Scripps Mercy Hospital Pharmacy Residency

Pharmacy residency programs at Scripps Mercy

Residents of the Scripps Mercy Hospital Pharmacy Residency program.

Pharmacy residency programs at Scripps Mercy

Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego offers four 52-week postgraduate year one (PGY1) pharmacy residency positions and three postgraduate year three (PGY2) positions — one PGY2 emergency medicine pharmacy (candidate status), one PGY2 psychiatric pharmacy and one PGY2 oncology pharmacy residency position.


The PGY1 program has been fully accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) since 2002. The PGY2 program in psychiatric pharmacy enrolled their first resident in 2017 and is fully accredited. The PGY2 oncology pharmacy residency started on July 27, 2020, and is also fully accredited. The PGY2 emergency medicine pharmacy started July 2023 and is in candidate status. We are affiliated with four pharmacy schools and train more than 100 medical, family practice, trauma and podiatry residents as well as more than 20 fourth-year PharmD candidates each year.

Program highlights

Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego


Scripps Mercy Hospital consists of two campuses in San Diego and Chula Vista. Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego has served central and downtown San Diego since 1890 making it the oldest and largest teaching hospital in San Diego County. 


  • Scripps Mercy Hospital is recognized for high performance in areas such as orthopedics, leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, stroke among others by U.S. News & World Report
  • Listed by Fortune magazine as one of the best places to work
  • More than 30 clinical pharmacists, including specialists in critical care, emergency medicine, infectious disease, psychiatry, medication therapy management, oncology, and operating room (OR)/surgical services
  • Joint Commission-certified Thrombectomy Capable Stroke Center 
  • Magnet recognized hospital
  • Level I trauma center
  • Busiest emergency department in San Diego
  • Licensed for 700 acute care bed
  • Prebys Cancer Center


The pharmacy residency program resides on the San Diego campus, which is the primary site for the clinical education of more than 100 internal medicine, family medicine, trauma and podiatry residents, as well as medical students, other health professionals and fellows.


The Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego Pharmacy Residency Program offers residents a challenging academic experience in a progressive environment that prepares residents for leadership roles in the pharmacy profession. Clinical and distributive services are provided by full-time, unit-based pharmacists — many of whom have advanced clinical training. Scripps Mercy’s pharmacists enjoy sharing their breadth of knowledge by precepting both pharmacy residents and students.


  • The pharmacy department is open 24/7 and includes a main pharmacy, oncology infusion center, 11 clinical pharmacist practice settings, nine satellite locations and telepharmacy services. 
  • More than 30 clinical pharmacists on staff provide a broad range of clinical services, carry out pharmacist-driven medication protocols, staff our oncology infusion center, and teach pharmacy students, medical and pharmacy residents. 
  • Pharmacy residents have direct access to pharmacy faculty, are integrated into the medical teaching program and are considered “house staff” with similar privileges as medical residents.
  • Residents complete a broad depth of clinical rotations tailored to individual experience, interests and career goals, and each resident may participate in programs throughout Scripps’ five campus locations. 
  • Residents conduct IRB-approved research, present at international and national meetings, and have the opportunity to earn a teaching certificate.

Academic affiliations

We have academic affiliations with the following pharmacy schools:


  • University of California, San Diego
  • University of California, San Francisco
  • University of Southern California
  • University of the Pacific

Clinical rotations and experiences

The Scripps Mercy Hospital Pharmacy Residency Programs are uniquely situated in a variety of acute care settings, which exposes residents to the highest-quality learning experience possible.

PGY1 pharmacy residency

The Scripps Mercy Hospital Pharmacy Residency Program builds upon the knowledge and skills residents acquired during their student internships and clerkships. Clinical rotations as well as centralized and decentralized staffing are a critical part of the learning experience and include specific learning objectives.


Residents will engage in hands-on training across diverse pharmacy specialties, all under the mentorship of distinguished faculty and peers. We are committed to offering exceptional training and tailored support to help each resident achieve their individual interests and career objectives.


PGY1 postgraduate year one:


Core rotations (4 weeks, unless specified) 


  • Orientation / Pharmacy Operations Intro I
  • Pharmacy Operations Intro II (2 weeks)
  • Internal Medicine
  • TOC / MTM
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Emergency Department
  • Medication Safety
  • MICU
  • Trauma/OR
  • Student precepting (3 weeks)


Elective rotations (4 weeks, unless specified)  


  • Acute Neurology (2 weeks)
  • Advanced Internal Medicine
  • Clinical Administration (2 weeks)
  • Endocrinology (2 weeks)
  • Neonatal ICU (offsite rotation)
  • Oncology - Outpatient Infusion Center
  • Palliative care
  • Psychiatry


*Other elective learning experiences may be developed based on resident interest and preceptor availability.


Longitudinal experiences 


  • Research (52 weeks)
  • Average 12 hours per 4 weeks
  • Practice Management - formulary review, MUE (52 weeks)
  • Average 4 hours per 4 weeks*
  • Operations (Staffing) (52 weeks)
  • One weekend (2 shifts) approximately every 4 weeks
  • San Diego Pharmacy Residency Leadership (SDPRL) Teaching Certificate Program (52 weeks)
  • Average 2 hours per 4 weeks*

*This is an average and there may be more or fewer hours at different timeframes throughout the residency year.


Committee participation 


  • Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee
  • Medication Safety Committee
  • Residency Interview Committee


Teaching opportunities


  • Primary Preceptor of fourth-year Pharmacy APPE Rotation
  • Student topic discussions throughout the year
  • Noon conference presentation to house staff
  • Therapeutics section leader at UC San Diego – Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences


Residency Conference Attendance


  • ASHP Midyear


Contact information

Julie Moon, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP

PGY1 Residency Program Director

moon.julie@scrippshealth.org

PGY2 emergency medicine pharmacy residency (candidate status)

Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego is the county’s longest-established medical center and an academic teaching hospital, STEMI receiving center, Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center and a Level I Trauma Center. The emergency department is one of the busiest in San Diego, which sees approximately 75,000 patients annually in the heart of downtown San Diego.


The emergency department has over 25 medical attendings, five nurse practitioners and three pharmacist attendings along with medical residents who rotate through the program. The trauma service consists of six attending trauma surgeons, medical residents as well as trauma fellows.


This specialized residency will train the resident to practice independently as an emergency medicine pharmacist specialist in a variety of practice settings such as adult emergency medicine, medical ICU, surgical ICU, pain and palliative care, and infectious disease along with a variety of elective rotations. The resident will precept students and PGY1 residents on emergency medicine rotations.


Core rotations (4 weeks, unless specified)


  • Orientation: 2-4 weeks (duration determined by the resident’s previous work experience)
  • Emergency Medicine I, II, III
  • Community Emergency Medicine - Chula Vista (off site)
  • Community Emergency Medicine - La Jolla (off site)
  • Medical Intensive Care Unit
  • Surgery/Trauma ICU
  • Internal Medicine/Transitions of Care - 2 weeks


Elective rotations (4 weeks, unless specified)


  • Pain and Palliative Care
  • Cardiovascular ICU - La Jolla (off site)
  • Infectious Disease
  • Inpatient Neurology - 2 weeks
  • Other elective rotations may be developed based on resident interest and preceptor ability


Longitudinal rotations (52 weeks, unless specified)


  • Clinical Administration
  • Medication Use Evaluation
  • Formulary Review
  • Research
  • Staffing
  • One weekend (2 shifts) approximately every 3 weeks
  • Staffing variable shifts in the emergency department or central pharmacy, 16 weekends (minimally two shifts each weekend), plus one major holiday set and one minor holiday, total 35 shifts


Teaching opportunities


  • Primary Preceptor of fourth-year Pharmacy APPE Rotation
  • Student topic discussions each 6-week block
  • Noon conference to house staff (1)
  • Pharmacy Morbidity and Mortality Conference (1)
  • Therapeutics section leader at UC San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (optional)
  • Didactic lecture at UC San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (optional)

  

