Pharmacy Residency

Overview

PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program

The PGY1 pharmacy residency gives residents experience in general pharmaceutical patient care. Throughout the year, the resident is exposed to multiple general and specialty practice areas at an acute care community teaching hospital. Residents will work to improve knowledge, skills, problem solving and clinical judgment throughout the residency year. The resident will have opportunities to present journal clubs, case presentations, in-services, and formal lectures. Residents are required to complete a longitudinal research project, administrative project, medication use evaluation, manuscript suitable for publication, and a drug monograph. The goal of the PGY1 program at Cleveland Clinic South Pointe is to build upon Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and outcomes to develop pharmacist practitioners with knowledge, skills, and abilities as defined in the educational competency areas, goals, and objectives. Residents who successfully complete PGY1 residency programs will be skilled in diverse patient care, practice management, leadership, and education, and be prepared to provide patient care, seek board certification in pharmacotherapy (i.e., BCPS), and pursue advanced education and training opportunities including postgraduate year two (PGY2) residencies.

Department of Pharmacy

The Department of Pharmacy provides pharmacy services 24 hours per day. Decentralized pharmacy services are established on the medical-surgical floors, in the intensive care unit, in the emergency department, and in the outpatient oncology clinic. Pharmacists provide clinical rounding services for critical care, infectious disease, and internal medicine.

Pharmacy services are integrated throughout the hospital to optimize patient care through clinical chart review, medication counseling, dosing consult services, antimicrobial stewardship, bedside delivery services, and multidisciplinary committee involvement. Pharmacists serve as student preceptors and participate in didactic teaching opportunities with the South Pointe medical residency programs.

Residency Program Training Site

Type: Hospital
Owner/Affiliate: Cleveland Clinic
Model Type(s): Teaching, Acute Care Community Hospital
Tax Status: Non Profit
Professional Staff: 16
Non-Professional Staff: 16
Total Beds: 173
Average Daily Census: 110

About the Program

Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital is a 173-bed acute care community teaching hospital located in Warrensville Heights, Ohio. A unique aspect of South Pointe Hospital is that it serves as an extension campus for Ohio University’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. This affiliation allows collaboration between pharmacy and medical residents and students in a community hospital setting.

Required Rotations:

• Critical Care 1 (1 month rotation)
• Didactic Teaching (longitudinal-12 months)
• Emergency Medicine (1 month rotation)
• Infectious Disease 1 (1 month rotation)
• Internal Medicine (3 one month long rotations)
• Orientation (6 week rotation)
• Practice Management/Leadership (1 month rotation)
• Pharmacy Practice (longitudinal-12 months)
• Research (longitudinal-12 months)

Elective Rotations:

• Cardiology (1 month rotation)
• Critical Care 2 (1 month rotation)
• Infectious Disease 2 (1 month rotation)
• Outpatient Oncology (1 month rotation)
• Off-Site elective rotations (1 month rotations) may be available based on preceptor availability at other Cleveland Clinic Hospitals in a variety of clinical practice areas.
• A maximum of 2 off site rotations are allowed per resident
• A maximum of 1 off-site rotation at main campus is allowed per resident

Please note: Residents are not permitted to complete more than 3 rotations within a specific patient population or practice area during the residency year. Residents are not permitted to complete more than 2 non-direct patient care rotations during the residency year. 

Living in Cleveland

Enjoy what Cleveland has to offer you, your family and friends.

View information and tips about Cleveland, Ohio

Application

Cleveland Clinic is committed to valuing all people through our organization, regardless of background or culture. A diverse and inclusive environment for students and staff and culturally appropriate care for our patients is essential to fulfilling our vision to be the best place for care anywhere and the best place to work in healthcare. We welcome students from diverse backgrounds and cultures.

Interested applicants must be actively enrolled or PharmD graduates of an accredited college of pharmacy, be eligible for licensure in the State of Ohio, and submit the standard application materials through PhORCAS (i.e. Letter of Intent, CV, the 3 standard reference forms in PhORCAS, official college transcripts), along with:

1. We request a minimum of one (two is preferred) of your three references to be from a preceptor who you have worked with in a clinical setting, related to an APPE in acute or ambulatory care. The clinical preceptor should be able to comment on your scope of responsibility, total patient load, level of autonomy, clinical abilities, and organizational and time management skills. All 3 reference writers should use the standard PhORCAS template to submit their candidate recommendation.
2. A response to the following essay statement is required for acceptance. The essay response should be no longer than one page in length. An application will not be reviewed if this statement is missing. Please note that the essay is separate from your letter of intent: You’re a pharmacy resident starting a new rotation in a practice area where you initially felt confident in your clinical skills and knowledge base. You should be following 6 patients by the end of week one. However, by the end of week one, you are only able to fully follow and manage 4 patients. How do you handle this situation? Describe the steps you would take to improve performance.
3. If any positions remain unfilled after Phase 1 of the match, South Pointe Hospital will participate in Phase 2 of the match. The application requirements for Phase 2 will be the same as Phase 1.

