Academia/Family Medicine Pharmacy Fellowship
Fellowship Heading link
Started in 2018, the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC)’s Academia and Family Medicine Pharmacy Fellowship is a two-year training program in family medicine and the scholarship of teaching and learning to develop advanced competencies in clinical research, practice, and workforce development. Completion of the program enables the fellow to become a full-time faculty member and leader within health professions education, training, and clinical practice.
Purpose Heading link
The primary goals of the program are to:
- Develop fellows into independent researchers that can lead high-impact research
endeavors in a variety of family medicine and teaching and learning environments - Advance fellows into autonomous clinician-educators who possess in-depth therapeutic
knowledge and research experience, and - Position fellows to be superior candidates for their desired career goals, especially
academic roles.
The fellowship is designed to provide broad exposure to a variety of research experiences, with a significant focus on individualizing the program and expectations to each fellow’s ultimate career goals and prepare them to be competitive for whichever career path they choose. Assessments will be continual, multidisciplinary, and refined to keep pace with the fellow’s growth throughout the program. The program will emphasize the development of skills in research methodology, grantsmanship, study design and management, statistical analysis, project dissemination, and leadership.
The fellow will provide clinical services within the family medicine department at UI Health. The fellow will participate in a variety of interprofessional teaching engagements within the College of Pharmacy and College of Medicine including facilitation of small group discussions, precepting of pharmacy and medical residents, and performing classroom lectures. Together, these experiences will make the fellow a competitive candidate for careers in numerous areas of pharmacy practice while also re-establishing UIC’s reputation across the nation as an institution with the capabilities, opportunities, and experiences to produce high-quality clinical scientists.
Program Information Heading link
Click each tab to explore the program
Components
Requirements
PharmD, PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency (PGY-2 preferred), licensure for the state of Illinois
Duration
2 years
Estimated percentage of the fellow’s time spent in each activity:
- Research: 60%
- Teaching: 15%
- Patient Care: 25%
Research Activities
The fellow will be expected to assume responsibility as principal and/or co-investigator and develop research proposals that will be submitted for extramural funding to foundations and/or federal organizations. Through these proposals, the fellows will gain experience at protocol development including methodological and statistical design considerations, budget preparation, IRB submission, grantsmanship, subject enrollment including obtainment of informed consent, appropriate study record keeping, and data analysis. The fellow may also collaborate as co-investigator with other preceptors, residents, and fellows (pharmacy or medicine). The fellow is expected to present research at local and/or national conferences.
Teaching Activities
The fellow will be actively involved in the UIC College of Pharmacy (COP) PharmD curriculum including small group facilitation and large group lectures. The fellow is engaged in the experiential program through simulation-based teaching. Other opportunities available across the University to teach medical students, medical residents, and other allied health professionals will be presented to the fellow as they become available. During clinical service, the fellow will have the opportunity to precept pharmacy residents during their academic rotation at UI Health.
Service Activities
Fellows have clinical opportunities in conjunction with the UIC Family Medicine Physician Residency in both inpatient and outpatient family medicine practice as well as the UIC Pharmacy Residency Programs at UI Health. Pharmacists are well integrated into the physician residency program and their clinical services, providing direct patient care under collaborative practice agreements. The fellow will not be required to provide distributive (or staffing) coverage.
Professional Development
The fellow is required to complete didactic and hands-on professional development focused on grant writing, research design, methodology, and statistical analysis. The fellow also has the opportunity to complete Master degree coursework or certificate within the Department of Medical Education at the UIC College of Medicine.
The fellow will actively participate with preceptors in academic peer review for a variety of journals as the opportunities become available. Additionally, the fellow will be encouraged to further develop critical appraisal and writing skills by participating in the preparation of review articles, textbook chapters, case series, research manuscripts, and letters to the editor.
Educational Opportunities:
PharmD Curriculum:
The curriculum emphasizes a patient-centered course of study and provides a structure that will enable UIC students to develop into reflective practitioners with skills and attitudes to anticipate change, criticize, evaluate, and modify practice in a changing health care arena. The curriculum also provides a fundamental core of knowledge, skills, and attitudes, which in composite, promote the fulfillment of the adopted professional competencies for a generalist practitioner who delivers pharmaceutical care.
Pharmacy Residency Programs:
The University of Illinois College of Pharmacy in collaboration with the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System are proud of the over 40 year history of training post-graduate pharmacists in clinical service and research through our PGY1 and PGY2 residencies as well as our clinical research fellowships. Fellows will provide research support, clinical teaching, and mentorship roles for residents.
Clinical Practice Site:
The University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System (UI Health) provides comprehensive care, education, and research to the people of Illinois and beyond. A part of the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), UI Health comprises a clinical enterprise that includes a 495-bed tertiary care hospital, 22 outpatient clinics, and 13 Mile Square Health Center facilities, which are Federally Qualified Health Centers. It also includes the seven UIC health science colleges: the College of Applied Health Sciences; the College of Dentistry; the School of Public Health; the Jane Addams College of Social Work; and the Colleges of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Nursing, including regional campuses in Peoria, Quad Cities, Rockford, Springfield, and Urbana. UI Health is dedicated to the pursuit of health equity.
Benefits
- Competitive stipend with benefits package including:
- 10 annual vacation days
- 12 annual sick days
- Paid holidays (per UIC holiday schedule)
- Health insurance, dental, vision
- UIC tuition waiver benefit
- Professional development funds
- Reimbursement for Board Certification examination fee (if passed)
- Workspace including dedicated office space, computer, etc.
Past Fellows
Alexander Infante, PharmD, BCPS (2024)
First Position:
- Clinical Assistant Professor/Clinical Pharmacist, Texas A&M University Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy
Abigail Elmes, PharmD, BCPS, MHPE (2022)
First position:
- Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor/Clinical Pharmacist, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy
Thesis title: Evaluating the Quality of the Core Entrustable Professional Activities for New Pharmacy Graduates
Eden Keller, PharmD (2022)
First position:
- Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor/Clinical Pharmacist, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy
Brianna McQuade, PharmD, BCPS, MHPE (2020)
First position:
- Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy
- Clinical Pharmacist, Family Practice/Substance Use Disorder/Mental Health, Mile Square Health Center
Thesis title: Do You Mind? A Mindfulness Curriculum for Pharmacy Students
Required Qualifications Heading link
- Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree
- Completion of a PGY1 pharmacy residency program (PGY2 preferred)
- Meet all requirements for employment by the University of Illinois at Chicago, which will include a background check
- Eligible for licensure in Illinois
Apply Now Heading link
Interested applicants should electronically submit to aelmes2@uic.edu:
- A letter of intent describing research interests and teaching philosophy
- Curriculum vitae (CV)
- Two letters of recommendation
Applicants are encouraged to apply early. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Candidates will be required to complete a telephone interview and may be invited for an on-site interview.
