Pharmacy Residency Program at Tufts Medical Center

Purpose

This ASHP accredited residency program builds on Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and outcomes to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists responsible for medication-related care of patients with a wide range of conditions, eligible for board certification, and eligible for postgraduate year two (PGY2) pharmacy residency training.

Description

Our program is a 12-month postgraduate curriculum that prepares pharmacists for a clinical practice that integrates direct patient care, drug distribution, teaching, and management.

PGY1 learning experiences

The residency provides learning experiences to help residents to meet all of the required competencies of the ASHP-accredited program. The types of learning experiences are: (1) required/core rotations; (2) elective rotations; and (3) longitudinal experiences.

Seven core rotations (all are 4-week experiences)

Internal Medicine

One of the following:

• General medicine
• Cardiology
• Geriatrics
• Nephrology

AND one of the following:

• Any listed above
• Transplant
• Infectious diseases

Critical Care

One of the following:

• Medical ICU
• Surgical ICU

AND one of the following:

• Either listed above
• Cardiothoracic ICU
• Neuro ICU
• Cardiac ICU
• Advanced heart failure
• Emergency medicine

Hospitalist

• Internal medicine - hospitalist service

Ambulatory Care

One of the following:

• Primary care
• Infectious diseases
• Nephrology
• Endocrinology
• Cardiology
• Pediatrics

Operations

• Central operations and sterile products and project management

Two elective rotations (4-week experiences)

Two rotations selected from:

• Any core rotation not taken
• Additional elective experiences may be available upon request

Longitudinal experiences

• Hospital pharmacy practice (decentralized and centralized staffing)
• Committees (e.g., pharmacy and therapeutics, medication safety, nursing/pharmacy)
• Management topic discussions
• Case presentations, pharmacy student conferences, teaching seminar
• Code response
• Resident project

Teaching opportunities

Experience in teaching (instruction, coaching, facilitation) is gained through active participation in numerous committees, clinical conferences, and in-service presentations. 
Residents may also be responsible for precepting students in the department's undergraduate clinical clerkship programs and they routinely participate in monthly teaching seminars held in conjunction with other Boston area residency programs.

Additional opportunities to educate others include:

• Preparation and presentation of 2 CE programs
• Presentation of Residency Project results to the pharmacy staff and at the Eastern States Conference for Pharmacy
• Residents and Preceptors
• Didactic sessions with students training in the health professions
• Editing and publishing departmental newsletters
   

PGY1 pharmacy residency program director

Paul Abourjaily, PharmD, BCPS 
Residency Program Director – PGY1 

Specialty/Areas of Interest: Primary Care, Academia

Education and Training: 
PharmD – University of Rhode Island
PGY1 Pharmacy Residency – Tufts Medical Center
Rotations offered: Ambulatory Care Primary Care

Contact:  Paul.Abourjaily@tuftsmedicine.org

Residency outcomes

The residency program’s purpose is achieved by utilizing the four competency areas and their associated educational goals and objectives as required by the ASHP Standard. The competency areas are: (1) patient care; (2) advancing practice and improving patient care; (3) leadership and management; and (4) teaching, education, and dissemination of knowledge. A complete description of required competency areas can be found here.

Purpose

This residency program builds upon Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and outcomes to develop pharmacist practitioners with knowledge, skills, and abilities as defined in the educational competency areas, goals, and objectives. Residents who successfully complete PGY1 residency programs will be skilled in diverse patient care, practice management, leadership, and education, and be prepared to provide patient care, seek board certification in pharmacotherapy (i.e., BCPS), and pursue advanced education and training opportunities including postgraduate year two (PGY2) residencies.

Description

Our program is a 12-month postgraduate curriculum that prepares pharmacists for a community and specialty pharmacy based clinical practice that integrates direct patient care, pharmacy drug distribution, teaching, and management. Tufts Medical Center has provided an ASHP-accredited PGY1 pharmacy residency for more than 40 years. This PGY1 community-based pharmacy residency conducted by Tufts Medical Center has an accreditation pre-candidate status with ASHP.

Learning experiences

The Tufts Medical Center PGY1 Community-based pharmacy residency utilizes three types of learning experiences to help residents to meet the required competencies of an ASHP-accredited program. Following an orientation period, the types of learning experiences are: (1) required/core rotations; (2) elective rotations; and (3) longitudinal experiences.