Committee participation 


  • PGY2 Residency Interview Committee 
  • Emergency Response Committee 
  • ED Supervisory Committee
  • Stroke Committee
  • System ED Careline 


Residency Conference Attendance


The resident will attend one of the following conferences:


  • American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Annual Meeting
  • Society of Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) Annual Meeting
  • American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP) Midyear


Contact information 

Justin Lin, PharmD, BCCCP, BCEMP

Residency Program Director, Emergency Medicine

lin.justin@scrippshealth.org

PGY2 psychiatric pharmacy residency

Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego has one of the oldest psychiatry services in San Diego County. Our seven attending psychiatrists care for more than 13,000 inpatients annually. We have a critical care psychiatry unit as well as an acute care adult and geropsychiatric inpatient program. The psychiatric liaison team provides psychiatric evaluation and triage services to the Scripps Health system 24/7.


Core rotations (4 weeks, unless specified)


  • Orientation (duration determined by the resident’s previous work experience)
  • General Psychiatry I (6 weeks) 
  • General Psychiatry II (6 weeks) 
  • Psychiatric Emergency Medicine 
  • VA San Diego Psychiatry Ambulatory Care Clinics* 
  • Internal Medicine (2 weeks)
  • Transitions of Care (2 weeks)
  • Substance Use Disorders I
  • Psychiatry Consult Service I+
  • Neurology+ (2 weeks)


Elective rotations (4 weeks)


  • Academia* 
  • Pain and Palliative Care 
  • Substance Use Disorders II 
  • Psychiatry Consult Service II 
  • General Psychiatry III


Longitudinal rotations (52 weeks, unless specified)


  • Research
  • Clinical Administration (includes various projects and activities including a medication use evaluation and formulary review)
  • Operations
  • One weekend (2 shifts) approximately every 3 weeks
  • Sixteen weekends throughout the year, plus one major holiday set and one minor holiday (total 35 shifts)
  • UCSD Psychiatry Free Clinic* (half-day once monthly)
  • UCSD Therapeutics Conference* (10 weeks, a half-day every Wednesday)
  • San Diego Pharmacy Residency Leadership (SDPRL) Teaching certificate program (if not received as PGY1)


*Offsite rotations

+Completion of R1 competency area needs to be met prior to assignment to the PGY2 Psychiatric Pharmacy Resident’s schedule


Committee participation 


  • PGY2 Residency Interview
  • Pharmacy and Therapeutics
  • Psychiatry Supervisory 
  • Clinical Pharmacist meeting
  • Behavioral Health Care Line  


Academic teaching


  • Noon conference to medical residents
  • Joint Scripps Mercy and UC San Diego PGY2 Psychiatry Pharmacy monthly topic discussion 
  • Student topic discussions each 6-week block
  • Therapeutics section leader at UC San Diego, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences 
  • Didactic lecture at UC San Diego, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences 
  • Pharmacy Morbidity and Mortality Conference
  • Primary Preceptor of fourth-year Pharmacy APPE Rotation or PGY1 Resident


Residency travel


  • American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists (AAPP)


Financial support provided for required conferences is variable and dependent upon funding. No additional financial support will be provided for off-site rotations (program will not provide mileage reimbursement). Parking at all Scripps facilities is free.


Contact information

Viktoriya Titova, PharmD, APh, BCPP

Residency Program Director, Psychiatry 

titova.viktoriya@scrippshealth.org

PGY2 oncology pharmacy residency

Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego is the county’s longest-established medical center and an academic teaching hospital. The Postgraduate Year Two (PGY2) Oncology Pharmacy Residency Program received full accreditation in 2021. The program will train the resident to practice independently as an advanced practitioner on the optimal use of medications used to treat individuals with oncological and hematological malignancies in clinical and academic settings. 


Eight oncologists across the breadth of specialties practice at Scripps Mercy. The resident will practice in acute care oncology, infusion center and ambulatory care settings in a collaborative environment with oncology fellows and medical residents. The resident will have opportunities to precept both APPE students and PGY1 residents.


Core oncology pharmacy rotations (4 weeks, unless specified)


  • Orientation - 2-4 weeks depending on resident’s previous work 
  • Infusion Center Operations - 2 weeks
  • Inpatient Oncology
  • Outpatient Infusion Center I - 6 weeks* 
  • Outpatient Infusion Center II - 6 weeks* 
  • Inpatient Bone Marrow Transplant (offsite)
  • North County Oncology Clinics (offsite)
  • Women's Health - Gynecologic Oncology and Breast Cancer
  • Investigational Drug Services (offsite)
  • Oral Oncology
  • Research/Project Block – 2 weeks in total


Elective rotations (4 weeks)


  • Inpatient Oncology II
  • Inpatient Bone Marrow Transplant II (offsite)
  • Hematology/Oncology Infectious Diseases (offsite)
  • Non-Malignant Hematology
  • Palliative care
  • Other elective learning experiences may be developed based on resident interest and preceptor availability


Longitudinal rotations


  • Operations/Staffing - 12 months
  • One weekend (2 shifts) approximately every 3 weeks
  • Sixteen weekends throughout the year plus one major holiday set and one minor holiday (total 35 shifts)
  • San Diego Pharmacy Residency Leadership (SDPRL) Teaching certificate program (if not received as PGY1)
  • Research/Quality Improvement - 12 months
  • Clinical Administration - 12 months
  • Medication Use Evaluation
  • Formulary Review
  • Hematology/Oncology Fellow Clinic - 11 months, weekly on Thursday afternoons


Committee participation


  • PGY2 Residency Interview
  • Pharmacy and Therapeutics 
  • Multi-Disciplinary Tumor Board
  • Weekly Clinical Pharmacist Meeting


Academic teaching

 

  • San Diego PGY2 Oncology Pharmacy BCOP group presentations
  • Student topic discussions throughout the year
  • Pharmacology Pearls to Hematology/Medical Oncology Fellows
  • Primary Preceptor of fourth-year Pharmacy APPE Rotation or PGY1 Resident
  • Presentation of noon conference to medical residents 
  • Hematology/Medical Oncology Fellows Lectures 


Residency travel


  • Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association


Contact information

Krystal Seigler, PharmD, BCPS, BCOP

Residency Program Director, Oncology

seigler.krystal@scrippshealth.org

Research projects, presentations and publications

Scripps Mercy Hospital pharmacy residents conduct institutional review board IRB-approved research during their resident year.


The research project is chosen based on the resident’s interest and the feasibility of completion during the resident year. From inception to completion, the resident manages the research project and is required to present the abstract at a national meeting.


View a list of Scripps Mercy Hospital pharmacy resident research publications and presentations (PDF, 160 KB).

Faculty and residents

Residents at Scripps Mercy Hospital work under the mentorship of experienced pharmacy experts who have Board Certification (BPS) in Pharmacotherapy and/or specialty area of practice. With academic scholarship at the core of the pharmacy residency program, our team is dedicated to delivering superior medical education and guidance to meet your interests and career goals.

Faculty and pharmacy department leadership

The Scripps Mercy Hospital Pharmacy Program recognizes the contributions of our faculty and administrators who successfully conduct and support quality experiential education in a completely acute care-focused clinical teaching environment.


Scripps Mercy’s clinical pharmacists enjoy sharing their breadth of knowledge by precepting pharmacy residents and students. Additionally, they provide a broad range of clinical services, follow pharmacist-driven medication protocols to ensure appropriate medication use and safety, and work collaboratively with physicians, nurses and other health care team members to deliver high-quality, efficient services to patients and staff.

Current residents

The Scripps Mercy Hospital Pharmacy Residency programs focus on pharmacotherapy, research, project management skills and teaching in a decentralized pharmacy setting while also preparing residents for leadership roles in the pharmacy profession. Meet your pharmacy residents:


Scripps Mercy Pharmacy Residents Celebrate Graduation June 2024

A photo taken outdoors of the 2024 Scripps Mercy Pharmacy Residency graduates.