Appointments of applicants to residency positions may be contingent upon the applicants satisfying certain eligibility requirements [e.g., graduating from an accredited college of pharmacy, obtaining a pharmacist license in Ohio within 90 days of the start date, and successful completion of a pre-employment physical and drug screen, including testing for cotinine and attendance of an onboarding appointment on-site in Ohio, or as otherwise directed by Occupational health at least 2 weeks prior to the resident’s start date.

Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate OPT (Optional Practical Training) visas for the Cleveland Clinic Pharmacy Residency Programs as the programs extend beyond 12 months. TN (Trade NAFTA) visas are acceptable, however, the candidate is responsible for the application process and all necessary fees. Cleveland Clinic cannot extend the candidate an employment letter until the candidate has matched with the Cleveland Clinic program and signed an acceptance letter. Any employment letter will state the length of the program (12 months if PGY1).

Graduates of international pharmacy schools will be considered if they meet the ASHP criteria for application to residency (“To be eligible for pharmacist licensure, candidates must be graduates or candidates for graduation from an ACPE accredited degree program (or one in the process of pursuing accreditation) or have a Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee (FPGEC) certificate from the NABP. At a minimum the program must be a five-year pharmacy degree program.”)

Please submit all application materials via Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service (PhORCAS). Deadline for receipt of these materials to be considered for an on-site interview is January 2nd, 2024 by 11:59 PM.

• Access PhORCAS

More Information

Please direct further questions regarding the PGY1 program at South Pointe Hospital to:

Lindsey Hoffman, PharmD, BCCCP 
Residency Program Director, PGY1
South Pointe Hospital
20000 Harvard Road
Warrensville Heights, OH 44122
Phone: 216.470.7715 
Fax: 216.491.7167
Email: hoffmal@ccf.org

Cara Weisenberger, PharmD, BCPS 
Residency Program Coordinator, PGY1
South Pointe Hospital
20000 Harvard Road
Warrensville Heights, OH 44122
Phone: 216.217.7740 
Fax: 216.491.7167
Email: weisenc@ccf.org

Benefits, Travel & Compensation

The PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program provides a wide array of benefits to you during your experience as a resident.

General

• Personalized lab coats.
• Laptop and desktop computer.
• iPhone.
• Free parking.
• Library access.
• Resident office space.
• BLS/ACLS certification.
  • Professional membership – Pharmacy residents are eligible for reimbursement of one-year memberships during the residency year (July – June; max of $250).
• Registration and reimbursement for travel to ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting and/or a regional residency conference in accordance with Cleveland Clinic travel policies and restrictions.
• Access to Cleveland Clinic fitness facilities.
• Continuing education.

Health benefits

• Eligible for the following:
  • Standard Comprehensive Medical Coverage.
  • Prescription Drug Coverage.
  • Life Insurance.
  • Disability.
  • Dental.
  • Vision.

Leave

• Fourteen (14) paid days off including scheduled time off, unscheduled sick days, professional days and interview days.
• Five (5) wellness days.

Salary

• $51,000 (PGY1).

Frequently Asked Questions

How many resident positions does Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital offer? 

Two.

What are the staffing requirements? 

Residents will staff every other weekend. In addition the resident will staff two holidays during the residency year. Residents will staff one holiday from Group 1 (Thanksgiving or Christmas) and one holiday from Group 2 (Labor Day, New Year’s Day, or Memorial Day).

Weekend staffing will consist of a mixture of centralized order review and verification as well as decentralized patient profile review and discharge education.

What are the project requirements? 

Resident projects include:

• Research Project
• Administrative Project
• Drug Use Evaluation
• Drug Monograph
• Quarterly Newsletter
• Others based on committee and departmental needs

What are the presentation requirements? 

