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PGY2 in Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacy Residency

The PGY2 Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacy Residency at UF Health Shands Hospital is a 52-week program that builds on Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and PGY1 pharmacy residency programs to provide specialized training in the delivery of pharmaceutical care for solid organ transplant recipients and living donors. Through comprehensive clinical experiences, residents become integral members of interdisciplinary transplant teams, managing complex medication therapies from pre-transplant evaluation through long-term post-transplant care. Graduates emerge as leaders in optimizing medication use, developing evidence-based protocols, educating patients and healthcare professionals, and advancing transplant research and outcomes. Residents who successfully complete an accredited PGY2 pharmacy residency are prepared for advanced patient care, academic, or other specialized positions, along with board certification.

Program

The University of Florida Health Shands PGY2 Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacy Residency is a 52-week training program that begins approximately each July. Completion of the residency requirements leads to a Certificate of Completion of a Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacy Residency Program.

The residency program includes experiences in solid organ transplant pharmacy practice and related areas as well as scholarly activity.

Rotation experiences

  • Orientation [2-4 weeks*]

  • Kidney Transplant [4-6 weeks]

  • Liver Transplant [4-6 weeks]

  • Heart Transplant [4-6 weeks]

  • Medical Lung Transplant [4-6 weeks]

  • Surgical Lung Transplant [4-6 weeks]

  • Transplant Infectious Diseases [4-6 weeks]

  • Abdominal Transplant Ambulatory Care [4-6 weeks]

  • Advanced Heart Failure and Heart Transplant Ambulatory Care [4-6 weeks]

*Orientation may be abbreviated if resident has early committed as a PGY1 resident.

Required longitudinal experiences

  • Research [52 weeks]

  • Medication Use Evaluation [40 weeks]

  • Practice Management [52 weeks]

  • Staffing [52 weeks]

  • Fall Grand Rounds [10-12 weeks]

  • Spring Grand Rounds [10-12 weeks]

Elective experiences [4-6 weeks]

  • Nutrition Support

  • Surgical Intensive Care Unit

  • Thoracic & Lung Transplant Intensive Care Unit

  • Cardiac Critical Care Unit

  • Advanced Kidney Transplant

  • Advanced Liver Transplant

  • Advanced Medical Lung Transplant

  • Advanced Surgical Lung Transplant

  • Advanced Heart Transplant

  • Other/Repeat (with RPD approval)

Program responsibilities

Staffing responsibilities

Each resident will have staffing responsibilities in order to develop and strengthen his/her professional practice skills. PGY2 Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacy Residents contribute, on average, 8 hours per week to departmental staffing and solid organ transplant clinical coverage. Approximately every third weekend, the SOT PGY2 resident will staff a 4-hour clinical shift followed by an 8-hour satellite shift on both Saturday and Sunday (estimated total time: 0800–2100 each day). The resident will also provide clinical on-call coverage Monday through Sunday, 0700–2100, beginning the week immediately preceding their scheduled staffing weekend. As staffing patterns change, the location and time the resident staffs may also change. The time commitment will, however, not change.

Within one week of the required staffing shift, as compensation, the resident will be granted 8 hours of compensation time to be out of the hospital. These hours are to be scheduled as agreed upon by the resident and RPD. On the first day of all rotations, the resident will notify each preceptor of staffing obligations and anticipated compensation time during the rotation period.

Pharmacy residents participate in holiday staffing of the department on an equal basis with other pharmacists and are scheduled to staff one major holiday block (Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year's). Each resident will also be scheduled to staff one to two minor holiday blocks (Memorial Day, Labor Day, etc.). When staffing a major holiday block, the resident is eligible for 4 hours compensation time for their normal weekend hours and then any additional holiday time is compensated on an equal hour basis. For example, if the resident staffs a Thanksgiving block which includes four full days, the resident would be eligible for 2.5 compensation days. The normal 4 hour compensation time should occur within one week of the staffed holiday. Additional holiday compensation time must be used within 6 months as per policy.

The PGY2 Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacy Resident must staff a minimum of 28 weekend staffing shifts to complete residency requirements.

On-call responsibilities

Clinical on-call

The PGY2 Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacy Resident will be a member of the Integrated Care Clinical On-Call group and will participate in the rotating on-call schedule. Clinical on-call coverage will be provided Monday through Sunday, 0700–2100, beginning the week immediately preceding their scheduled staffing weekend. During this week, the resident will field solid organ transplant clinical questions and triage pharmacy escalations. The PGY2 Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacy Resident must be on-call for a minimum of 14 clinical on-call shifts per year to complete residency requirements.

