Solid Organ Transplantation Specialty Residency

• Orientation/training/research: 2-4 weeks (duration determined by the resident’s previous work experience)
• Inpatient Abdominal Transplant/Hepatology: 2 blocks of 4-6 weeks
• Inpatient Cardiothoracic Transplant: 2 blocks of 4-6 weeks
• Ambulatory Care Clinics for Abdominal and Cardiothoracic Transplant: 5 weeks
• Electives: 3 blocks of 5 weeks
• Staffing: 12 weekends throughout the year (~1 shift/month) including 1 minor holiday plus 1 major holiday
• Research project, Immunology Lab, and Life Sharing: 4 weeks

There will be a total of 6 rotations that the resident can choose their three electives from. The electives can be selected from the list below and any of the transplant rotations may be repeated as an elective.

Teaching is a large component of our program. PGY2 residents will have many opportunities to precept/teach, and their training will include learning how to incorporate teaching into their clinical responsibilities. UC San Diego is a teaching institution affiliated with UCSD Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SSPPS) and UCSD School of Medicine. The PGY2 resident will have multiple opportunities to precept 4th year SSPPS pharmacy students and PGY1 pharmacy practice residents, as well as to work with UCSD multidisciplinary transplant team to provide inservices on medication related issues. Additionally, focus is placed on teaching patients and care givers pre and post-transplant in both the inpatient and outpatient setting.

Grand Rounds: The resident will deliver a 1-hour CE lecture to the pharmacy staff regarding a topic in transplantation. Presentations are accredited for continuing education through California Accreditation for Pharmacy Education (CAPE).

Transplant Journal Club/Patient Support Groups: Residents are required to present at least 1 transplant journal club and 1 patient support group throughout the year. The resident will also be given multiple opportunities to provide inservices to other healthcare providers throughout the year.

Transplant Morning Conference/Topic Discussions: During the transplant rotations, the resident will lead/coordinate the transplant pharmacy conference with the students and PGY1 residents that are on the transplant rotation. A calendar of topics is scheduled in advance and the resident will have the opportunity to lead discussion on various topics including (but not limited to): immunosuppressive agents, opportunistic infections, acute kidney injury, HCV/HBV, HTN/Proteinurea, BK nephropathy, DM post-transplant, and anemia. Leading the conference provides residents the opportunity to practice a variety of teaching styles and improves their understanding of and ability to teach fundamental transplant topics.

Skagg’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences: Involvement with UCSD’s School of Pharmacy will vary but the resident may choose to be a conference leader for one of the 3rd year therapeutics courses and/or provide didactic lectures. The resident may be asked to write cases for therapeutics conference and prepare exam questions based on the lectures presented. Residents will also have multiple opportunities to directly precept 4th year pharmacy students who are currently on rotation with the resident.

PGY2 residents have the option of participating in the San Diego Pharmacy Residency Leaders (SDPRL) Teaching Certificate Program which includes a seminar series with residents from other county-wide residency programs. Seminar topics will focus on teaching and preceptor development. Alternatively, residents may select certain seminars to attend based on their interest areas.

The resident will be responsible for conducting 1 research project throughout the academic year that will be presented at a conference and written up in manuscript form. A list of project ideas will be generated from the transplant preceptors for selection during the first month of the residency year. The resident will also complete a Quality Improvement project during the year. The project may include updating/implementing transplant protocols, assisting with the development of transplant care plans or implementing quality improvement projects to improve patient care.

The resident will participate in select hospital and transplant committees throughout the year. This will include participation in the transplant teams selection and quality assurance committees.

The resident will be required to write a manuscript suitable for publication by the end of their residency year. The purpose of this requirement will be the development of scientific writing and communication skills. The types of publishable literature can include any of the following types of manuscripts:

• Case reports with a review of the literature
• Primary research /original research
• Medication Use Evaluation
• Meta-analysis of a disease state or therapy
• Review article

Staffing will be incorporated into the residency experience with weekend shifts that provide the opportunity for PGY2 residents to cover the inpatient transplant services. The PGY2 residents will be required to staff 12 weekends (which includes 1 minor holiday weekend) PLUS 1 major holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s). The resident will get 13 paid days for holidays and 12 sick days for the academic year. Vacation time will be in accordance with GME rules and will be defined as 20 days of vacation PLUS 5 days for professional leave to attend meetings or conferences.

The residents will have the opportunity to attend various professional meetings throughout the year. Residents receive an annual travel stipend that is variable based on available funding. In the past, residents have received a set stipend for the year which they can use at their discretion for registration, travel, accommodations, etc. Residents are encouraged to attend a specialty meeting (e.g. American Transplant Congress, ISHLT).