Curriculum
The curriculum is designed to augment and refine clinical competency, provide evidence-based pharmacotherapeutic care plans, and develop confidence as an independent ambulatory care practitioner. Learning experiences will facilitate residents in mastering the Comprehensive Medication Management practice model and to disseminate knowledge to learners and peers. There are several features of the curriculum that support these objectives.
Residents devote much of their time to training as a member of the interdisciplinary team who is embedded within the practice. This allows the development of meaningful relationships that are critical to providing optimal patient care and building an ambulatory care practice. The provision of patient-specific pharmaceutical care services includes development of individualized care and monitoring plans for various patient populations. After coaching, instruction, and modeling by a preceptor, residents are assessed and constructively critiqued on how to further refine the delivery of evidence-based recommendations.
In contrast to a traditional "blocked" schedule for learning experiences, our program is divided into longer, more longitudinal, learning experiences. This fosters opportunities for longitudinal patient management, as a partner in achieving chronic disease or other health goals. This approach also more closely mirrors the experience of a new practitioner as they embark on independent practice. Another important feature of this design is flexibility in resident’s schedule, creating opportunity for individualized learning, flexibility in choosing electives, and dedicated time for self-directed learning. Some travel is required among regional health system sites. For more details, contact the program director.
Required learning experiences
| Area | Length |
|---|---|
| Orientation | 2 months |
| Patient care | 4 months |
| Advanced patient care | 6 months |
| Research and quality improvement | Longitudinal, 12 months |
| Teaching, learning, and precepting | Longitudinal, 12 months |
Elective learning experiences
Electives are available in a variety of outpatient settings that allow you to tailor the program to your professional needs and interests. Some examples are listed below. Additional electives may be available upon request.
- Ambulatory care oncology
- Cardiology
- Clinical pharmacogenomics*
- Hybrid role at critical access (rural) sites
- Infectious disease
*Rochester, MN based electives that may be completed virtually and require MN graduate intern license
Quality improvement training
All residents are required to complete a quality improvement (QI) project during the residency year. The goal of the QI project is to develop a systematic process designed to determine, improve, and maintain the appropriate and effective use of medications. As a resident, you will have a mentor and are required to complete QI education and training through the Mayo Clinic Quality Academy.
Staffing commitment
All PGY-2 residents provide 24 hours of staffing every four weeks. Staffing will primarily occur in our Family Medicine clinics during typical weekday clinic hours. This will primarily be at our Chippewa Falls and Barron locations but may also include other locations across the Northwest Wisconsin region. At this time, we can’t exclude the option of weekend and evening experiences to maintain operational and clinical pharmacy competency and knowledge. No formal on-call program exists.
Curriculum enhancements
The Department of Pharmacy and Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences are committed to developing and maintaining the best education programs. The curriculum and other aspects of this program are assessed constantly and changed as necessary to ensure the highest quality training.