Denver Colorado

St. Joseph PGY1 Pharmacy Residency

Residents of St. Joseph Hospital's PGY-1 pharmacy residency program gain an extensive health-system knowledge base and are prepared for leadership roles.

Residency manual
female pharmacist at computer

About our program

Saint Joseph Hospital Department of Pharmacy is currently recruiting for 3 pharmacy residents (PGY-1). The resident candidate should be highly motivated and an effective communicator. Hospital Pharmacy experience is desired, but not required. The candidate must be licensed in the State of Colorado to practice pharmacy. The residency has been accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).

Pharmacists completing SJH’s PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency will be efficient and effective members of the healthcare team in both inpatient and ambulatory settings. They will be expected to be both competent and confident in the provision of information to fellow pharmacists and technicians, pharmacy students, attending and resident physicians, other healthcare professionals, patients and community members, and they will be advocates of patient safety within the institution.

The Residents will monitor their performance and professional development throughout the year using formal evaluation tools and will be accountable for developing professional maturity, optimizing drug therapy, and enhancing medication use policies which will increase their future marketability as a pharmacy professional.

Program contact

Have questions? Reach out to our program director, Norman Kwong, PharmD, BCPS.

303-866-8679Email us
Saint Joseph Hospital

Where we train

Saint Joseph Hospital was founded in Denver in 1873 by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth as the first private teaching hospital in Colorado. Today, it remains the largest private teaching hospital in Denver. The hospital provides a tradition of healthcare that includes compassionate caregivers, stellar clinical expertise and active clinical partnerships with National Jewish Health and community physicians.

More about our hospital

Program details

Everything you need to know about our program and what to expect.

Our residency program at Saint Joseph Hospital is designed to equip residents with the skills and knowledge necessary to confidently perform in a wide variety of clinical pharmacy positions.

Rotations

Application Deadline

  • All application information must be received in PhORCAS prior to 10 pm MST on January 2nd, 2025

Applicants must submit the following information through the PhORCAS system:

  • PhORCAS standard residency application
  • Expected to obtain Pharmacist licensure within the first 90 days in the state of the residency program
  • Current curriculum vitae
  • Three recommendations (per standard PhORCAS form)
  • Letter of intent
  • College of pharmacy transcripts
  • Supplemental Essay - Choose one of the two questions below to answer in 250 words or less
    • Tell us about a mistake that you learned from. What did you learn?
    • If you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring two drugs, which drugs would you bring and why?

The residents will participate in the staffing of the pharmacy every third weekend. Generally, staffing will be an eight-hour shift on Saturday and Sunday. The staffing requirement for the residency is not considered a major focus but provides a valuable development experience.

Resident Salary

  • Approximate PGY1 stipend: $61,000 per year

Pharmacy Resident Benefits

  • Classified as full-time employees of Intermountain Health
  • Paid a competitive resident salary
  • Eligible to receive a complete benefits package including retirement, health, dental, vision and life insurance
  • PTO is accrued at the rate according to hospital policy (currently approximately 25 days per year). This rate is subject to adjustment. The resident should generally expect to use ≤ 18 days of PTO during the residency year and may not use more than 25 days
  • Access to other employee benefits such as the employee wellness program, Employee Assistance Program (EAP) support, and the employee discount program.

Professional Development

  • Intermountain Health will provide travel support for one professional conference. Options may include ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting or Pharmacy Futures Meeting, Pediatric Pharmacy Association (PPA) Annual Meeting, or other specialty conference such as Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM)
  • In addition, internal CE and other professional development opportunities are offered on a regular basis.

Please visit our Employee Benefits page to learn more about benefits offered to Intermountain Health caregivers

Research

Complete one longitudinal research project suitable for publication during the residency year. Successful completion incorporates the following elements:

  • Identify research topic
  • Formulate study design and data collection form
  • Submit project for Institutional Review Board approval
  • Complete data collection and analysis
  • Write manuscript
  • Poster presentation
  • Podium presentation

Teaching Opportunities

  • Prepare and present a 1-hour seminar at home facility for pharmacists
  • Prepare and present a 1-hour, system-wide broadcasted ACPE-accredited presentation for pharmacists and technicians
  • Develop and deliver one platform presentation and one poster presentation at a regional, state, national or other approved conference meeting
  • Complete Teaching Certificate

Longitudinal Didactic Education (Core Curriculum)

Residents attend regular education sessions to support their growth as a pharmacy practitioner, develop "soft skills," promote resident collaboration, and enhance overall wellness. Example training domains include the following:

  • Clinical skills and pearls
  • Leadership skills
  • Professional skills
  • Research skills
  • Teaching skills
  • Wellness skills

Our residents

Meet our current classes of residents

Meet our residents
pharmacists
Streets of Denver, CO

Living in Denver

Denver is a wonderful place for residents and fellows to live thanks to its proximity to the Rocky Mountains, as well as being in the heart of a vibrant city with world-class amenities. Additionally, our trainees are part of a small and dedicated work family. The community we have built among our attending physicians, residents, fellows, and staff makes our program both incredibly supportive and incredibly strong.

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