From Resident to Director: Understanding the True Value of Residency

Sarah Hogue, PharmD
Director Oncology Pharmacy
St. Luke’s Health System
Boise, ID

I feel I have always been a leader and my story starts as a child. I was that typical kid that was told she was bossy, which now I like to think of as showing great leadership potential. I naturally gravitated towards leadership positions in high school and throughout college, serving in leadership roles in many student organizations. I completed a Pharmacy Administration Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience during my fourth year of pharmacy school and this prompted me to seek out Administration rotations in both my post-graduate year residencies.

Residency Experience Solidified an Interest in Management
During my Post Graduate Year 2 (PGY2) Oncology Residency, I had a longitudinal Administration rotation that included presenting at the Oncology Pharmacy and Therapeutics subcommittee, attending various other meetings, and two concentrated weeks spent with the Director of Pharmacy. I know what you all are thinking, “ugh, meetings” and I will tell you that I felt that way at first as well, but then getting to see all the brilliant minds in one room, working together, and making decisions was exciting. I was able to see firsthand how integrated the Pharmacy Director was in all operations within the cancer center, not just those that directly involve pharmacy. From these experiences, I knew that eventually I would like to be in a leadership position wherever I ended up practicing.

I had interactions with the Director throughout the year as he was my direct supervisor. He had an open-door policy and was always friendly, inviting, and helpful. It was a nice dynamic to have my Residency Director to guide me through all things residency related, but still have a relationship with the Director to be a resource for life in general as well. During the residency year, he was not only my supervisor, but also a mentor.

Leadership, Inspiration, and Advocacy go Hand in Hand
During my PGY2 residency, my interest in management was solidified. The Pharmacy Director showed me how you can be a leader while simultaneously showing genuine compassion and interest in your team members. He was a source of inspiration, an advocate for pharmacy across the system, pushed his team to operate at the top of their license, supported any projects that the team brought forward, and encouraged growth and professional development. All of this was also true for the residency program. He made me feel like I was an integral member of the team, even as a resident.

Halfway through the residency year, I accepted a job offer for a position where I would be the primary pharmacist at a small community cancer center. My goal for this position was to develop pharmacy services and integrate pharmacy into the healthcare team. This was a daunting task and over the next six months I took every opportunity to work with the Director and glean as much information from his as possible about how to manage a practice.

Fast forward three years, and I am back at St. Luke’s where I completed my PGY2 residency working with that same Pharmacy Director. I found my way back to St. Luke’s, largely because of the ongoing relationship I had with the Director. During the next three years, I wore a couple of different hats and then the Director announced his retirement. He told me that he would like me to take over for him when he leaves. I am honored, humbled, and scared.

The Student Becomes the Director
Now, here I am as the new Oncology Pharmacy Director for St. Luke’s and I get to be in the role of the mentor and advocate for the residency program. We have three PGY2 residents each year and I am the primary preceptor for their longitudinal Administration rotation and their direct supervisor. I work closely with our PGY2 Residency Director to make sure the residents have a successful year. I absolutely love working with our residents and seeing how much they learn throughout the year and then take that out into practice. My relationship with them is similar to the relationship I had with my Pharmacy Director as a resident.

As the Pharmacy Director, I see myself as a resource for the residents and an advocate for the residency program. While the Residency Director manages many aspects of the residency program, I participate in interviews and am a member of the Residency Advisory Committee. I make sure that we have funds to send residents and preceptors to conferences where they can share their experiences with other pharmacy professionals across the nation and bring back valuable information to our organization. I also make sure that the residents have the resources they need, whether it is reference materials, office space, or IT equipment.

I also support resident projects by guiding the residents as to who the stakeholders are and helping them make those connections outside of our department. Additionally, I support the residents by ensuring that they are maintaining a healthy work-life balance, and have positive relationships with the pharmacy staff, their preceptors, and the Residency Director.

Residency Programs Drive Profession Forward
Residency Programs are an incredibly valuable asset to the organization. Having residents pushes our entire pharmacy team to be at the very top of their game. Residency projects help drive our profession and practice forward. Many of the pharmacy initiatives we have been able to implement over the years have been the direct result of residency projects, including a pharmacist-led oral chemotherapy service, the addition of a full-time Pediatric Oncology Pharmacist, and many pharmacy protocols to help with oncology patient management.

Working with the PGY2 residents is one of my favorite aspects of my job. I always learn something from them, and they make our organization and our pharmacy team stronger every year.