Seven core rotations (all are 4-week experiences)

Specialty Pharmacy Clinical Care

• Primary care
• Fulfillment operations

AND one of the following:

• Allergy & rheumatology
• Dermatology
• Gastroenterology

AND one of the following

• Cardiology
• Endocrinology
• Hematology/Oncology
• Hepatology
• Infectious disease
• Nephrology
• Neurology
• Pediatrics
• Pulmonology
• Solid organ transplant

Community-Pharmacy Care

• Transitions of care and meds to bed

AND one of the following:

• Medication adherence program
• Oncology clinic pharmacy

Operations

The following:

• Community / Specialty pharmacy management

Two elective rotations (4-week experiences)

Two rotations selected from:

• Any core rotation not taken
• Additional elective experiences may be available upon request

Longitudinal experiences

All the following:

• Community and specialty pharmacy practice (staffing) (11 months)
  • One weekend (Saturday and Sunday) every 4 weeks and one week of evenings every fifth week
  • 3 holidays (Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth)
• Committees (e.g., P&T, Specialty Pharmacy Quality Management Committee, etc.) (12 months)
• Case presentations (~every 6 weeks), pharmacy student conferences, teaching seminar (12 months)
• Resident project (10 months)

Teaching opportunities

Experience in teaching (instruction, coaching, facilitation) is gained through active participation in numerous committees, clinical conferences, and in-service presentations.

Residents may also be responsible for precepting students in the department's undergraduate clinical clerkship programs and they routinely participate in monthly teaching seminars held in conjunction with other Boston area residency programs.

Additional opportunities to educate others include:

• Preparation and presentation of 2 CE programs
• Presentation of Residency Project results to the pharmacy staff and at the Eastern States Conference for Pharmacy Residents and Preceptors
• Didactic sessions with students training in the health professions
• Editing and publishing departmental newsletters

PGY1 community-based pharmacy residency program director

Erica Diamantides, PharmD, MHA, BCPS
System Director, Specialty Pharmacy Services

Residency Program Director – PGY1 Community-based
Specialty/Areas of Interest: Specialty Pharmacy, Leadership

Education and Training: 

• PharmD – Northeastern University
• PGY1/2 Health System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Residency – University of Washington (UW) Medicine

Rotations offered: Community/Specialty Pharmacy Management
Contact:  erica.diamantides@tuftsmedicine.org

Residency outcomes

The residency program’s purpose is achieved by utilizing the four competency areas and their associated educational goals and objectives as required by the ASHP Standard. The competency areas are: (1) patient care; (2) leadership and management; (3) advancement of community-based practice and improving patient care; and (4) teaching, education, and dissemination of knowledge. A complete description of required competency areas can be found here.

Purpose

This PGY2 pharmacy residency program builds upon Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and PGY1 pharmacy residency training to develop pharmacist practitioners with knowledge, skills, and abilities as defined in the educational competency areas, goals, and objectives for advanced practice areas. Residents who successfully complete PGY2 residency programs are prepared for advanced patient care or other specialized positions, and board certification in the advanced practice area, if available

Description

Integrated pharmacy practitioners at Tufts Medical Center are responsible for dedicated clinical practices, drug distribution, teaching and research in a variety of ambulatory care settings. The Ambulatory Care pharmacy program works closely with the medical staff and patients to ensure that medications are prescribed appropriately, administered safely, and work effectively. Dedicated pharmacists care for patients with chronic conditions in variety of specialties including primary care, endocrinology, infectious diseases, cardiology, oncology, dermatology, rheumatology, neurology, GI and hepatology, nephrology, solid organ transplant, pulmonology, and pediatrics. Residents will focus on medication-related care of patients who are prescribed chronic, costly, and complex medications that require ongoing management by a pharmacist for appropriateness, access and affordability, as well as adherence. Residents will be required to rotate through core experiences and have the opportunity to select two elective experiences. A longitudinal experience will be established in at least one multidisciplinary clinic.

Learning experiences

The Tufts Medical Center PGY2 Residency in Ambulatory Care Pharmacy utilizes three types of learning experiences to help residents to meet all of the required competencies of the ASHP-accredited program. The types of learning experiences are: (1) required/core rotations; (2) elective rotations; and (3) longitudinal experiences.  

