Apply by January 2, 2026. To qualify for our residency program, you must:

• Be a graduate of a Doctor of Pharmacy program from an ACPE-accredited school or college of pharmacy.
• Have legal working status in United States to cover your entire period of residency training. We are unable to sponsor visas for residents.
• Be eligible for pharmacist licensure in Illinois. Residents matched to our program must obtain Illinois pharmacist licensure before September 1.
• Hold an Illinois pharmacy technician license if you are not registered as a pharmacist in Illinois before the residency program start date.
• Register with PhORCAS and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Resident Matching Service.
• Complete your PhORCAS profile and submit all participation materials directly through the PhORCAS online portal. These materials include:
  • Curriculum vitae (CV)
  • Letter of intent
  • Three letters of recommendation (You may use the Standard Reference Form in PhORCAS for recommendations. You do not need a separate letter.)
    • Reference letter writers should be preceptors, employers, professors or other professionals who can evaluate your skills and character.
    • At least one of the three letters should be from a preceptor from a patient-facing APPE rotation who can comment on your clinical skills.
  • Pharmacy school transcripts
  • An essay response to the supplemental question (below) in your application
    • Your response should be no longer than 500 words.
    • We will not review your application if you do not include your response.
    • The essay is separate from your cover letter. Upload it in the Supplemental Information section in PhORCAS.
    • The supplemental question: Large academic medical centers serve patients from a wide range of backgrounds and with varying levels of health literacy, social support, and access to care. Describe a time when you recognized that a patient’s non-clinical circumstances influenced their treatment or outcomes. How did you address the situation, what did you learn about your role as a pharmacist within an interdisciplinary team, and how will you apply this to your practice moving forward?

Virtual Information Sessions 2025

Join us at our upcoming postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) information sessions. They will feature a brief presentation to give a program overview, followed by a Q&A.

Open houses

• October 29, 6 – 7 pm CT
• November 17, 6 – 7 pm CT

Sign up for a session.

Showcase Attendance 2025

SNPhA x ACCP Residency Showcase (Virtual)

• 6 – 7 pm CT, November 13

ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting (Las Vegas, Nevada)

• 1 – 4 pm CT, December 9
• Booth number 6518

Mission Statement

The PGY1 residency program builds on Doctor of Pharmacy 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 PGY1 residency programs will be skilled in diverse patient care, practice management, leadership and education. They will be prepared to provide patient care, seek board certification in pharmacotherapy, and pursue advanced education and training opportunities, including postgraduate year two (PGY2) residencies.

Program Description

The residency program is a full-time program that spans a minimum of 52 weeks. It is designed and structured to offer skill development and abilities to successfully practice as a pharmacist in a variety of settings including but not limited to chronic disease management, medication therapy management (MTM) services, prescription fulfillment, specialty pharmacy services, ambulatory infusion, and clinic-based care. Training focuses on access, dispensing, adherence, clinical counseling, and management of a range of therapies in specialty pharmacy and chronic diseases. The program offers exposure to the fundamentals of pharmacy administration, research, safety, quality improvement, and accreditation. Residents are exposed to a variety of specialty pharmacy chronic diseases and medication therapy management in block rotations. Research, quality improvement, education and teaching, dispensing and operations, and longitudinal clinic are learning experiences that span the duration of the residency year. Professional development and engagement are also core components of the program. We strive to provide a supportive and collaborative environment, fostering growth in clinical skills, research, and leadership. The goal is to empower our residents to become confident, patient-centered practitioners who are dedicated to advancing pharmaceutical care and improving patient outcomes.

The residency is based in Northwestern Medicine Specialty Pharmacy (NMSP) at Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH). NMSP holds both URAC and ACHC accreditation distinctions. The residents work alongside clinical and operational pharmacists within the specialty pharmacy. Several clinical pharmacists are decentralized and practice in specialty clinics collaborating with physicians, APPs, social workers, and nursing staff. NMSP services walk-up prescription management as well as mail-order prescription management servicing the Chicago-land area and nearby boarding states. The residency includes opportunities for residents to learn in additional ambulatory care settings including outpatient ambulatory infusion pharmacy, primary care, and population health. The ambulatory infusion pharmacy services patients in downtown Chicago receiving infusion or injectable medications for oncology/hematology and specialty indications. The ambulatory infusion pharmacy adheres to USP 797 and USP 800 practices. The pharmacy team provides clinical and operational services to patients, infusion nursing staff, and providers. The ambulatory care pharmacy team services patients seen in a variety of settings including but not limited to population health, primary care, and cardiology. The ambulatory care pharmacists utilize collaborative practice agreements to provide comprehensive care to patients as well as assist with medication access.

Your residency experience will be tailored to your interests and goals.

Required rotations are:

• Orientation to pharmacy practice
• Administration and leadership
• Inflammatory diseases
• Hematology/oncology
• Quality, safety and accreditation
• Infectious diseases
• Neurology, allergy/asthma, cardiology (combined)
• Pharmacy practice longitudinal
• Women’s health and reproductive medicine
• Primary care
• Research and quality improvement
• Teaching and learning
• Longitudinal clinic

Elective rotations include:

• Medication therapy management
• Solid organ transplant clinic
• Population health
• Cardiology Medication Titration Clinic

• Research: Residents must complete an independent research or quality improvement project with mentorship from clinical pharmacists and support from the departmental research committee. Residents may choose any research project, define their own research question and work with the research advisor of their choice. We expect residents to present background and methods at the annual Vizient meeting, before the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Clinical Mid-Year Meeting. Results of clinical research projects will be presented at a resident-specific spring conference.
• Presentations: We expect PGY1 residents to present:
  • Two journal club presentations
  • Two patient case presentations
  • One project protocol defense, one pre-liminary project defense (background and methods), one final project (results/conclusion) pertaining to their research or quality improvement project
  • One hour-long continuing education presentation for pharmacists and/or technicians
  • One lecture to physician assistant students
• Committee participation: Each resident will serve on a resident committee and the specialty pharmacy’s quality committee and clinical committee. They will have opportunities for more committee involvement that aligns with their interests.
• Precepting: Each resident will be involved in precepting pharmacy students during their learning experiences.
• Teaching certificate: All residents will participate in a teaching certificate program. They can present didactic lectures, if opportunities are available.
• On-call shifts: Residents will be on call throughout the year, including holidays, to support after-hours clinical questions and operational needs.
• Staffing: Each resident will staff one day per week rotating in the Specialty Pharmacy and Ambulatory Infusion Pharmacy.
• Longitudinal clinic: Residents will spend one day every other week in a longitudinal clinic.
• Business plan: Residents must develop a business plan for a new or enhanced pharmacy service.

Andrea Gómez, PharmD, BCACP
Director, Residency Program
andrea.prince@nm.org

Dr. Gómez is a hematology/oncology clinical pharmacist at Northwestern Medicine Specialty Pharmacy. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Drake University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, completing her PGY1 pharmacy practice residency and PGY2 ambulatory care residency at CoxHealth. Dr. Gómez is certified by the Board of Pharmacy Specialties as a board-certified ambulatory care pharmacist. She has worked at the Specialty Pharmacy since 2022 and practices in the neuro-oncology clinic. She enjoys watching sports, boxing and volunteering.

Nevena Dzinkic, PharmD
Coordinator, Residency Program
nevena.varagic@nm.org

Dr. Dzinkic is a hematology/oncology clinical pharmacist at the Specialty Pharmacy. She completed her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the Collage of Pharmacy at University of Illinois-Chicago. Dr. Dzinkic completed her post-graduate PGY1 pharmacy practice residency at Loyola University Medical Center. She has been practicing professionally at Northwestern Medicine since fall 2021. In her spare time, Dr. Dzinkic enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, playing with her dog, trying out new restaurants in the city, and exercising.

Alexandra Edinger, PharmD
Coordinator, Residency Program
alexandra.edinger@nm.org

Dr. Edinger is a fertility and reproductive medicine clinical pharmacist at the Specialty Pharmacy. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Pharmacy. She went on to complete her PGY1 specialty pharmacy residency at the University of Illinois-Chicago and since has been at Northwestern Medicine. In her spare time, Dr. Edinger enjoys strength-training exercise classes, running, baking and reading.