Purpose

PGY2 pharmacy residency programs build on Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) education and 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.

The purpose of the Solid Organ Transplant PGY2 Residency at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is to train pharmacists to become specialists in the area of transplantation so they can work independently in an inpatient, outpatient, and/or academic setting after graduation.  The program is designed to develop the resident’s clinical expertise in solid organ transplantation and, additionally, provide opportunities for teaching, research, and quality improvement.

Residency Sites

As one of America’s top ranked academic medical centers, the mission of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (OSUWMC) is to improve people’s lives through innovation in research, education, and patient care. OSUWMC is a 1,506 bed multihospital delivery system recognized in 2018 as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” for excellence in ten specialties by US News and World Report based on quality, outcomes, and reputation.

University Hospital (UH)

University Hospital (UH) is our flagship hospital with over 900 beds. UH is a major referral center for patients throughout Ohio and the Midwest, and is one of the busiest kidney, pancreas, and liver transplant centers in the world. UH is also an international center for neuromodulation research and neurological care. In addition, UH is a level 1 trauma center in addition to being the American Burn Associated verified adult burn center for the region

The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute

The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute is one of the nation’s premier centers for the prevention, detection and treatment of cancer.  OSUWMC features the world’s most advanced cancer and critical care hospital which opened in December of 2014.

With the opening of the new hospital, our institution boasts an Emergency Department (ED) with over 100 beds and an area dedicated specifically to the care of cancer patients within the ED. Medical Intensive Care, Surgical Intensive Care, Neuro Intensive Care, and Cancer specific ICU patient care areas also exist within the new cancer and critical care tower.

The Ross Heart Hospital

The Ross Heart Hospital is a leader in cardiology and heart surgery and is the only nationally ranked heart hospital in the area. Each floor of the 150-bed hospital is dedicated to a specific service, which helps us provide specialized care for every patient. The Ross is one of the largest centers for the implantation of LVAD devices in the world in addition to providing heart and lung transplants.

University Hospitals East (UHE)

University Hospitals East (UHE) blends the friendly atmosphere of a community hospital with the advantages of being a part of a major academic medical center. Located on the eastern edge of downtown Columbus, University Hospital East offers renowned Ohio State services in orthopedic care, emergency services, cancer care, addiction services, ear, nose and throat care, heart care, radiology and imaging services, rehabilitation and wound healing. University Hospital East has a 19 bed mixed medical/surgical ICU.

Harding Hospital/Dodd Hall

In addition, the OSUWMC boasts Harding Hospital, which offers comprehensive inpatient and outpatient mental and behavioral health services in addition to Dodd Hall, which is a nationally recognized and accredited rehabilitation program specializing in stroke, brain, and spinal cord rehabilitation.

The Brain and Spine Hospital

The Brain and Spine Hospital opened in the Fall of 2016 and is a state-of-the-art facility for the advanced management, care and healing of patients with neurological disorders. The hospital consists of 87 private beds and specialized units for stroke and neurovascular, neurotrauma, epilepsy, spine, chronic pain, neuromodulaton, multiple sclerosis, congnitive and movement disorders, as well as an innovative new model for acute spinal cord injuries.

The abdominal transplant clinic is located on the 11^th floor of The Brain and Spine hospital.  It is only a short, indoor walk from the inpatient transplant floor in University Hospital

The Department of Pharmacy

The Department of Pharmacy at The OSUWMC is one of the largest in the country. With over 400 employees, and a practice model that includes both clinical pharmacy generalists and clinical pharmacy specialists, our goal is the provision of outstanding, state of the art care. We advise our staff on the best use of medications, develop safeguards for our patients to prevent medication errors and develop transformative pharmacy practice in health- systems. We are guided in this mission by our strategic plan that focuses on five key priorities: optimizing our pharmacy information system, refining our practice model, enhancing our medication safety program, establishing the pharmacy as a workplace of choice in Central Ohio and refining our academic relationships and department scholarship. Training future generations of pharmacists is a vital part of our mission. Our pharmacists serve as preceptors for our residency programs while providing experiential training for Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) students. Our residency program has a 55-year tradition of excellence with our graduates being well-prepared to work at a high-level in a wide-variety of institutional and ambulatory patient care facilities. The Department of Pharmacy, in partnership with the OSU College of Pharmacy, strives to develop the skills of our residents and provide a residency program that is recognized nationally for the quality and excellence of its graduates.