Core rotations

• Orientation (3 weeks)
• Primary care (6 weeks)
• Infectious disease (8 weeks)
• Endocrinology (8 weeks)
• Nephrology (4 weeks)
• Kidney transplant (4 weeks)
• Ambulatory leadership (7 weeks)

Two elective rotations (6 weeks each)

• Pediatrics
• Gastroenterology
• Cardiology  
• Biologics
• Oncology
• Neurology
• Pulmonology 

• Outpatient pharmacy practice (staffing) (12 months, every 4th weekend)
• Primary care longitudinal clinic (10 months, 2 full days per month)
• Resident project (12 months)
• Practice management (12 months): committee participation, case presentations, grand rounds, newsletter articles, Socratic seminars 
• Teaching (8 weeks)
   

Past residents

Ambulatory care residency program director

Katlyn Grossman, PharmD, BCACP, AAHIVP  
Senior Clinical Pharmacy Specialist - Infectious Diseases Clinic

Specialties/Areas of Interest: HIV, Hepatitis C, PrEP/PEP, substance use disorder 

Education and Training: 
PharmD, University of Pittsburgh 
PGY1 Pharmacy Residency - The Brooklyn Hospital Center
PGY2 Ambulatory Care - The Brooklyn Hospital Center

Rotations offered: PGY2 Ambulatory Care Infectious Diseases, PGY1 Ambulatory Care elective

Contact: Katlyn.Grossman@tuftsmedicine.org 

Purpose 

This PGY2 pharmacy residency program builds on the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and PGY1 residency programs to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists in cardiology. The program provides 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 this PGY2 program are prepared for advanced patient care, academic, or other specialized positions, along with board certification. 

Description

Integrated pharmacy practitioners at Tufts Medical Center are responsible for dedicated clinical practices, drug distribution, teaching, and research in a variety of cardiac care settings. The Cardiovascular Center at Tufts Medical Center offers nationally renowned programs in advanced heart failure and heart transplantation, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, cardiac arrhythmias, interventional cardiology, cardio-oncology, and cardiac surgery. Dedicated pharmacists provide care to patients following cardiac surgery, in the cardiomyopathy unit, in the coronary care unit, on a general cardiology floor, and in various cardiology clinics.

PGY2 cardiology pharmacy learning experiences

The Tufts Medical Center PGY2 Residency in Cardiology Pharmacy utilizes three types of learning experiences to help residents to meet all of the required competencies of the ASHP-accredited program. The types of learning experiences are: (1) required/core rotations; (2) elective rotations; and (3) longitudinal experiences.

Five core rotations (all are 5-week experiences)

• General cardiology
• Advanced heart failure and transplant
• Cardiothoracic ICU
• Coronary care unit
• Cardiology clinic

Three electives

• Transplant infectious diseases consult
• Medical ICU
• Emergency medicine
• Electrophysiology
• Repeat core experience

Longlitudinal experiences

• Hospital pharmacy practice (staffing; every 4th weekend, every 8th week evenings)
• Committees (e.g. Pharmacy and Therapeutics, Quality, etc. over 12 months)
• Longitudinal LVAD rotation (12 months)
• Emergency code and stroke response (every 4th week)
• Teaching through cases, CEs, house staff conference (12 months)
• Resident project & MUE (12 months)

Cardiology residency program director

Aidan Fischer PharmD BCCP
Clinical Pharmacist - Cardiology 

Specialties/Areas of Interest: Cardiac Critical Care

Education and Training: 
PharmD, University of Rhode Island 
PGY1 Pharmacy Residency – Lahey Hospital & Medical Center
PGY2 Cardiology – Tufts Medical Center

Rotations offered: CCU
Contact: aidan.fischer@tuftsmedicine.org
 

Residency outcomes

The residency program’s purpose is achieved by utilizing the five competency areas and their associated educational goals and objectives as required by the ASHP Standard. The competency areas are: (1) patient care; (2) advancing practice and improving patient care; (3) leadership and management; (4) teaching, education, and dissemination of knowledge; and (5) management of cardiovascular (ACLS) medical emergencies. A complete description of required competency areas can be found here.

Purpose

The PGY2 residency program builds on the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and PGY1 residency programs to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists in critical care. The program provides 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 this PGY2 program are prepared for advanced patient care, academic, or other specialized positions, along with board certification.

Description

Integrated pharmacy practitioners at Tufts Medical Center are responsible for dedicated clinical practices, drug distribution, teaching, and research in a variety of critical care settings. Tufts Medical Center is a Level 1 trauma center and is renowned for providing outstanding care to patients in more than 100 adult, pediatric and neonatal intensive care beds. The Emergency Department serves more than 45,000 patients every year.

