In this article, five key skills for pharmacy residents are identified and discussed.
Authored by: Asma Alamri, Pharm.D. & Huda Almalki, Pharm.D.
Post-Graduate Year-1 Pharmacy Residents, Taif Health Cluster, Saudi Arabia
Mentored by: Sameer Alzaidi, Pharm.D., BCPS, BCIDP, AAHIVP
System-Wide Post-Graduate Year-1 Pharmacy Residency Program Director, Taif Health Cluster, Saudi Arabia
***UNDER CONSTRUCTION***
Article Posted January 2024
According to the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP a residency is a postgraduate training program that enables a pharmacist to practice as a licensed practitioner while undergoing supervision from an experienced preceptor [1]. A post-graduate year-1 residency (PGY1) is viewed by many as equivalent to practicing as a pharmacist for 3 years. Pharmacists can complete a general PGY1 and then have the option to specialize in an area of interest (e.g., infectious diseases) by completing a PGY2.
Residency training enhances inter-professional collaboration, builds confidence on both personal and professional level, offers opportunities to advocate for the pharmacy profession, and expands clinical decision-making skills. The pharmacy profession is evolving and becoming more clinically focused in addition to playing a key role in dispensing medications. Pharmacy residents have the chance to practice at the top of their license and deliver outstanding patient care. Completing a pharmacy residency can make a pharmacist a more desirable prospect for employment [2].
Saudi Arabia’s Pharmacy Practice Residency Program aims to enhance the clinical and professional skills of Saudi pharmacists, providing them with the essential knowledge and experience to thrive in a variety of healthcare environments. Thes program, accredited by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS), aims to develop competent and confident pharmacy practitioners who can provide high-quality patient care, engage in clinical research, and contribute to the healthcare system’s overall improvement. In Saudi Arabia the program was established in 1997 at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSH&RC) in Riyadh [3].
The Pharmacy Practice Residency Program in Saudi Arabia has come a long way from its first program that was initiated in 1997. There has been an increase in the number of centers throughout Saudi Arabia that offer a pharmacy practice residency to various areas. This growth has paved the way for the establishment of a well-trained clinical pharmacist workforce, which is a vital component for the healthcare system. Such progress does not only benefit the residents, but also greatly adds to the quality of the care and safety given to patients in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
In this article, speaking as current PGY1 pharmacy residents at Taif Health Cluster-Saudi Arabia, we identify and discuss 5 key skills to be successful during your residency.
1. Direct patient care skills
It takes time and practice for pharmacy residents to develop skills which enable them to create individualized patient care plans. This is a core skillset that all pharmacist residents must demonstrate competency in. We have learned that commitment and dedication are key to maintaining progress in this area. Keeping the patient at the center of our mission allows us to devote our time and energy towards developing patient care skills.
Pharmacist-to-patient ratios may not be favorable for clinical pharmacists and that poses several challenges related to workload capacity. During residency it is important for pharmacists to practice and refine skills that will enable them to succeed in dynamic practice environments where they may find themselves in high demand.
We start with the intent that we will treat each patient differently, bring evidence-based medicine in our day-to-day conversation and tailoring our work to meet the needs of the unique patient case. Our goals are to prove our values as young practitioners in individualizing care and be an active member of the team regardless of how many patients we have. We believe this is the essential step for us to make leaders and stallholders appreciate the role of clinical pharmacist. Once we establish our credibility as young practitioners, we can drive the profession to the right direction.
2. Workload and time management skills
Residents have a variety of responsibilities and their approach to completing their task lists must evolve over time, as guided by priorities, deadlines, and their mentors.
Residents need to strengthen their soft skills (e.g., time management, prioritizing their workload) as they navigate their many residency program requirements. It is normal to feel lost and overwhelmed, especially in the first few months, we have certainly experienced this and know others have too. Focusing energy on developing time management skills and staying organized will ease stressors.
We highly recommend creating an electronic calendar and continuously assessing which items are the highest priority. prioritize your workload. Maintaining an open dialogue with preceptors, mentors, and the residency program director is also important. Residents should also be mindful to attempt to be self-aware about how they can improve on their organization skills. The resident who assumes they have no room for improvement will surely struggle more.
3. Learning and knowledge application skills
During the first few months of our residency, we faced a massive challenge as we transitioned from intern to a pharmacist resident. This transition was difficult, because we realized acquiring the knowledge to work in clinical pharmacy was totally different than how we approached achieving success on our tasks as interns.
Residents need to rely on self-directed learning, self-awareness, have autonomy, and continue to be motivated to do what it takes to achieve their goals. Residents should not expect any spoon feeding, but do expect that preceptors are there to facilitate the learning process, within reason.
A few hours after a topic discussion, residents may realize that they can recall only a few concepts. Learning takes practice and repetition. Most of the information will be stored in the short-term memory for a short time. However, we have found the most effective model of acquiring knowledge is to learn and teach the concepts. This aligns with a popular teaching philosophy – Learn One, Do One, Teach One.
Once residents solidify concepts, they should seek to apply them to real life situations (via skill number one above). Other important skills are problem solving and critical thinking. There are intricate problems that call for problem-solving skills that go beyond textbooks. It requires deep clinical knowledge and relies primarily on the primary literature. Preceptors and mentors are likely to be the best resources for pharmacy residents to observe role modeling when it comes to critical thinking. From there residents can adopt elements of their preceptor’s style to develop their own skillsets.
4. Professional growth skills
Professional development is vital for all pharmacy residents. We continue learning and acquiring new knowledge every single day. There is no specific time in the career career of a pharmacy resident where they can stop learning or acquiring new skills.
One important step in professional growth for all residents is to create professional development plan. We did not realize how important this was until we started our residency. We usually reflect on our performance and take all experiences as a professional growth. Regardless of how good or bad this experience, we must learn from it and carry on the lesson we learned. We must take every opportunity as they arise and challenge ourselves. Professional growth comes from challenges, making mistakes, and being receptive for criticism; these can be distressing at first, but they are ultimately rewarding.
Current or future residents may want to check out this article, which provides guidance on how to write a personal mission statement.
5. Resiliency skills and wellness
Residency is not easy. To succeed as a resident takes persistence and a capacity to remain motivated. They also should practice wellness activities to stave off burnout.
We heard about resilience for the first time during COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic taught us a lot about this. Resilience is not a skill that we are all born with. It is a skill that we can develop and improve as we learn to cope with stress and work anxiety.
We still remember how difficult our first staffing shifts were. We felt stressful and our anxiety levels were high. By taking time to understand our emotions and being self-aware, we were able to adapt to the new staffing model. As residents progress through their program, they may gain more autonomy and be more independent. While progress is good, this evolution may also contribute to stress and burnout. Being aware of the importance of resiliency is crucial for pharmacy residents, so they can seek out new skills such as flexibility and adaptability. Preceptors and mentors will be a key support group for resiliency and wellness, however co-residents may also be an important element to this support structure.
Closing Comments
Pharmacy residencies offer a variety of benefits to future clinical pharmacists who seek to advance their skillset. It is an exciting time to enter the world of clinical pharmacy and we look forward to leveraging our skills to innovate in the field of clinical pharmacy, committing ourselves to the best patient care by practicing at the top of our licenses.
References
1. What Is a Residency and How Do I Get One? American College of Clinical Pharmacy.
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