Year One Residencies

These general residencies are a one-year directed postgraduate learning experience, operating in four zones within Alberta Health Services. Residents will complete various clinical rotations in their respective zone, including core experiences such as internal medicine, critical care, infectious disease, cardiology, and ambulatory practice.

Please note: Cancer Care residencies vary in core rotations.

Other mandatory rotations include drug information, medication use systems, and leadership. Residents must also complete a research project. A number of elective rotations are also permitted, depending on the preferences of the resident and scheduling requirements.

All residents must have a professional Pharmacy Degree (e.g. BScPharm, BSP, PharmD) and be eligible for the clinical register of the Alberta College of Pharmacy. Residents apply through the Canadian Pharmacy Residency Board (CPRB).

Calgary Zone

The Calgary Zone serves the City of Calgary and the surrounding region, with a population of approximately 1.4 million. Residents complete various rotations in the five urban hospitals within Calgary. This multi-site program creates the opportunity to learn from a number of practitioners in a variety of settings. Rotation schedules can be adjusted to accommodate preceptor availability and resident choices. Elective rotations may include mental health, emergency, geriatrics, pediatrics, nephrology, chronic disease management and oncology. Other areas may be requested as well depending on preceptor availability.

Cancer Care

Alberta Health Services (AHS) Cancer Care is responsible for the coordination of all cancer research, prevention and treatment programs in Alberta. The Cross Cancer Institute, in Edmonton, and the Tom Baker Cancer Centre, in Calgary, are the tertiary sites in Alberta associated with these activities, but AHS Cancer Care also encompasses associate and community centres that assist in meeting the needs of rural Albertans.

Core and elective clinical rotations include internal medicine, acute care oncology/hematology, blood and marrow transplant, pain and palliative care, gyne oncology, lung cancer, pediatric oncology, breast cancer and regional cancer centre ambulatory oncology. As this is a provincial program, rotations may be offered at either the Cross Cancer Institute, the Tom Baker Cancer Centre or other AHS hospital sites.

Central Zone

Central Zone residents are exposed to a community hospital environment in central Alberta. The majority of rotations are based at the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre (RDRHC), while certain electives may be offered in the smaller surrounding communities. The City of Red Deer has a population of approximately 100,000, and is located 1.5 hours from Edmonton and Calgary, providing convenient access to many outdoor activities in Alberta. Elective rotations, chosen in conjunction with the resident, may include emergency medicine, palliative care, nephrology, geriatric medicine, psychiatry, neurology, general pediatric medicine, general internal medicine clinic, general surgery, or the heart failure clinic.

Edmonton Zone

The Edmonton Zone serves the City of Edmonton and the capital region, with a population of approximately 1.3 million. This is a regional program and rotations may be offered at any of the eight hospital sites. Elective rotations may include nephrology, paediatrics, ambulatory care, HIV, psychiatry, palliative care, homecare and geriatrics.

Year Two Residencies

These specialized residencies are organized, directed post-graduate programs. They build upon competencies developed through the successful completion of an accredited graduate clinical degree, or an accredited pharmacy (Year One) residency, and focus on developing a mastery of knowledge and an advanced practitioner level of competency in its respective area. Residents will complete core clinical rotations in the area of specialty as well as a research project. The programs each have an established core of learning activities, but may also be tailored to each resident’s background, experiences, and personal goals for the program.

Alberta Health Services (AHS) currently offers Year Two programs in Cardiology and in Infectious Diseases/Antimicrobial Stewardship. Application information is available through the Canadian Pharmacy Residency Board (CPRB).

Cardiology

While there are opportunities throughout the province of Alberta, the majority of the residency experiences will occur at the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute (MAHI) located in Edmonton, Alberta. MAHI is a world leader in complex cardiac care and surgery.

This program will be offered in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Cardiology Medical Residency program within the Division of Cardiology at the University of Alberta. Through this relationship, a strong emphasis with be placed on interprofessional collaboration in clinical practice, teaching and research reflecting the current state and direction of advanced pharmacy practice. Opportunities to pursue a Master’s degree, as an extension of the residency program, may be explored on an individual basis.

Infectious Diseases / Antimicrobial Stewardship

The majority of these residency experiences will occur within Calgary Zone, primarily Foothills Medical Centre located in Calgary, Alberta and/or Edmonton Zone, primarily University of Alberta Hospital and the Royal Alexandra Hospital, located in Edmonton, AB. All three institutions are teaching hospitals and care is delivered in a multidisciplinary team approach. Through this collaboration, a strong emphasis will be placed on interprofessional collaboration in clinical practice, teaching and research reflecting the current state and direction of advanced pharmacy practice.

Pharmacy practice(s) in areas of infectious diseases and antimicrobial stewardship (ID/AS) are common, yet formal training and qualification in Canada is lacking. The AHS Year Two pharmacy residency seeks to fill this void by establishing and refining a program of study to support practices of specialists in infectious diseases and generalists with an interest in furthering education in infectious diseases.