Build on your pharmacy school education, gain clinical experience, and grow as a professional at Essentia Health. The Essentia Health-St. Mary's Medical Center Acute Pharmacy Residency Program in Duluth, Minnesota, can help prepare you for a career in patient-focused pharmaceutical care.

Accredited PGY1 Pharmacy Residency

Receive education and training that meets national quality standards. Our postgraduate year one residency program is accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). That means you’ll be eligible to take your board examinations more quickly and you’ll be a more competitive candidate during your job search.

Upon completing your residency, you’ll be qualified for:

• A clinical staff position in an acute care setting
• An adjunct faculty position at a college of pharmacy
• Postgraduate year two (PGY2) training in a focused area of practice

Be Part of the Care Team

Benefit from opportunities to collaborate with health care professionals at Essentia to provide safe, efficient, cost-effective patient care, including:

• Antimicrobial (including antibiotic) stewardship
• Blood thinner dosing and monitoring
• Code Blue response
• Geriatric dosage adjustment
• Intravenous (IV) to oral (PO) conversion
• Medication reconciliation
• Order verification
• Pharmacokinetic dosage adjustment
• Renal dose adjustment
• Parenteral nutrition (PN) management

Pharmacy Rotations

Develop skills as a practicing pharmacist during rotation assignments across a variety of departments at St. Mary’s Medical Center.

Required Rotations

Build foundational skills through core clinical rotations:

• Cardiology (4 weeks)
• Critical care (6 weeks)
• Medical and surgical care (4 weeks)
• Pediatrics (4 weeks)
• Oncology supportive care (4 weeks)
• Orientation to Hospital Practice (6 weeks)

Elective Rotations

Explore your interests, gain exposure to a wide range of specialties, or get additional experience in an area you enjoy with three elective rotations. Select from:

• Ambulatory care (4 weeks)
• Antimicrobial stewardship (4 weeks)
• Behavioral health (4 weeks)
• Critical access and rural hospitals (4 weeks)
• Critical care (4 weeks)
• Emergency medicine (4 weeks)
• Medical and surgical care (4 weeks)
• Transitions of care (4 weeks)

Longitudinal Rotations

Participate in ongoing learning experiences throughout your residency year with longitudinal rotations in:

• Pharmacy administration/leadership (11 months)
• Teaching (10 months)
• Research (11 months)
• Drug information (12 months)

Teaching Experience

Get experience as an instructor during a semester as a teaching assistant at the University of Minnesota Duluth College of Pharmacy.

Research Experience

Take advantage of weekly protected research time to complete a research module—a structured, collaborative opportunity to learn and apply principles of academic research.

Project Experience

Spend approximately five weeks participating in projects, such as:

• Clinical projects
• Administrative projects
• Formulary medication or class review
• Medication use evaluation
• Journal clubs
• Case presentations
• Committee membership

Staffing Opportunities

Apply your pharmaceutical knowledge and distribution skills by practicing as a pharmacist during regular shifts at an Essentia pharmacy. You’ll work:

• Staffing shifts on every third weekend
• Three staffing weeks spaced throughout the year
• Two holidays, such as Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day, Easter, or Memorial Day