PGY-2 Critical Care Pharmacy Learning Experiences
The Tufts Medical Center PGY2 Residency in Critical Care Pharmacy utilizes three types of learning experiences to help residents to meet all of the required competencies of an ASHP-accredited program. The types of learning experiences are: (1) required/core rotations; (2) elective rotations; and (3) longitudinal experiences.

Eight core rotations

(all are 5-week experiences*)

Three 4 or 5-week Elective Rotations

selected from:

• Orientation (*3-week experience)
• Medical ICU
• Surgical / Trauma ICU
• Cardiothoracic ICU
• Coronary care ICU
• Neurocritical care unit
• Emergency medicine
• Advanced heart failure
• Research
• Neonatal ICU
• Infectious diseases
• Nutrition (concentrated experience)
• Repeat one core rotation with an emphasis on precepting

Longitudinal experiences

All of the following:

• Hospital pharmacy practice (staffing), emergency response participation
• Committee attendance and participation (e.g., pharmacy and therapeutics, medication safety, pharmacy and nursing, etc.)
• Case presentations, pharmacy student conferences, house staff conferences
• Resident research project
• Nutrition
• Medication use evaluation
• Post-Intensive care syndrome (PICS) clinic

Critical Care Pharmacy Residency Program Director
Kimberly E. Levasseur-Franklin, PharmD, FCCM, BCPS, BCCCP
Pharmacy Manager—Critical Care/Emergency Medicine

Specialty/Areas of Interest: Neurocritical Care, Sedation/Analgesia/Delirium, Anticoagulation Reversal

Education and training:
PharmD - MCPHS – Boston
PGY1 Pharmacy Residency – UMass Memorial Medical Center
PGY2 Critical Care Pharmacy Residency—University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center (UIC) 
Rotations offered: Adult critical care
Contact: Kimberly.Levasseur-Franklin@tuftsmedicine.org

Residency outcomes

The residency program’s purpose is achieved by utilizing the four competency areas and their associated educational goals and objectives as required by the ASHP Standard. The competency areas are: (1) patient care; (2) advancing practice and improving patient care; (3) leadership and management; and (4) teaching, education, and dissemination of knowledge. A complete description of required competency areas can be found here.

Purpose 

This program combines a 12-month PGY1 pharmacy practice residency with a 12-month PGY2 residency in health-system administration. In year one, the resident participates in and is responsible for all of the requirements of the accredited Tufts Medical Center PGY1 Pharmacy Residency. In year two, this PGY2 pharmacy residency program builds upon PGY1 residency graduates’ competence in the delivery of patient-centered care and in pharmacy operational services to prepare residents who can assume high level managerial, supervisory, and leadership responsibilities. Areas of competence emphasized during the program include safe and effective medication-use systems, quality assurance and improvement, the management of human resources, the management of financial resources, use of technology, and advanced leadership. The residency lays the foundation for continued growth in management and leadership skills. Upon graduation, residents are prepared for a clinical or operational management/supervisory role in a variety of work settings.

Description

Pharmacists at Tufts Medical Center are responsible for dedicated clinical practices, drug distribution, teaching and research in both acute and ambulatory settings. The Department of Pharmacy is renowned for combining clinical, operational, financial, and regulatory management into a cohesive whole and for involving every member of the staff in administering the programs of the department. The resident will develop competence in caring for inpatients and outpatients, and in managing people and processes.

PGY1/2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration Learning Experiences  
The Tufts Medical Center Combined PGY1-2 Residency in Health-system Pharmacy Administration and Leadership utilizes three types of learning experiences to help residents to meet all of the required competencies of the ASHP-accredited program. The types of learning experiences are: (1) required/core rotations; (2) elective rotations; and (3) longitudinal experiences.

In year one, the resident participates in and is responsible for all of the requirements of the accredited Tufts Medical Center PGY1 Pharmacy Residency. The learning experiences for year two are: 

Six core rotations (all are 5-week experiences)

• Executive leadership
• Clinical leadership
• Advanced inpatient operations
• Ambulatory leadership
• Supply chain & revenue cycle management
• Safety and quality oversight

Two 5-week elective rotations selected from:

• Infusion center leadership
• Outpatient / Specialty pharmacy operations
• 340B program leadership
• Enterprise leadership

Longitudinal experiences

All of the following:

• Hospital pharmacy practice (staffing)
• Committees (e.g., pharmacy and therapeutics, medication safety, pharmacy and nursing, etc.)
• Case presentations, pharmacy student conferences
• Resident project
• ASHP pharmacy leadership academy
• Personnel management
• Administrator on-call

Residency outcomes

The resident is prepared for a managerial role in health-system pharmacy practice that integrates direct patient care, drug distribution, teaching and practice management. The resident will be able to design, improve and manage a safe and effective medication use system. The competency areas are: (1) patient care; (2) advancing practice and improving patient care; (3) leadership and management; and (4) teaching, education, and dissemination of knowledge. A complete description of required competency areas can be found here.

