Community-Based Pharmacy (Specialty)

University of Michigan Health is recruiting applicants for a one-year PGY1 Community-Based Pharmacy Residency (Specialty) Program. There is one position available. This new program is currently under ASHP candidate status anticipating accreditation in the fall of the 2026-2027 residency year.

General Description & Program Purpose

The PGY1 Community-Based Pharmacy Residency (Specialty) is a one-year program designed to build knowledgeable, confident pharmacy practitioners equipped to deliver high-quality patient care in the Health System Specialty Pharmacy setting. Graduates of this program will demonstrate the understanding, tools, and skills to build clinical practices in under/undeveloped sites. They will be well-positioned to enter practice as community or specialty pharmacy leaders or go on to complete ASHP PGY2 Specialty Practice Residencies in Ambulatory Care.  

The program is built to adapt to the resident’s future plans and current needs. The purpose of the program is to build upon the 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 the PGY1 Community-Based Pharmacy Residency (Specialty) will be skilled in diverse patient care, practice management, leadership, and education, and be prepared to provide patient care, seek board certification (i.e., BCPS, CSP), and pursue advanced education and training opportunities including postgraduate year two (PGY2) residencies.
Residency Program Director: Melissa Pleva, PharmD, MBA

Residency Program Director: Melissa Pleva, PharmD, MBA

We will be represented at ASHP Midyear Residency Showcase in Las Vegas, Nevada on Monday, December 8th from 1:00-4:00 PM at booth 4010. Please stop by to connect with current residents & RPD! 

Can't make it to Midyear? No problem! Here's the complete list of recruitment events we'll be attending this year:

The PGY1 Community-Based Pharmacy (Specialty) resident will experience a mix of required and elective rotations tailored to their interest. Rotations are a mix of longitudinal and block experiences. See the list of available required and elective rotations at this link. 

The residency primary practice site is the UMH Pharmacy Joy Rd. Service Center, located at 7300 W. Joy Rd., Dexter, MI 48130, which houses the UMH Specialty Pharmacy. The Joy Rd. Service Center is 11 miles from the main medical center campus and offers ample free parking and is not accessible by public transportation. 

Alternate sites for required or elective rotations: 

Main Medical Campus (University Hospital/Pavillion/Children’s and Women’s [CW] Hospital/Cardiovascular Center [CVC]/Taubman Center/Rogel Cancer Center): 1500 E. Medical Center Dr. Ann Arbor, MI 48103 

East Ann Arbor Health and Geriatrics Center: 4260 Plymouth Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 

U-M College of Pharmacy: 1007 E. Huron St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104 (walking distance from main medical campus) 

Rotations at sites other than the Joy Rd. Service Center are designated in the rotation list. Travel to alternative sites is not provided or reimbursed by the program. 

Please see the PGY1 Community-Based Pharmacy (Specialty Setting) Graduation Requirements Checklist & Program Deliverables for a list of all program completion requirements.   

Community-based residents will provide a service component of, at a minimum, the equivalent of 38 days of live staffing. This will consist of 10 weekends in the UMH Community Pharmacies (4 hours at East Ann Arbor on Saturdays, 8 hours at Taubman on Sundays) and 18 weekdays in the UMH Specialty Mail Order Fulfillment Pharmacy (10-hour shifts).  

All residents are expected to work one minor holiday (Labor Day or Memorial Day) and one major holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day) during their residency year. If the pharmacy is not open on the day of the holiday the resident will be scheduled on any weekend days associated with the holiday and may be scheduled on a weekday before and/or after the holiday as needed. 

Specialty Pharmacists provide after-hours and weekend on-call coverage for questions from patients as part of our service requirements to meet Specialty Pharmacy accreditation standards. The PGY1 resident will take call during the second semester of residency, with a Specialty Pharmacist back-up. 

Residents are required to complete a research project within the year. A poster for the project will be presented at the Vizient Pharmacy Council Meeting and American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Annual Meeting. The results of the project will also be presented at the Great Lakes Pharmacy Resident Conference. Residents are required to complete a writing project in collaboration with a chosen preceptor. Writing projects are comprehensive reviews that are suitable for publication and often qualify as continuing education programs. 

Our residents receive an adjunct clinical instructor appointment with the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy. In this role, the resident serves as an instructor for a one-semester course either in the Fall or Winter semester. The resident also participates in precepting PharmD students on clinical rotation. An optional teaching certificate program is offered through the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy. 

Melissa Pleva, PharmD, MBA 

PGY1 Community-Based Pharmacy Residency (Specialty) Program Director 
Pharmacy Assistant Director – Specialty Clinical Services 
University of Michigan Health 

[email protected] 
  • Please check out the F.A.Q. for application information & deadlines.