The University of Arizona College of Pharmacy-affiliated residency programs welcomes international applicants to our PGY1 and PGY2 programs. We have had residents in our programs from a variety of countries, and we have frequent international visitors with whom our residents can meet and interact.

Some of our affiliated sites have positions that are specifically labeled as “international.” Those positions are for candidates under country-specific sponsorship agreements.  However, for international candidates who do not fall under such sponsorship agreements, we welcome you to apply to our “traditional” PGY1 and PGY2 positions. Please go to the individual site and program pages on our website to obtain more information about individual programs. Each residency is accredited and managed by the specific patient care institution, and each program requires a separate PhORCAS application. In some cases, the positions for sponsored residents have a different match number. International residents are not in a special residency program. Once admitted, residents from other countries will complete the same program as other residents with the same high expectations.

All international applicants must be eligible for licensure as a pharmacist in Arizona, either through graduation from an ACPE-accredited College of Pharmacy or by holding a Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Certificate (FPGEC). International applicants have a variety of immigration situations, and our College of Pharmacy International Programs staff and the University of Arizona Global Initiatives Office have extensive experience in assisting with visa issues for incoming pharmacy residents. 

If you are eligible for post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) under your student F-1 visa, you should submit your application for OPT as early as possible, 90 days before your graduation date. OPT is not tied to a specific employer. DO NOT wait until the Match! With the increasing processing times for OPT applications, any delay in submitting your application may result in a delay in your ability to start your residency. Make sure you are in touch with your university or school’s international office to arrange the OPT application and to have your questions answered.

For international applicant questions, please contact Michael Katz via the information listed below.

Banner – University Medical Center South

Banner – University Medical Center Tucson

El Rio Health

Northwest Medical Center

Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix

Dignity Health St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center

Background

The University of Arizona College of Pharmacy (UACOP) first developed a program to enhance resident teaching skills in 2001, one of the first residencies in the US to have such a program (Castellani V, Haber SL, Ellis SC Evaluation of a teaching certificate program for pharmacy residents. Am J Health-Syst Pharm 2003; 60:1037-41). The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) residency accreditation standards note that delivering effective education is a foundational skill that should be taught during a residency program. Despite the tremendous diversity among our residents and their subsequent careers, most if not all of our residency graduates will be teachers and educators—as preceptors of students and resident, for patients, other health professionals and in academia. The Pharmacy Resident Scholars in Teaching and Learning (PRSTL) program is offered and coordinated by the College of Pharmacy, and we welcome residents from any program to join.

Goal

The goal of PRSTL is to provide pharmacy residents with a structured educational program to enhance teaching skills in the most common educational settings. The goals of the program will be achieved by resident participation in discussions and workshops, completion of active assignments and a variety of actual teaching experiences. Each resident in the program will work under the guidance and supervision of a teaching mentor to assure that the goals are being achieved.

Objectives

1. Gain foundational knowledge in educational theory, principles of learning and effective teaching techniques
2. Develop a personal written teaching philosophy
3. Develop and demonstrate proficiency in the development, delivery and assessment of a variety of effective instructional methods including small group facilitation, large group learning, active learning, OSCEs and precepting
4. Cultivate a mentee-mentor relationship to gain feedback throughout the program
5. Demonstrate the ability to effectively assess student performance
6. Create and maintain a teaching portfolio

PRSTL Components

• Discussions and workshops (active learning experiences)
  • Teaching philosophies and methodologies (pedagogy)
  • Review of residents’ teaching philosophies
  • Teaching portfolios
  • Student precepting
  • Dealing with difficult students
  • Leadership
  • Small group facilitation
  • Large group teaching
  • Flipped classroom and other new teaching methods— theory and practice
  • Student assessment
  • Writing objectives and exam questions
  • Student engagement, motivation and professionalism
  • Online and distance teaching
  • Careers in academia
  • Course and curriculum development; CAPE and ACPE
  • Academic integrity; student teacher relationships; social media
  • Scholarship of teaching (research)
  • Developing a residency; residency learning experiences; accreditation
• Active assignments
  • Complete VARK learning styles, Grasha-Reichmann Teaching Style Survey and Teaching Perspectives Inventory
  • Development of a teaching philosophy
  • Writing and maintaining a teaching portfolio
  • Writing educational objectives and exam questions
• Actual teaching (minimum number, all must be formally evaluated)
  • CE style lecture targeted to pharmacists
  • Student large group teaching/lecture OR formal student topic discussion
  • Small group facilitation (e.g. case discussions)
  • Observed Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE)
  • Student co-precepting  
• Types of resident presentations
  • Case presentations and clinical pearls
  • Journal club
  • CE presentation

For additional information about the PRSTL Program, please contact: