Pharmacy Internship Program

The mission of the UM Health Department of Pharmacy Services Internship Program is to prepare Pharmacy Interns to become successful pharmacists and leaders in health-system pharmacy practice. Pharmacy Interns will be challenged to solve issues in health-system pharmacy with mentorship and guidance from an experienced pharmacy department staff.

The UM Health Pharmacy Internship Program focuses on the following areas for development: 

1. Practice Skills: Pharmacy Interns will develop operational and clinical practice skills over the course of the Pharmacy Internship. Interns will gain in-depth knowledge and experience in pharmacy operations within their areas of focus within the health system setting through staffing experiences and completion of a process improvement initiative. Interns will also develop clinical knowledge and skills required to be a successful pharmacist within each respective pharmacy practice area. Pharmacy Interns will be afforded increasing clinical opportunities as they progress throughout the internship. 
2. Teamwork: Effective teamwork is essential to provide safe and high-quality patient care, and Pharmacy Interns are key members of our team. Interns will have opportunities on a daily basis to practice and develop effective teamwork skills in their respective work areas, as well as potential opportunities to collaborate outside of their primary team/work area.
3. Professionalism: Pharmacy Interns will develop skills as future healthcare practitioners consistent with the highest ethical and professional standards. Pharmacy Interns will be provided with opportunities to develop their professional presence. 
4. Leadership: Pharmacy Interns will learn foundational and essential skills needed to effectively lead within the field of pharmacy. Pharmacy Interns will have opportunities to gain leadership experiences through formal roles, within their respective work areas, and through mentorship and training by the leaders within the pharmacy department. 

The UM Health Pharmacy Internship program aims to be the premier Pharmacy Internship program and a model for other pharmacy programs and departments, with the ultimate goal of preparing student pharmacists to be successful in their future pharmacy practice and to become leaders in the pharmacy profession.  

We have a total of 43 pharmacy internship positions, with 21 interns in one year of the program and 22 interns in the other year of the program.  Pharmacy interns practice in multiple areas of practice in our Department, including inpatient adult practice, inpatient pediatric practice, emergency department, ambulatory care/outpatient pharmacy, infusion pharmacy, specialty pharmacy, research pharmacy/investigational drug service, transitions of care, home infusion, pharmacy supply chain, medication use policy, compounding compliance, and health-system pharmacy administration & leadership.

• Pharmacy Interns are expected to commit to the internship for 2 years starting at the conclusion of the P-1 year, and then concluding at the end of the P-3 year
• Interns will be expected to work full-time in the summers (40 hours/week), which begins the first Monday in May, and concludes on Labor Day or the day before the first day of Fall Term classes
• Interns will then be expected to work an average of 8 hours per week during the academic year - this is stated as working at least 16 hours per 2 week pay period, averaged over 2 pay periods (this allows as much flexibility as possible, and can be scheduled as full shifts or partial shifts, depending on the work area and the student's academic commitments)
• Work will include rotating shifts, including every other weekend, one summer holiday, and one winter holiday (in areas that operate on weekends and holidays); it also includes working during academic breaks
• During the first summer/year, Pharmacy Intern activities will be primarily staffing in the core work area to learn the work and day-to-day responsibilities
• During the second summer/year, Pharmacy Interns will continue staffing in their core area, but will also have dedicated project time in various areas of practice
• In general, during the first year of the program (as a "Junior Intern"), you will learn more about the operational aspects and workflow of pharmacy practice in your area, and then will transition to more advanced functions and project activities in the second year of the program (as a "Senior Intern")

• One of the most important aspects of our mission includes providing safe, effective and cost-efficient medication therapy to patients.  We always strive to put patients and families first, and patient safety is a top priority.
• In order for Pharmacy Interns to support this, there are a number of key skills and attributes that we look for in successful applicants.  These include, but are not limited to:
  • Accuracy
  • Attention to detail
  • Ability to work efficiently
  • Motivation
  • Flexibility
  • Ability to adapt to change
  • Ability to prioritize tasks
  • Teamwork
  • Excellent communication skills and problem-solving skills
• In addition, successful applicants must be enrolled in the U-M College of Pharmacy PharmD Program and have a current valid Michigan Pharmacy Intern License.

• Yes, all interns will receive appropriate training. For junior interns (first year), the employee on-boarding and training period is approximately 6-8 weeks; however, this can be customized based on an individual employee's needs. The first week includes some general orientation and training sessions.  The second week includes some "core" baseline training in our employee training center.  You will have an opportunity to meet with various leaders across our Department as we welcome you to the team.  Activities during the subsequent 4 weeks focus on area-specific training.
• Senior interns (2nd year) will receive additional training as needed/requested.