Salary and benefits

The terms and conditions of resident training and employment are specified in the employment agreement that also includes training obligations, stipend and benefit provisions. The pharmacy residency manual fully describes policies, practices and procedures. A copy of the employment agreement, a sample yearly rotation schedule and other pertinent materials are provided at the time of the interview.


The annual stipend and specific benefits are listed in the employment agreement, discussed in the residency manual and summarized below.

Annual salary (2025-2026)

  • PGY1 pharmacy resident: $57,200
  • PGY2 pharmacy resident: $60,320

Insurance, leave and other benefits

Medical

All members of the resident staff are offered health insurance benefits for themselves and eligible dependents at a minimal cost. Medical coverage includes vision, prescription drug and chiropractic/acupuncture plans.


Dental coverage

Dental plan offers network and out-of-network coverage options. Eligible dependents can also be covered at a minimal cost.


Life insurance/AD&D

Multiple levels of employee life insurance are available, including accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) coverage. You may purchase supplemental, spousal or dependent life insurance at various levels. Long-term disability insurance is available at an additional cost. State disability insurance is paid by the resident (the state of California requires this contribution, which provides income insurance for disability due to non-job-related injury or illness).


Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Confidential, free, short-term professional counseling is available for employees and family members for issues impacting work or personal life.


Vacation

Residents receive up to 15 days of paid time off (includes, holiday, vacation, sick).


Meals

Pharmacy residents have access to the physician’s lounge seven days a week and food is free of charge.


Parking

Parking is provided free of charge.


Medical Library

All pharmacy residents have 24/7 access to the McGuire Library at Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego. A staff librarian can assist with research and journal article retrieval. In addition, there are online journals and links to Cochrane Library, Micromedex, Natural Medicines and PubMed.


Educational funds

Funds are available for books, conferences and educational software. Tuition reimbursement covers registration expenses for conferences.


Residency travel

Residents have the opportunity to attend the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting. Specialty conferences are optional and can be arranged.


Additional benefits

Pharmacy residents are also entitled to the following benefits:

  • Entertainment discounts
  • Gym membership discounts
  • Childcare discounts
  • Access to the Wellness Program (Healing Touch and mindfulness sessions)
  • Scripps Passport entertainment discount card

How to apply

The PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency match code is 128113.

The PGY2 Psychiatry Residency match code is 749266.

The PGY2 Oncology Pharmacy Residency match code is 601360.

The PGY2 Emergency Pharmacy Residency match code is 674969.


All residency positions at Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego are 12-month commitments starting on the first Monday in July. The application submission deadline is January 3.


Virtual Open Houses

Thursday, November 21, 2024 from 5 pm PST

Thursday, December 19, 2024 from 5 pm PST


Please contact the respective residency program directors via email to schedule a virtual open house slot.

Apply to the Scripps Mercy Hospital Pharmacy Residency program

Application procedure for PGY1 and PGY2 residents:


Applicants must participate in the ASHP Match Program and apply using PhORCAS.


  • Your personal letter of intent should not exceed 250 words. 
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Pharmacy school transcripts
  • Three letters of recommendation are required (two preferably from acute care rotations).
  • See PhORCAS for all details.


The application submission deadline is January 3 of each year.

Who can apply

To be considered for the PGY1 residency program, candidates must be a graduate or candidate of an ACPE accredited PharmD program (or one in process of pursuing accreditation) or have a Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Committee (FPGEC) certificate from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NAPB) and eligible for California licensure. Additional requirements for PGY2 residency program candidates include enrollment in or completion of an ASHP-accredited PGY1 residency. All PGY1 and PGY2 candidates also undergo a personal interview and must submit through WebAdmit/PhORCAS.


Matched residents must:

  • Have a current BLS certificate (AHA certificate)
  • Be licensed pharmacist interns in the State of California prior to the start of the residency year
  • Be licensed pharmacist in the State of California within 120 days of the start of residency (PGY1 and PGY2)
  • PGY2 programs: Must be enrolled in or have completed an ASHP accredited PGY1 residency

Contact us

If you have questions or need to make special arrangements, please contact: