INNOVATIVE RESIDENCY MODELS

To support the development of innovative residency models that meet ASHP accreditation requirements.

Rationale

A growing number of residency programs have developed residency positions that are “nontraditional,” in that they do not occur in a contiguous 12-month period beginning in July and finishing the following June. Some of these innovative programs schedule the participant for one month as a resident, followed by two months as staff, with this cycle repeated over a three-year period. This allows some individuals, usually experienced individuals already on staff at the institution, to complete a residency while maintaining a more consistent work schedule and lifestyle. Some other settings have adopted a model geared toward new graduates, alternating months between residency rotation and staffing.

The concept of innovative, nontraditional residencies allows another way for established pharmacists to obtain a pharmacy residency when a conventional 12-month contiguous program is not possible. The Council, Board, and House expressed support for this model as long as ASHP accreditation standards and residency goals and objectives are utilized as they would be in a conventional program.