Pharmacy Residency Program

Nursing Opportunities

Allied Health Opportunities

Thank you for your interest in Suburban Hospital's Pharmacy Practice Residency in Bethesda, Maryland. A 230-bed community hospital, Suburban Hospital sets the highest standards in healthcare, serving Montgomery County and the surrounding area with clinical excellence and compassionate care.Our Pharmacy is led by Director Mahro Ershadi, Pharm.D, Assistant Director Nisha Pherwani, Pharm.D, and Clinical Manager Karen Michaels, Pharm.D. The Pharmacy has academic affiliations with the University of Maryland, Howard University, Butler University, and Boston University.

Our staff is committed to delivering a top-quality Residency Program. Our residents will become confident, competent practitioners equipped with the knowledge and skills to meet the challenges facing pharmacy practice now and in the years to come. They will be accountable and responsible for achieving optimal drug therapy outcomes as members of our healthcare team. They will exercise skill and proficiency in educating other healthcare professionals, patients, and the community on drug-related topics.

Choosing your residency program is an important professional decision and an investment in your future. We appreciate that you have chosen to learn about our program and look forward to receiving your application.

Our Mission

The Pharmacy Practice Residency Program is designed to develop self-directed practitioners who are prepared to assume an advanced practice in a hospital environment. The resident will acquire or enhance pharmaceutical care, leadership, and administrative skills.

Residents completing the program will be competent, confident, and compassionate practitioners. They will function as effective members of the healthcare team with the ultimate goal of providing optimal pharmaceutical care to patients. Residency graduates will demonstrate time management and independent thinking skills that will make them leaders within their practice setting and the profession.

Education

Each resident will deliver formal presentations and actively contribute to case study presentations and clinical teaching. Residents will also teach various allied health professionals and precept pharmacy students on clinical rotations.

Research

Research skills are an essential component of Suburban Hospital’s residency program. Each resident will complete a research project suitable for publication and/or presentation in a selected area of pharmacy practice.

Rotations

Residents will be required to complete these rotations:

Internal Medicine — Provide care to internal medicine patients by monitoring labs/cultures daily, review physician orders and notes daily, manage pharmacokinetics, communicate recommendations to the team or other staff physicians.
Critical Care — Provide care to medical and surgical patients admitted to the intensive care unit. Design, recommend, and evaluate patient specific pharmaceutical care plans.
Oncology — Gain a basic understanding of oncologic therapeutics and expertise in overall management of patients with malignancies.
Infectious Disease — The resident will follow patients through the Antimicrobial Surveilance Program and the pharmacokinetics program with the ID clinical specialist. These experiences will provide the resident with the ability to promote rational, cost-effective antimicrobial therapy.

Required Longitudinal Rotations

Residents will complete various assignments, participate in numerous committee activities, and provide education to pharmacy students. The required longitudinal rotations are:

Management — Provide the resident with functions/tasks commonly associated with the department director and/or supervisors. This includes review of financial data and appropriate management/oversight of resources, in addition to daily operational issues associated with the day to day functioning of the department.
Drug Information — Provide support to the hospital by providing information and expert advice about the appropriate use of drugs
Research Project — Design, execute, and report results of investigations of pharmacy practice-related issues
Anticoagulation — Evaluating patient-specific benefits and risks of the identified therapeutic plan in a coordinated approach and facilitating management of anticoagulation dosing

Elective Rotations

Open Heart — Provide care to open heart patients by monitoring labs/cultures daily, review physician orders and notes daily, manage pharmacokinetics, communicate recommendations to the team or other staff physicians.
Cardiology — Provide care to cardiac patients by monitoring labs/cultures daily, review physician orders and notes daily, manage pharmacokinetics, and communicate recommendations to the team or other staff physicians.
Emergency Medicine — The resident will be intimately involved in the care of patients with a variety of disease states admitted to the emergency department. The resident will work closely with physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists.
Emergency Preparedness — The purpose of this rotation is to provide the resident with the knowledge to respond rapidly and successfully to any emergency situation or disaster, from natural events, such as fire and flooding, through acts of terrorism and war.
Medication Safety — Provide proactive strategies that a pharmacy department/pharmacist can take to reduce the potential for medication errors
Psychiatry — Provide care to mental health patients by monitoring labs/cultures daily, review physician orders and notes daily, manage pharmacokinetics, communicate recommendations to the team or other staff physician.

Salary and Benefits

Pharmacy residents receive a salary from Suburban Hospital as well as all benefits collected by full-time employees. These include medical, dental, and life insurance, Metrorail subsidy, and more. For more information about benefits, click here.

Paid Time Off
Residents accrue paid time off (PTO) according to the Suburban Hospital policies and procedures. PTO can be used for seminars, interviews, vacation, or sick time.

Application Information

To apply for the residency, your completed application must include:

A cover letter,
A Suburban Hospital employment application (click here to complete the online application and use “Pharmacy” in the key word search),
A curriculum vitae,
Three letters of professional and personal reference sent by members of your faculty and/or former employers,
Pharmacy college transcripts, and
A letter of intent that addresses the following:
- Why do I want to do a pharmacy practice residency?
- Why am I interested in the Suburban Hospital program?
- What attributes do I possess that make me an outstanding candidate for this position?

The Residency Selection Committee will notify qualified applicants to arrange an interview during a full-day, on-site visit. This provides an excellent opportunity for you to learn about our facility and staff as well as the residency program. To speak with our Pharmacy Director, call 301.896.3468.