Resident presentations will include:

• 2 Grand Rounds presentations to a multidisciplinary audience
• Educational presentations within requirements of rotations
• Research progress will be presented throughout the year at local and/or national professional meetings
• Teaching Certificate Program completion is required which includes additional small group discussions as well as didactic lecture opportunities

What rotations are offered for the PGY1 Residency? 

• Orientation
• Longitudinal
  • Didactic Teaching
  • Pharmacy Practice
  • Research
• Required (1 month each unless otherwise stated)
  • Internal Medicine – Teaching Service (2 months)
  • Internal Medicine – Decentralized
  • Critical Care 1
  • Infectious Disease 1
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Practice Management/Leadership
• Elective (1 month each)
  • Cardiology
  • Critical Care 2
  • Infectious Disease 2
  • Outpatient Oncology

Please note: Other elective opportunities are available based on preceptor availability at other Cleveland Clinic Hospitals in a variety of clinical practice areas. Residents may complete a maximum of 2 off-site rotations during the residency year with a maximum of 1 of these rotations being at main campus.

Where is the residents’ office/desk space?

The residents share their own secure office space with individual desks and storage area.  Each resident will have access to their own desktop & laptop computer and iPhone.

Do residents get vacation days or time off? If so, how much? 

Yes, residents get 14 paid days off from the residency. This includes scheduled time off, unscheduled sick days, professional days, and interview days. In addition to the 14 paid days off, residents get 5 paid wellness days off during the residency year.

What state/national meetings do the residents get to attend? 

• Spring Ohio College of Clinical Pharmacy (OCCP) Meeting
• ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting

Other meetings may be considered based on resident interest.

Please note: Meeting attendance may be altered based on Cleveland Clinic travel guidelines.

How are the residents evaluated?

The residents are oriented at the beginning of the residency and introduced to the goals and objectives for the residency year. Residents are evaluated during and after each rotation experience by their preceptor, and quarterly (Resident Development Plan) by the program director and coordinator. In addition, the residents will be evaluated on presentations, research, drug use evaluation, staffing, and other assignments (e.g., drug monograph). PharmAcademic is used as a documentation tool for evaluations and other feedback provided to the residents.

Who oversees the Residency Programs?

The residency programs are overseen by the Residency Committee which consists of the Residency Program Director (RPD) as well as select preceptors, and the Director of Pharmacy. The Residency Committee meets monthly.

Are the residency eligible to receive healthcare benefits?

Yes, the residents are eligible for health insurances (medical, vision, and dental) similar to other Cleveland Clinic employees.

How is the resident rotation schedule decided?

The resident will meet with the program director during the orientation in July to determine the rotation schedule. There will remain some flexibility throughout the year for adjustment of schedule (approval required by residency committee). The RPD will try and accommodate schedule requests/preferences of the resident, especially in the setting of PGY2 interest.

What is the mission/purpose statement of the residency?

PGY1 residency programs build upon Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and outcomes to develop pharmacist practitioners with knowledge, skills, and abilities as defined in the educational competency areas, goals, and objectives. Residents who successfully complete PGY1 residency programs will be skilled in diverse patient care, practice management, leadership, and education, and be prepared to provide patient care, seek board certification in pharmacotherapy (i.e., BCPS), and pursue advanced education and training opportunities including postgraduate year two (PGY2) residencies. 

When does a resident need to be licensed in Ohio?

Residents are encouraged to obtain licensure prior to the residency start date. Residents must be licensed within 90 days of start date of residency. Until the resident is licensed in Ohio they must work under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist.

What drug information resources are available for the residents? 

LexiComp, UptoDate, OhioLink (access to medical journals online as well as online textbooks), IPA, Pharmacists Letter.

Will the residents be doing resident activities with other residents within the Cleveland Clinic Health-System (CCHS)?

Yes, the resident will participate in a research curriculum (consisting of research design, biostatistics review, and research skills workshops), and other networking activities with other residents in the Cleveland Clinic Health-System.

Will the residents have on-site parking?

Yes, Cleveland Clinic South Pointe residents will have free on-site parking.

Does South Pointe participate in the second round of the match?

Yes, South Pointe participates in Phase 2 of The Match if any positions are unfilled during the Phase 1. The application requirements for Phase 2 will be the same as Phase 1.

Program Personnel

Julianne Goepfert, PharmD, BCPS

Clinical Pharmacist

• Education: BS Pharmaceutical Sciences, PharmD – The Ohio State University.
• Training: PGY1 Pharmacy Residency – Cincinnati Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
• Practice Area: Internal Medicine.
• Email: mazzolj3@ccf.org.

