Earlier this summer, I completed a PGY2 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency Program at Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH) in New Haven, CT. To say that my path to where I am today has been non-traditional would be an understatement.
Something else out there for me
After completing my PGY1 Community Care Pharmacy Residency Program at the University of New England in Portland, ME, in partnership with Martin’s Point Health Care and Hannaford Pharmacy, in 2016, I worked in the community setting for 2 weeks and knew it was not a good fit for me. I had gained experience working as a pharmacist in the ambulatory care setting during my PGY1 and loved how it seemed like every day I learned something new. I had considered applying for a PGY2 Ambulatory Care program, but after being in a long-distance relationship for the previous 6 years, I wanted to get my life started, and there were no programs close enough to home.
After those 2 weeks working in the community setting, my then boyfriend (now fiancé) was working at YNHH and heard that they were hiring pharmacists. After a brief phone interview, and an on-site interview, I had fallen in love with the structure of an academic medical center, the plentiful opportunities for teaching and learning, and all of the like-minded employees. Conference attendance, participation in national organizations, and board certification were encouraged, and I felt like this was the type of place where I belonged.
I heard back in a day or 2 after my interview and immediately accepted the opportunity. They offered me a role as a Multispecialty Clinical Pharmacist covering primarily inpatient medicine and surgery shifts with the promise for the occasional opportunity in an anticoagulation clinic. I was skeptical as to whether I could be an excellent clinical pharmacist working in the inpatient setting when all of my PGY1 clinical rotations had been in the ambulatory setting. My hiring manager assured me that I had the skills they were looking for and they could train me and get me up to speed in no time.
A month or so later (and after studying for the Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist exam), I felt more confident and began getting used to the workflow. While I loved that I was learning new things every day, I was always wishing I could help optimize diabetes and antihypertensive regimens, which is naturally less important to inpatient providers during rounds.
Getting a leg up
After working at YNHH for 6 months, a new PGY2 position in ambulatory care was approved and one of my multi-specialty colleagues with significant experience in ambulatory care was promoted into a manager position over ambulatory care. Before this time, there were only two ambulatory dedicated pharmacists working at YNHH. The manager knew of my love for ambulatory care and encouraged me to apply for the position. It was definitely difficult to take a reduction in pay greater than 50%, especially with an upcoming wedding that was planned with a full-time pharmacist’s salary in mind. However, I knew that it was an opportunity I should not pass up. If I wanted to rise up as a leader in ambulatory care as either a hospital administrator or faculty member, I knew that this would give me a leg up.
In the northeast, ambulatory care pharmacy practice is in its infancy. As I was the first PGY2 Ambulatory Care resident at YNHH, I was able to influence my schedule, craft my learning experiences, and play an integral role in creating and expanding ambulatory care clinical pharmacy services. I asked for a longitudinal administrative rotation 1 day per week so that I could be involved in the expansion and development of ambulatory clinical services. I wanted to understand what it takes to expand these services. I knew that this was a once in a lifetime learning experience and I did not let it go to waste.
At the end of the year, I definitely got that leg up. I am now a Senior Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Ambulatory Care and PGY2 Ambulatory Care Residency Program Coordinator. We currently have 15 approved, ambulatory-dedicated positions. This is a huge leap from the two positions that existed when I began my career at YNHH. The opportunity to be a part of this expansion has been incredible, and I am glad that I decided to take a chance (and a pay-cut) to pursue a PGY2 in ambulatory care.