Definitely not!  While prior pharmacy or healthcare experience can be beneficial, it is not required for the internship program, and many past interns joined our team without pharmacy or healthcare experience.

• There are many opportunities as an intern, including (but not limited to):
  • Job shadowing experiences (guaranteed up to 2 paid job shadow experiences during the summer; must be approved in advance by your supervisor)
  • Intern Leadership Development sessions throughout the year
  • Leadership opportunities as Chief Intern
  • Final project for all Senior interns
  • Opportunities to work on other projects as the need arises across internship
  • Opportunity to serve on Pharmacy Internship committees
  • Optional mentorship program
  • Network and build professional relationships with pharmacists in many areas of Health-System Pharmacy practice
  • Clinical experiences across many areas
  • Potential publications
  • Collaboration with residents
  • Guided mentorship program

• During the summer, you can take up to 8 non-paid days off. Some departments also allow additional time off due to major holidays (Memorial Day or Fourth of July).
• Each team has its own procedure regarding how to request time off and what holidays are considered non-working. Pharmacy Interns must follow the same process as other team members to request time off and receive approval in advance (unless otherwise instructed by your supervisor). This includes breaks during the academic year (e.g., fall break, holiday break, spring break).

• Our employee compensation is very competitive with the market, and we use a model to determine salaries for all employees.
• Pharmacy Intern positions are classified as temporary positions, and they are paid the same rate as other temporary student/pharmacy technician employees.

• Pharmacy Interns practice in many different teams/practice settings and in a variety of roles across our Department.  Pharmacy Interns responsibilities are focused on ensuring optimal medication safety, efficacy, and utilization throughout the institution and across the medication use cycle.   
• Key Pharmacy Intern responsibilities include, but are not limited to (and may differ between teams/areas):
  • Preparing oral medication dosage forms
  • Preparing compounded sterile products and hazardous medications (e.g., chemotherapy)
  • Preparing and packaging non-sterile compounded pharmaceutical products
  • Assisting with use of automated dispensing cabinets (e.g., Pyxis®), stocking and managing medication inventory
  • Preparing and delivering investigational medications per research protocols
  • Responding to telephone and online inquiries
  • Communicating with nurses, physicians, and other members of the healthcare team
  • Reviewing and developing policies, procedures, and guidelines
  • Assisting pharmacist and pharmacy technician team members with patient care-related work, and other duties and projects as assigned

Absolutely! This is not required, but if shifts are available and you are trained in that area, you are free to volunteer for additional shifts.*

* Pharmacy Interns who are international students may have rules regarding the number of hours they are allowed to work per week during the summer and during the academic year, please refer to the U-M International Center for additional information.

In order to provide safe, effective, and cost-efficient medication therapy to patients and to be successful as a Pharmacy Intern with our team, individuals must learn, demonstrate, and practice a variety of important skills to be successful.  Some of these skills and behaviors include, but are not limited to, working and communicating effectively with a team, communicating effectively with other healthcare professionals, completing tasks efficiently and accurately with attention to detail, practicing and demonstrating effective time-management, prioritizing work and tasks, displaying flexibility and adapting to changes, and reflecting on and incorporating feedback to improve.

• You will receive the official announcement that the application is open (usually around late September); applications will be due around mid-late October (exact deadlines/timeline TBD each year) - refer to information near the top of this page for the current application cycle details.
• In order to apply, you should complete the online information and application, which will include:
  • Identifying position(s)/area(s) to which you want to apply - you can apply to 1 position, several positions, or all positions available, there is no minimum or limit
  • Letter of intent
  • Updated curriculum vitae
  • Video interview responding to 2 standard questions (</= 5 minutes)
  • Two (2) recommendations submitted by references (via a standardized online recommendation form), with at least one preferably from a previous or current supervisor (and no relatives or close friends); these will be submitted separately (confidentially) to the Pharmacy Internship Program Director - Mike Kraft, PharmD, BCNSP, FASPEN

Contact any of the following:

• Mike Kraft, Pharmacy Internship Program Director: [email protected]
• Emily Herum, Senior Chief Intern (P-3): [email protected] 
• Avin DeMaso, Junior Chief Intern (P-2): [email protected] 

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity employer and we are committed to fostering and maintaining a safe and non-discriminatory work environment: http://www.hr.umich.edu/oie/ndpolicy.html