Name: Jessi Cohen 
Hometown: Cullman, Alabama
Pharmacy School: Auburn University Harrison College of Pharmacy
Career Interests: Internal Medicine, Critical Care
Hobbies: Running, exploring Boston, reading, pickle ball, trying new restaurants, watching Auburn sports, spending time with family and friends
Why Tufts?: During my interview, I immediately felt welcomed by the pharmacy department and felt that the preceptors wanted to get to know me on a personal level. I knew from these interactions that Tufts would be a supportive environment to complete a residency program. The wide variety of rotations offered at Tufts drew me to the program as well, because I knew I would have a well-rounded and challenging experience as a resident at Tufts. I look forward to learning and growing personally and professionally over the next year! 

Name: Lauren St.John 
Hometown: Fairport, NY
Pharmacy School: St. John Fisher University
Career Interests: Critical care, academia
Hobbies: Cooking, spending time with my cats, binge watching reality TV (and having bachelor watch parties with my co-residents!)
Why Tufts?: I chose Tufts because of their robust critical care program and wide variety of rotations available to me as a PGY1. I love that the residents have an opportunity to see many different clinical areas such as renal transplant, infectious diseases, or the neuroscience intensive care unit. Also, the people that I met throughout my interview solidified my decision. The preceptors were all very friendly, welcoming, and motivated to help residents develop as new pharmacists. I knew that I could see myself grow as a resident within this program. My impression holds true as the pharmacy team at Tufts is extremely dedicated to teaching the residents and creating a fantastic working environment. Finally, it excited me to join an academic medical center to gain experience with teaching and precepting pharmacy students; it is exciting to be surrounded by learners (e.g., medical residents, medical students, pharmacy students, etc) as it provides opportunities to not only educate other individuals from different professions but also learn from them.

Name: Mansi Patel 
Hometown: Bartlett, IL
Pharmacy School: University of Michigan College of Pharmacy
Career Interest: Cardiology, Ambulatory Care
Hobbies: spending time with friends and family, reading, napping, watching reality TV, doodling, exploring Boston, trying new restaurants 
Why Tufts?: What drew me to Tufts was the amazing people I met at Midyear and throughout the application process. From the moment I entered my interview, it was clear to me how invested and passionate the department was in creating a challenging yet supportive learning environment for their residents. I was excited by the variety of rotations offered, dedicated preceptors who take the time to get to know you, numerous opportunities to contribute to pharmacy through teaching and leadership, and the chance to live in a new city across the country! I look forward to all that Tuft's has to offer me and know that I will walk away a stronger, more confident, and well-rounded pharmacist.

Name: Maria Spielberger 
Hometown: Collegeville, PA
Pharmacy School: University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy
Career Interests: Ambulatory care, internal medicine
Hobbies: Reading, cooking, working out, spending time with family and friends, exploring different Boston neighborhoods, finding the best cannolis in Boston!
Why Tufts?: During my interview with Tufts, one of the first things I noticed was how welcoming the preceptors and residents were and how excited they were to genuinely get to know me better. I knew completing a PGY1 residency at Tufts would provide me with a challenging, but supportive, learning environment that would allow me to solidify my clinical skills. I was also excited about the variety of clinical rotations offered at Tufts in both inpatient and outpatient settings, as I was looking to complete a well-rounded PGY1 residency. 

Name: Jacqueline Labonite
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Pharmacy School: Washington State University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Career interests: Medication safety, quality improvement, transitions of care, and population/global health 
Hobbies: Indoor cycling, working out, traveling, spending time with family and friends, playing with my yorkie named Hank
Why Tufts?: The supportive environment at Tufts was what immediately stood out to me during my interview. This program fosters a team-based approach which creates a culture for residents to grow and gain confidence in their practice. Early on, I immediately experienced the care Pharmacy leadership has for the residents. I chose Tufts because pharmacists are well-integrated into the healthcare team, there are plenty of teaching opportunities, and there are a wide variety learning experiences. I look forward to gaining a strong clinical background as I complete my PGY1 and continue to work alongside renowned Pharmacy leaders during my PGY2 HSPAL year.