Key Rotations/Experiences:

Patient care training is the backbone of this residency experience. The practice site is The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Health System including University Hospital, the Ross Heart Hospital, and the outpatient transplant clinic. This PGY2 residency is designed to develop clinical skills in the area of adult solid organ transplantation. Approximately 600 patients receive solid organ transplants (kidney, kidney/pancreas, liver, lung, and/or heart) at OSUWMC each year. Solid organ transplant patients are admitted to various transplant services throughout the hospital: 1) Transplant Surgery/Renal (kidney and/or pancreas transplant patients who are one year or less from transplant); 2) Transplant Surgery/Liver (liver transplant patients who are one year or less from transplant); 3) Congestive Heart Failure/Open Heart Surgery (all heart and lung transplants); 4) Hepatology (liver transplant patients readmitted after transplant) and 5) Transplant Medicine (kidney and/or pancreas transplant patients readmitted after transplant). Required rotations include kidney/pancreas transplant, liver transplant, and lung transplant. Elective rotations may include heart transplant, hepatology, pediatric transplant at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and transplant infectious diseases. The resident will also complete a longitudinal rotation in the outpatient post- transplant clinics, assist in precepting pharmacy students and residents, and participate on various multi-disciplinary committees within the Comprehensive Transplant Center. The opportunity exists to deliver a didactic lecture at The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy. The resident will be expected to complete and publish at least one major research project. The program is intended to be flexible and can be modified depending on the individual resident's interests and needs.

Residency Program Director:

Lauren Vergara (Von Stein), PharmD,  BCTXP

PGY2 Solid Organ Transplant Program Director
Abdominal Transplant Specialty Practice Pharmacist
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

PharmD- Ohio Northern University

PGY1-The Johns Hopkins Hospital

PGY2- The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Preceptors:

Holli Winters, PharmD, BCPS, BCTXP—Abdominal transplantation

Melissa McGowan, PharmD--Abdominal transplantation

Annelise Nolan, PharmD, BCPS, BCTXP--Abdominal transplantation

Lauren Vergara, PharmD, BCTXP—Abdominal transplantation

Bryant Summers, PharmD, BCTXP-Abdominal transplantation

Johanna Papanikolla, PharmD-Abdominal Transplantation

Pamela Burcham, PharmD, BCPS, BCTXP—Lung Transplantation

Tara Fallah, PharmD, BCTXP—Lung Transplantation

Kevin Kissling, PharmD, BCPS—Heart Transplantation

Jessica Smith, PharmD, BCPS—Infectious Diseases

Nikki Tran, PharmD, BCPS—Infectious Diseases

Lynn Wardlow, PharmD, BCPS—Infectious Diseases

Megan Smetana, PharmD, BCPS, BCTXP—Hepatology

 Additional Program Specifics: See website for further information at http://www.osupharmacyresidency.com/

Location:

Columbus, Ohio

Type:

Residency PGY-2 - Experienced

Discipline:

Pharmacy

Preferred Education:

PharmD

Preferred Education:

PharmD

About The Ohio State University

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is one of the largest and most diverse medical centers in the country and the only academic health center in central Ohio. In 2023-2024, the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center was named one of America’s “Best Hospitals” by U.S. News & World Report for the 31st consecutive year and nationally ranked in ten specialties. Forbes named The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center among America’s Best Large Employers and America’s Best Employers for Diversity in 2024. Our strength as an organization is rooted in our commitment to living our shared values and embracing the diversity of our faculty, staff and learners.

Connections working at The Ohio State University