Weekday evening shift staffing on-call

Each PGY2 resident will be responsible for staffing on-call coverage on a rotating basis. If a resident is on pre-approved PTO, they are responsible for arranging alternative on-call coverage. The resident will be utilized only after staffing on-call coverage procedures fail and will be assigned to their respective satellite or other areas they have received previous training. The on-call responsibility is in effect Monday through Friday only (pre-defined days that the residents are excused from staffing on-call coverage are listed in policy 04-02). A resident will only be used up to one time per week to provide staffing coverage, if needed, and not to exceed one time per month per resident. The resident must remain local and accessible during the entire period of time via their pager or cell phone so that an administrator may reach them. The resident will receive additional pay at a pharmacist rate for the hours worked during an off-hours call. The PGY2 Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacy Resident must be on-call for a minimum of 6 weekday evening staffing on-call shifts per year to complete residency requirements.

PGY2 Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacy Residency Certificate

The PGY2 Solid Organ Transplant residency certificate will be awarded upon successful completion of residency requirements as identified through the Successful Completion Checklist. In order to successfully complete the residency program and receive a certificate, the resident must:

  • Verification of PGY1 residency completion prior to the PGY2 residency start date, with the PGY1 certificate uploaded into PharmAcademic within 30 days of the start date.

  • Obtain and maintain Florida Pharmacist Licensure. Residents who have failed to obtain licensure within 90 days of the start of the residency will be dismissed from the program

  • Successfully complete all University of Florida Health Shands PGY2 Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacy Residency required rotations

  • Achieve for the Residency Year (ACHR) 80% of the required PGY2 Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacy Residency learning objectives

  • Completion of ASHP PGY2 Solid Organ Transplant Competency, Goals, and Objectives Deliverables

  • Complete a longitudinal research project, including authoring a complete manuscript suitable for publication (at least 1 draft of manuscript completed prior to graduation)

  • Present at American Transplant Congress or equivalent conference per Residency Program Director discretion

  • Conduct a medication use evaluation, including a presentation of findings to the UF Health Shands PGY2 Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacy Residency Advisory Committee, at minimum

  • Complete and present a Fall Grand Rounds and Spring Grand Rounds

  • Create or revise a protocol or treatment guideline or complete a drug class review or monograph

  • Complete the ASHP PGY2 Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacy Residency Appendix

  • Complete a minimum of 28 staffing shifts, a minimum of 14 clinical on-call shifts, and a minimum of 6 weekday evening staffing on-call shifts

The program will not award a Residency Certificate more than 45 days beyond the official completion date of the program.

Stipend

The resident will receive a $56,368 stipend paid by UF Health Shands Hospital. The stipend, coupled with the comparatively low cost of living in Gainesville, should ensure a financially sufficient year.

Benefits

Hospital benefits include:

  • Ten days of paid time off
  • Nine paid holidays
  • Contributory health insurance
  • Paid life insurance
  • Administrative leave for professional meetings and interviews

Requirements

  • Academic: The applicant must be a graduate 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 and have successfully completed or be in the process of completing an ASHP-Accredited or candidate-status Post-Graduate Year One residency.
  • Professional License: All residents must be eligible for Florida licensure. Residents who have failed to obtain licensure within 90 days of the start of the residency will be dismissed from the program.
  • Interview: An interview is required.
  • Foreign Applicants: To be considered for employment, you must presently have an employment authorization that is valid throughout the residency period.

Applications

  • Interested applicants must register for the Resident Matching Program.
  • Submit all applications through PhORCAS.
  • Final deadline for completed applications is January 2nd, 2026
  • Complete applications include:
  1. Transcript of the applicant’s grades
  2. Letter of intent
  3. Current curriculum vitae
  4. Standardized Reference Forms supplied by PhORCAS from three (3) professional sources
  • After completed applications have been reviewed, the residency selection committee will notify selected applicants to arrange an on-site interview.
  • Official start date for the residency: June 29, 2026

Residency Program Director

Danielle McKimmy, PharmD, BCTXP

  • Program Director
  • Abdominal Solid Organ Transplant Clinical Specialist
  • UF Health Shands Hospital
  • 1600 SW Archer Road C/O Department of Pharmacy Box
  • 100316 Gainesville, FL 32610-0316
  • UFHealth.org/pharmacy-residency-program