PGY2 Infectious Diseases

PGY2 pharmacy residency programs build on Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) education and PGY1 pharmacy residency programs to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists in specialized areas of practice. PGY2 residencies provide residents with opportunities to function independently as practitioners by conceptualizing and integrating accumulated experience and knowledge and incorporating both into the provision of patient care or other advanced practice settings. Residents who successfully complete an accredited PGY2 pharmacy residency are prepared for advanced patient care, academic, or other specialized positions, along with board certification.

Residents participate in all aspects of care for our patients with infections.

• Interprofessional medical team rounding
• Multiple infectious diseases specialty services
• Facilitation of care transitions for patients
• Automatic consults for pharmacokinetic dosing of antibiotics
• Use of Bayesian dosing software and therapeutic drug monitoring
• Nationally recognized Antimicrobial Stewardship Program
• Development of clinical pathways and protocols
• Assessment of core metrics and patient outcomes
• Education of patients and health care professionals
• Adherence counseling and pre-exposure prophylaxis instruction
• Teaching pharmacy students and being a preceptor

Nebraska Medicine is the clinical partner of the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), which includes the Colleges of Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Dentistry and Allied Health. With an enrollment of over 4,000 students, UNMC is the only public academic health science center in Nebraska and is internationally recognized as a leader in patient care, research and education. The not-for-profit hospital is known for excellence and innovation in medicine.

Nebraska Medicine is licensed for 809 beds between its two campuses and is a Comprehensive Level One trauma center. The resident will be based on the main academic campus of The Nebraska Medical Center. As the primary teaching site for UNMC, Nebraska Medicine is a respected leader in blood and marrow transplantation, cardiac and vascular services, oncology, neurosciences and solid organ transplantation. Nebraska Medicine and the UNMC Division of Infectious Diseases are nationally recognized for their work in antimicrobial stewardship and biocontainment.

In addition to being one of three sites to care for Ebola virus patients in the United States, Nebraska Medicine is recognized as an IDSA Center of Excellence for Antimicrobial Stewardship and is well known for the clinical practice tools shared from the institution’s Antimicrobial Stewardship Program. Recently, Nebraska Medicine established a Remote Antimicrobial Stewardship Support Program to assist small hospitals in the region implement core elements of a successful program. This builds on the success of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Assessment and Promotion (ASAP) outreach program developed with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services to provide support for starting antimicrobial stewardship programs at critical-access hospitals and long-term care facilities. This service was started through a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

From the critically ill neonate to the cancer patient undergoing blood and marrow transplantation, the working relationship between Nebraska Medicine and the UNMC College of Pharmacy provides a solid foundation for a quality pharmacy residency. By combining state-of-the-art research, education and exceptional patient care, we offer the best of both academic and clinical practice.

The program provides an excellent mixture of clinical experiences, and one-on-one interaction with faculty or clinical preceptors plus the flexibility to modify the program to individual needs. In addition, the residency provides many opportunities for educating and being a preceptor students. The end results in pharmacy training actively involving the resident in patient care, leadership, education and research.

Biocontainment training

Home to the newly established National Quarantine Unit at the Davis Global Center for Health Security, UNMC has led the world in care of patients with COVID-19. After monitoring evacuees of the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Feb 2020, the first patients in the NIH study of remdesivir were enrolled at Nebraska Medicine. The PGY2 infectious diseases resident will have the opportunity to work with international experts and guideline authors to take care of patients in a team environment.

Pharmacy informatics

Our Antimicrobial Stewardship Program works with several pharmacists who specialize in informatics to improve clinical decision support. Nebraska Medicine utilizes the Epic Bugsy module to manage infection control and antimicrobial stewardship functions. The PGY2 infectious diseases resident will have the opportunity to collaborate with the pharmacy informatics specialists on projects and learn the logic which is used to improve clinical efficiency and reports.

Leadership development and Fall Retreat

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Committee involvement

Infectious disease residents actively participate in both Pharmacy Department and Antimicrobial Stewardship Committees. Pharmacy department assignments are based on preference and PGY2 residents serve as secretaries for these committees. In the past, Infectious disease residents have enjoyed contributing to the Patient Safety Council and Pharmacy Intern Clinical Training Program in addition to weekly ASP meetings.

Research project

Residents are required to develop and complete a research project. Residents will select a research topic based on their clinical interests. Faculty and clinical staff will present project ideas during orientation. An appropriate preceptor will be selected to guide and supervise the resident. Residents will develop a formal research proposal. If necessary, the resident will submit the proposal for IRB approval. A completed research project form, formal proposal, completed IRB (if required), oral presentation at the Midwest Pharmacy Residency Conference and final written manuscript are required for successful completion of the project.