Name: Robert Koziol 
Hometown: Agawam, Massachusetts 
Pharmacy School: University of Connecticut 
PGY1: Tufts Medical Center 
Career Interests: Specialty Pharmacy Management, System-Level Leadership, Pharmacy Operations & Automation, Infusion Services, Ambulatory Management, 340B 
Hobbies: Golfing, hiking, snowboarding, trying new foods, bringing my dog to the park, watching Boston sports, hanging out with friends and family, and browsing Zillow for apartments I can't afford 
Why Tufts?: I chose to pursue a residency at Tufts because of its challenging yet supportive culture. I was drawn to the togetherness and dedication to patient care amongst pharmacy staff that was evident during my interview. Pharmacists are well integrated and valued on many care teams throughout the hospital, which gives us many rotational opportunities in a variety of settings. The pharmacy department is continuously expanding and increasing the positive impact it has on clinical outcomes within the hospital. Pharmacy leadership cares about our well-being and strives for their residents to come out as well-rounded pharmacists. The main draw for me to Tufts was how the department is led by a strong team of pharmacy leaders with varying backgrounds and areas of expertise, which provides a wide variety of learning opportunities across leadership disciplines within the pharmacy enterprise.

Name: Jennifer Stein 
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA 
Pharmacy School: University of Southern California (USC) School of Pharmacy 
​Where you completed your PGY1: Tufts Medical Center 
Career Interests: critical care, emergency medicine, infectious diseases, solid organ transplant 
Hobbies: going on long walks to explore the city, making flower arrangements, trying new restaurants, cooking, traveling, spending time with my friends and family 
Why Tufts?: Choosing to stay at Tufts for my PGY2 residency was one of the easiest decisions I've ever had to make. This decision was based not only on the fact that I knew I'd have the opportunity to continue providing quality patient care at a renowned institution, but also based off the connections I had made with mentors and role models whom I knew that I wanted to continue learning from. Tufts Medical Center's diverse intensive care unit setting and patient population provides me with the ideal setting to grow as a clinician, and I'm so excited to see the progress I will make throughout this year!

Name: Kristen Goodrich 
Hometown: Rochester, NY 
Pharmacy School: University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy 
PGY1: Tufts Medical Center 
Career Interests: General cardiology, cardiology clinic, heart failure 
Hobbies: cooking, trying new restaurants and exercise classes, pickle ball, spending time at the lake/beach with family and friends, boating, skiing, traveling 
Why Tufts?: What stood out to me most about Tufts was the people. The preceptors and residents whom I interviewed with were extremely welcoming, and the inclusive culture of the pharmacy department was apparent. I decided to stay at Tufts for a second year due to a complex cardiac patient population with exposure to cardiac transplantation and other disease states that you may not see other places. Additionally, I knew that I would continue to be supported yet challenged by my mentors, co-residents, and interdisciplinary team members throughout the year.  

Name: Sydney Hudson 
Hometown: Lunenburg, MA 
Pharmacy School: Northeastern University 
PGY1: Emerson Hospital, Concord, MA 
Career Interests: cardiology (heart failure), primary care, lifestyle management 
Hobbies: reading, hot pilates, spending time with my dog, friends, and family. Hanging out by the lake or pool 
Why Tufts?: I was immediately drawn to Tufts because of its welcoming and inclusive atmosphere. It was clear during my interview that the team genuinely wanted to know me as both a person and a professional. Tufts provides outstanding opportunities for clinical pharmacists to excel in outpatient care and practice at the top of their license, which perfectly aligns with my career goals. I'm incredibly excited to be part of this community and can't wait to collaborate and build relationships with my preceptors and fellow residents. Knowing that I'll be fully supported in my professional growth here makes this opportunity even more exciting.

Name: Rachel Yan
Hometown: Southampton, Mass
Pharmacy School: Western New England University
PGY1: Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass
Career Interests: Primary Care Clinical Pharmacist
Hobbies: Spending time with my cat, going to concerts and long walks
Why Tufts?: This program offers a range of experiences that I find intriguing and valuable for my learning journey. Patients come with diverse medical conditions, and I believe that gaining a broad background in healthcare will enhance my skills as a pharmacist. My decision was further reinforced after meeting several preceptors who remain enthusiastic about their patients and spoke of the supportive environment from their colleagues.