit
  • Transplant Surgery
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Trauma Surgery (Neuro Trauma/Multi-Trauma)
  • Trauma Resuscitation Unit
  • Post ICU Recovery Clinic

Required Activities:

  • Clinical Research Project
  • Patient Safety Project or Formulary Management Project
  • Case Conference and Pharmacotherapy Grand Rounds Presentations
  • Journal Club Presentations (2)
  • Community Service Education Event
  • Teaching (20 hours per semester)
  • Educational In-services (4)
  • Attend Management Seminars (8)
  • Attend Pharmacotherapy Grand Rounds (15)

Program Training Site:

The University of Maryland Medical Center will serve as the primary site for the training year. The program also maintains relationships with other area health care teaching facilities for some elective rotations. The University of Maryland Medical Center is a major academic tertiary care center with more than 25 percent of its beds dedicated to the care of critically ill patients, including the level three R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. The program has seventeen clinical specialists/faculty that provide comprehensive pharmaceutical care services to the adult ICU units and emergency department.

Number of Available Positions: 1

Qualifications: The resident must be a graduate of an accredited college of pharmacy with a minimum GPA of 3.0 (requirement waived if completed a pass/fail curriculum). The Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree and Maryland Pharmacy licensure are required. Residents must complete a PGY1 residency prior to starting.

Application Process:

Applicants must possess a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree and have completed an ASHP-accredited residency in pharmacy practice. The resident will be required to become a licensed pharmacist in the state of Maryland.

Applications for this program will only be accepted through PhORCAS. Reference writers should use the standard reference template in PhORCAS.

Application requirements:

  • Letter of intent
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Letters of recommendation (3)
  • Official transcripts

International students and permanent residents should contact P-SHORResidencyandAdministrativeSupport@rx.umaryland.edu before applying.

The application deadline is January 2.

Program Director:

Sharon Wilson, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP
Director, Critical Care Pharmacy Practice Residency
Clinical Specialist, Surgery Critical Care
Clinical Associate Professor, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy
University of Maryland Medical Center
Department of Pharmacy Services
Office T3R85E, Shock Trauma Building
22 South Greene Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: (410) 328-2829
Email: swilson@umm.edu