Participation at professional conferences

Each resident is expected to attend the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists Annual Meeting and IDWeek Scientific Assembly. If previous research is related to infectious diseases, incoming residents are encouraged to submit their projects as an abstract to be presented the year they start PGY2. The goal is for each ID resident complete their PGY2 research and submit it for presentation at a national meeting the year they graduate. At a minimum, they are required to attend and present PGY2 research findings at the Midwest Pharmacy Residents Conference (MPRC) held each spring, unless an alternative presentation is approved by their program director. There each resident in the program will make a brief presentation on their project which will be evaluated by a preceptor from outside of the program.

Pharmacy grand rounds

Each PGY2 resident presents one formal Category 1 Continuing Medical Education (CME) accredited seminar during the residency program. Grand Rounds are scheduled weekly between September through June (excluding portions of December and February). The goal of the seminar is to improve the resident’s communication skills and techniques, literature evaluation and understanding of the continuing education process. PGY2 pharmacy residents go first to be model these skills for the PGY1 residents and students in the audience. The topic will be selected by the resident with guidance from the RPD, or pharmacist preceptor.

ID journal club

Journal clubs are held monthly for infectious diseases, infection prevention, antimicrobial stewardship and clinical microbiology personnel. Residents will participate in these regularly and present at least one Journal Club formally during the residency year to faculty and staff. This will include a self-evaluation and a formal evaluation. Residents may be asked on rotations to formally present additional journal articles that pertain to the care of patients.

ID case conference

There is a citywide infectious diseases case conference held weekly at hospitals in Omaha.  The resident will attend regularly to learn from the infectious diseases physicians and trainees. These cases revolve around unusual infection topics, and include primary literature review for a case in which the presenting resident or fellow was directly involved.

Teaching opportunities for pharmacy residents

The pharmacy teaching certificate program is voluntary for PGY2 residents, but strongly encouraged if the resident did not a similar program as a PGY1. Those looking for a more advanced training can participate in the Health Educators and Academic Leaders (HEAL) curriculum with the Department of Internal Medicine. Regardless of enrollment, the resident will teach a class and laboratory activity for pharmacy students during the Infectious Diseases section of the Pharmacotherapy course at UNMC College of Pharmacy.

This experience can build confidence and promote the effectiveness of the resident as a teacher. Each resident will work under the guidance of a preceptor and experienced faculty member. These activities will occur even if not enrolled in the Teaching Certificate Program for Pharmacy Residents.

Chief pharmacy resident

The chief pharmacy resident is a specialty pharmacy resident (PGY2) who coordinates and keeps track of activities associated with all concurrent pharmacy residents. The chief resident also provides leadership, support and encouragement to all residents as a peer in clinical practice. The chief pharmacy resident serves as the secretary on the Residency Advisory Committee (RAC) and works closely with all program directors.

Rotations are designed to integrate clinical practice, teaching, and research. Throughout the year, residents participate in several longitudinal experiences to further enhance their training and have the option to complete several additional activities to enhance their learning.

Required rotations

• Orientation to Antimicrobial Stewardship and Clinical Microbiology (July)
• General Infectious Diseases - Teaching Service (3 months)
• Antimicrobial Stewardship (2 months)
• Antimicrobial Stewardship Outreach  (1 month)
  • Community Hospital and Long-Term Care Facility support in collaboration with staff from Nebraska Dept. of Health and Human Services
• Orthopedic Infectious Diseases and Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy Program (1 month)
• Oncology Infectious Diseases (1 month)
• Transplant Infectious Diseases (1 month)
• Research Project (December and Longitudinal)

Elective rotations

• Pediatric Infectious Diseases
• Immunocompromised Infectious Diseases (Additional month of Oncology or Transplant ID Service)

Longitudinal experiences

• HIV Ambulatory Care Clinic
• Medication Use and Policy (MUE and formulary review)
• Pharmacy Practice and Management (includes staffing Antimicrobial Stewardship Program)
• Teaching and Pharmacy Grand Rounds

PGY2 residents are required to fulfill a service commitment through staffing designed to ensure that new practitioners gain enough experience to function as competent clinical specialists. Orientation will take place during the first month of residency and each resident will train with qualified preceptors. At the conclusion of the orientation period, the designated preceptors and the resident will mutually determine if the resident is ready to function independently as a pharmacist.

As part of the pharmacy practice and management learning experience for PGY2 residents, the following staffing requirements apply:

1. The PGY2 Infectious Diseases resident will staff 32 shifts (i.e. every third weekend).
2. PGY2 ID resident must work two holidays.
3. Staffing will occur primarily in the resident’s specialty area of training, the antimicrobial stewardship program.

Current Resident

Residency Program Director

Scott Bergman, PharmD, FCCP, FIDSA, BCIDP
Pharmacy Coordinator – Antimicrobial Stewardship, Nebraska Medicine

Clinical Professor – Infectious Diseases, UNMC College of Pharmacy
981090 Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, NE 68198-1090
Phone: (402)-559-4149; Fax: (402) 559-3000
Email: scbergman@nebraskamed.com