Key Rotations/Experiences

The PGY2 Pain Management and Palliative Care resident pharmacist will develop the skills to become an expert in pain and symptom management in patients with diverse disease states, through clinical experiences in various practice areas and at different practice areas. Training plans will be customized to best support the resident pharmacist in achieving his or her interests and career goals.

Opportunities include:

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics

  • Acute/Interventional Pain Management
  • Outpatient/Peri-operative Pain Management
  • Inpatient Palliative Care Consult Service
  • Inpatient Palliative Care Unit
  • Outpatient Palliative Care Clinic
    • The UIHC Palliative Care Service supports adult patients, families, and healthcare providers across the UIHC continuum. As the ninth palliative care program in the country to achieve Joint Commission accreditation, it provides high quality, interdisciplinary palliative care to patients, and their families, who are living with persistent or recurring serious illness that adversely affect daily functioning or will predictably reduce life expectancy. The Outpatient Palliative Care Clinic, housed within the Medical Specialties clinic, is an essential component of the palliative care continuum of care. Many patients are referred from inpatient admissions, and some are admitted to the inpatient palliative care unit for severe symptom management, providing an opportunity to assist in care transitions. Patients referred to the palliative care clinic may be living with cancer (~50%), advanced lung disease, advanced heart disease, or advanced neurological disease, or they may be in cancer survivorship.
    • The palliative care service has dedicated attending physicians, two palliative medicine physician fellows in-training, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists. The inpatient service also has chaplains, a social worker, a music therapist, and a robust volunteer program. The outpatient service works closely with a psychologist and with social workers in the Holden Cancer Center.
  • Pediatric Palliative Care (elective)
  • Medical Oncology (elective)

Other electives may be arranged at UIHC at the resident pharmacist’s request, including but not limited to, emergency medicine, transplant, or critical care.

External Rotation Experiences

Other Learning Experiences:

  • Pain Management and Palliative Care (PMPC) Pharmacists as Educators (required): In this longitudinal experience, the resident pharmacist will develop essential skills to effectively educate a variety of learners and audiences including interdisciplinary healthcare providers, patients, caregivers, community members, as well as pharmacy learners. To that end, the resident pharmacist will be appointed as an adjunct instructor at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy. The resident pharmacist will be required to teach palliative care content in the general PharmD curriculum as well as the Palliative Care certificate program. In addition, the resident pharmacist will have an opportunity to provide a Continuing Education presentation to a pharmacy or interdisciplinary audience.

The resident pharmacist has the option to complete the Pharmacy Educator Preparation Program for Residents (PEPPR) teaching certificate program, which is offered through the UI College of Pharmacy. 

  • PMPC Pharmacists as Researchers (required): In this longitudinal experience, the resident pharmacist will conduct a research project that aligns with his or her interests and goals.
  • PMPC Clinical Service (required): The resident pharmacist will provide clinical pharmacy services for inpatients on the palliative care service every fourth weekend and one major holiday.
  • Attendance at at least 1 professional meeting is expected. Options include, but are not limited to: The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Midyear, American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) Congress, Midwest Pain Society, PainWeek, International Congress on Palliative Care, American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) annual meeting, PharmEd (AACP). Financial support will be provided.
  • Participation in the following learning interdisciplinary opportunities at UIHC is required:
    • Eastern Iowa Hospice and Palliative Care Journal Club (monthly)
    • Schwartz Rounds (monthly)
    • Pharmacopalliation Noon Conference (twice monthly)
    • Palliative Care Ethics Noon Conference (monthly)
    • Bereavement Noon Conference (semi-monthly)
    • HPM Faculty-Fellow Conference (weekly)
  • Participation in the following learning opportunities at UIHC is encouraged:
    • Pharmacy Resident Noon Conference (weekly)

Learn More:

Explore UIHC Pharmacy Services

Explore the UIHC Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program