Eve Hackett-Garr, PharmD, BCPID, BCPS

Clinical Pharmacy Specialist – Infectious Disease

• Education: BS Pharmacy – Utah State University; PharmD – Regis University.
• Training: PGY1 Pharmacy Residency and PGY2 Infectious Disease Residency – Saint Joseph Denver SCLHS.
• Practice area: Infectious disease.
• Email: hackete@ccf.org.

Melissa Herschman, PharmD, BCPS

Pharmacy Manager

• Education: BS Biochemistry – University of Dayton; PharmD – The Ohio State University.
• Training: PGY1 Pharmacy Residency – Cleveland Clinic Hillcrest Hospital.
• Practice area: Internal medicine.
• Email: herschm@ccf.org.

Lindsey Hoffman, PharmD, BCCCP

Clinical Pharmacy Specialist - Critical Care
PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program Director

• Education: PharmD – Ohio Northern University.
• Training: PGY1 Pharmacy Residency and PGY2 Critical Care Residency – University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center.
• Practice area: Critical care.
• Email: hoffmal@ccf.org.

Carly McKenzie, PharmD, BCPS

Clinical Pharmacist

• Education: PharmD – Ohio Northern University.
• Training: PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency – University Hospitals St. John Medical Center.
• Practice area: Internal medicine.
• Email: mckenzc@ccf.org.

Jason Milner, PharmD

Director of Pharmacy

• Education: BS Pharmaceutical Sciences, BS Pharmacy Administration, PharmD – University of Toledo.
• Practice area: Pharmacy Administration.
• Email: jmilner@ccf.org.

Kaitlyn Schumacher, PharmD, BCPS

Clinical Pharmacy Specialist - Emergency Medicine

• Education: PharmD – University of Missouri Kansas City.
• Training: PGY1 Pharmacy Residency – University of Toledo.
• Practice area: Emergency medicine.
• Email: schumak@ccf.org.

Cara Weisenberger, PharmD, BCPS

Clinical Pharmacist

• Education: BS Pharmaceutical Sciences, PharmD – University of Toledo.
• Training: PGY1 Pharmacy Residency – Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital.
• Practice area: Hematology/oncology.
• Email: weisenc@ccf.org.

Past & Current Residents

Current residents

Xin Chen
Northeast Ohio Medical University Class of 2023
PGY1 Pharmacy Resident – Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital

Miranda DeHart
Manchester University Class of 2023
PGY1 Pharmacy Resident – Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital

Past residents

• Jasmine Apfeld, PharmD, BCPS
  Clinical Pharmacist –  Cleveland Clinic Akron General
• Allie Brant, PharmD, BCPS
  Nursing Unit Based Pharmacist-Internal Medicine –  Cleveland Clinic
• Nicholas Coulter, PharmD
  Nursing unit based pharmacist –  Cleveland Clinic Akron General
• Salam Kabbani, PharmD
  Clinical Pharmacy Specialist –  St. Joseph Hospital
• Paul Keppel, PharmD
  Clinical Pharmacist – Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital
• Benjamin Gann, PharmD
• Mahvish Hoda, PharmD
  PGY2 Internal Medicine Residency – New York Presbyterian Hospital
• Melanie Madorsky, PharmD, BCPS, BCCP, BCCCP
  Completed PGY2 Cardiology Pharmacy Residency – Intermountain Healthcare, Utah Valley Hospital
  Clinical Pharmacist Specialist – Cardiology & Critical Care – Memorial Hermann, Texas Medical Center
• Sara Mohiuddin, PharmD, BCACP
  Completed PGY2 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency –  Louis Stokes VA Medical Center
  Ambulatory Clinical Pharmacy Specialist- Rheumatology – Cleveland Clinic
• Erika Mooney, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP
  Clinical Pharmacist - Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point- Hudson, FL
• Cameron Quan, PharmD, BCPS
  PGY2 Medication Use Safety and Policy Resident – Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center
• Curtis Scheiderer, PharmD
  Clinical pharmacy generalist – University of Michigan Hospital
• Lauren Thomas, PharmD, BCPS
  Clinical Pharmacy Specialist – St. Joseph Warren Hospital
• Andrew Thompson, PharmD
  Clinical Pharmacist – Cleveland Clinic Avon Hospital
• Tyler Tomasek, PharmD, BCPS
  Pharmacy Manager – Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital
• Cara Weisenberger, PharmD, BCPS
  Clinical Pharmacist – Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital