Pharmacy Residency Program at Meriter Hospital

PGY-1 Residency

UnityPoint Health – Meriter's ASHP-accredited PGY-1 program has been training residents since 1984. This one-year program provides the opportunity to develop advanced pharmacy practice skills in a progressive community hospital setting. Upon completion of this training program, residents are prepared to successfully assume clinical pharmacy roles within health-systems practice.

Purpose of the PGY-1 Residency

Individuals who complete the PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency program at UnityPoint Health - Meriter will possess skills necessary to provide comprehensive pharmaceutical care to a diverse group of patients. These skills include communication, critical thinking and education about drug-related therapy to colleagues, other healthcare professionals, pharmacy students and patients. Residents will be responsible for providing clinical pharmacy services that achieve optimal health care outcomes for their patients. They will exercise leadership in healthcare by developing protocols that promote medication safety. You will demonstrate professional maturity by following a personal philosophy of practice that promotes self-directed learning, ethical integrity, respect for others, and commitment to the pharmacy profession.

Upon completion of this training program residents are prepared to successfully assume clinical pharmacy roles within health-systems practice. This may include transitioning to advanced training in the form of PGY2 residency programs and/or fellowships. They are also prepared to assume teaching responsibilities for future practitioners.

Core Residency Rotations

Each Resident's rotation schedule is customized to meet his or her individual needs and interests. The rotations are available in the following practice areas with dedicated preceptors who have extensive clinical experience. Of note, many of the electives were originally created to meet a training desire.

Longitudinal
  • Practice management
  • Staffing
  • Medication safety
  • Precepting
  • Psychiatry
  • Code stroke response
  • Major project
Block
  • ACLS training & certification
  • Cardiology
  • Critical care
  • Drug policy
  • Infectious diseases
  • Internal medicine
  • Nutrition support
  • Orientation 
Elective Rotations
  • Ambulatory care
  • Emergency medicine 
  • Neonatal intensive care     
  • Obstetrics
  • Pain management
  • PACU
  • Psychiatry

How to Apply

Interested Applicants Must:

  • Be graduates of an ACPE-accredited College of Pharmacy
  • Participate in the ASHP Resident Matching Program
  • Be eligible for licensure to practice pharmacy in Wisconsin
  • Participate in an interview in January or February

Submit the following materials through PhORCAS:

  • Standard information
  • Basic demographics
  • Verified transcripts
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Extracurricular information
  • Three letters of reference
  • Personal statement/Letter of intent: please provide specific information about your practice goals and areas of interest; what interests you the most about our residency program and how doing a residency will help you accomplish your career goals.

Supplemental information

  • Please provide two projects that you have completed as a pharmacy student that represent your best work and will show the selection committee your capabilities as a resident.

Meet our Preceptors

The preceptors at UnityPoint Health - Meriter are top-notch and bring clinical expertise to your training. They are actively involved within our organization to advance pharmacy practice and these efforts often extend to state and national professional organizations.

Meet the PGY1 Pharmacy Residents

Madeline Gallo, PharmD, MPH

Pharmacy Education: University of Wisconsin - Madison

Hometown: Kenosha, WI

Pharmacy project: Clinical pharmacist implementation into maternal fetal medicine (MFM) clinic workflow

Career interests: Emergency Medicine, Critical Care

Hobbies: Reading, trying new restaurants and breweries

Why UnityPoint Health-Meriter? During my time in Madison, Meriter has always been known as a community hospital that provides quality health care, which is why I applied here for residency. The hospital offers care in many specialties, including obstetrics, emergency medicine, and critical care, which are all areas that I wanted to explore further. I was also looking for opportunities to use my master's in public health, and with Meriter being a community hospital, they are involved in various initiatives to improve the health of Madison residents. Lastly, all of the staff at Meriter have been extremely welcoming, kind, and make me feel like an important member of the team. I could not be more excited to begin my journey as a pharmacist at Meriter!

Lexi Biehl, PharmD

Pharmacy Education: University of Wisconsin- Madison

Hometown: Marinette, WI

Pharmacy project: Reduced dose insulin for the treatment of hyperkalemia

Career interests: I'm interested in pursuing a career that allows me to make an impact on a patient's life. Particularly, I am interested in pediatrics, critical care, and a newfound interest in OB.

Hobbies: My hobbies include baking sweet treats for my co-residents and staff as well as exploring new foods throughout Madison.

Why UnityPoint Health-Meriter? With my interest in pediatrics and critical, Meriter was the perfect option for me due to having one of the largest NICU’s in Wisconsin. Pharmacists are an integral part of the care in the NICU (as well as the rest of the hospital), and I was excited to help the infants be the healthiest they could be to get home with their families. Another reason I chose Meriter was due to their wide range of hospital experiences ranging from ICU, ED, cardiovascular, ID, and OB. These experiences are allowing me to delve into patient care areas I have never been able to experience, opening the door to so many more opportunities.

Emily Erpenbach, PharmD

Pharmacy Education: University of Wisconsin- Madison

Hometown: DeForest, WI

Pharmacy project: Reduction of Override Rates of Medications from Automated Dispensing Cabinets

Career interests: NICU, Emergency Medicine, Medication Safety

Hobbies: Attending live music events, discovering new music, playing recreational volleyball, line dancing

Why UnityPoint Health-Meriter: One of my goals is to be a confident, well-rounded pharmacist. Meriter offers a wide variety of rotations and experiences to help me achieve that goal. The obstetrics elective rotation specifically grabbed my attention as an intriguing experience to explore the impact of a pharmacist for this unique patient population. In addition to rotation, I am excited for the many extracurricular opportunities for residents including being the primary pharmacist responder in medical emergencies. I am also eager to work with pharmacy students in different stages of their education to strengthen my own precepting skills. The preceptors’ dedication to teaching was apparent as early as the interview, and I knew I would look forward to rotation and the endless learning opportunities each day. Teamwork and collaboration are not only observed but heavily encouraged, and it is great to be part of a team that pitches in to help each other. I have felt completely supported in my training and I believe this program is the perfect environment to expand clinical skills while emphasizing patient-centered care for the Madison community and beyond.

Jacky Lor, PharmD

Pharmacy Education: University of Wisconsin - Madison

Hometown: Sheboygan, WI

Pharmacy Project: Impact of a Pharmacist-Driven Aminoglycoside Dosing Protocol

Career Interests: Infectious Disease, Critical Care, Psychology

Hobbies: cooking, fishing, house plants, and spending time with my sisters' dogs!

Why UnityPoint Health - Meriter: I knew I wanted to do a residency with UnityPoint Health-Meriter after completing an APPE rotation here. I saw first hand how dedicated the preceptors were to fostering a supportive learning environment. You can tell that everyone here genuinely wants to help you learn. Additionally, Meriter offers a diverse selection of rotations. I have a lot of clinical interests so this was something that really appealed to me. Lastly, I knew I wanted to do a residency at a community hospital in Wisconsin so this program felt like the perfect fit for me!

Brittani Weichman, PharmD
Pharmacy Education: Drake University – Des Moines, IA

Hometown: Des Moines, IA

Pharmacy Project: Retrospective Analysis of Long-Acting Lipoglycopeptides to Treat Serious Gram-Positive Infections in Patients Who Inject Drugs

Career Interest: Antimicrobial stewardship in a community hospital or outpatient antimicrobial stewardship

Hobbies: relaxing with my cat and birds, watching Netflix

Why the multi-site PGY-2 with UnityPoint Health - Meriter and UW Health: The multisite program provides diverse experiences that includes exposure to a wide variety of infection types and unique patient populations that can differ between institutions. I am also able to experience and actively participate in the antimicrobial stewardship programs at both an academic medical center and a community hospital, which is a unique experience for PGY2 ID programs. I feel that the broad exposure will help prepare me to be a well-rounded ID pharmacist that can thrive in a variety of clinical settings.
Meriter Pharmacy Resident Group Photo 2023.jpeg
Meet the PGY1 Pharmacy Residents (Left to right): Madeline Gallo, Lexi Biehl, Emily Erpenbach, Jacky Lor

Department Information

Department of Pharmacy
UnityPoint Health - Meriter
202 S. Park Street
Madison, WI 53715
(608) 417-6160

For more information, please contact:

PGY-1 Residency
Kristin Stoll, PharmD
Program Director
Department of Pharmacy
202 S. Park Street
Madison, Wisconsin 53715
Email: kristin.stoll@unitypoint.org
608-417-6169