Program Overview
Located in the heart of Birmingham, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Hospital is a premier academic health science center and tertiary care facility with 1207 licensed beds. As a nationally recognized level I adult trauma center and a major referral hub for burns, strokes, and other critical conditions, UAB offers a high-acuity, fast-paced training environment for pharmacy residents.
The hospital is home to several renowned specialty centers, including:
- O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center
- UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Research Center
- UAB Comprehensive Transplant Institute
Since 1970, UAB has proudly offered an ASHP-accredited PGY1 pharmacy residency program. This 52-week experience is designed to build confidence, foster professional growth, and prepare residents to navigate the challenges of modern medicine.
Clinical Rotations
Required Rotations
- Critical Care
- Health System Pharmacy Leadership
- Infectious Diseases/Antimicrobial Stewardship
- Internal Medicine
- Therapeutic Policy Management
Elective Rotations
UAB offers a wide variety of elective experiences, allowing residents to customize their training to align with their career goals and clinical interests.
- Abdominal Transplant
- Cardiology Critical Care
- Cardiothoracic Surgery Critical Care
- Emergency Medicine
- Heart Transplant
- Hematology/Oncology
- Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant
- Infectious Diseases/Antimicrobial Stewardship
- Investigational Drug Service
- Medical Critical Care
- Neonatal Critical Care
- Neuroscience Critical Care
- Nutrition Support
- Obstetrics
- Pharmacy Informatics
- Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
- Psychiatric Medicine
- Surgical Critical Care
- Trauma/Burn Critical Care
Longitudinal Experiences
- Ambulatory Care Clinics
- Dermatology
- GI Medicine
- Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant
- Hepatology
- Neurology
- Oncology
- Rheumatology
- Sickle Cell
- Transplant
- UAB 1917 Clinic (HIV)
- Central Pharmacy Services
- Major Project
- Medication Use Evaluation
- Practice Coverage
- Teaching and Learning Certificate
Staffing
Residents staff every other weekend (8 hours) in a decentralized clinical role and 1 evening per week (4 hours) in the central pharmacy. This model offers consistent exposure to real-time clinical scenarios, helping residents strengthen clinical decision-making, communication, and time management skills.
Leadership Training
Leadership development is embedded throughout the residency year. A standout feature is the Health System Pharmacy Leadership rotation, which offers hands-on experience in system-wide pharmacy administration. Residents attend leadership meetings, contribute to formulary decisions, and engage with executive leadership—gaining valuable insight into strategic planning, operations, and health system initiatives.
Research
UAB uses a traditional research model in which each resident completes both a major research project and a medication use evaluation during the residency year. This model provides residents with a structured, step-by-step process, including obtaining IRB approval to data collection, analysis, and presentation.
Residents have the opportunity to present their work at institutional, regional, and national conferences.
Current Resident Projects
- Evaluation of Proton Pump Inhibitor Prescribing at Discharge
- GENTerational Dogma? Outcomes in Gram-positive Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis
- CDK 4/6 Inhibitor Tolerability in Metastatic HR+ HER2– Breast Cancer
- Heparin Dosing in Obese vs Morbidly Obese Patients
- Therapeutic Management of S maltophilia and A baumannii Infections
Why Did I Choose UAB?
Growing up in Birmingham, I witnessed firsthand the impact of UAB Hospital in Alabama. Its commitment to education, research, and exceptional patient care inspired me to pursue a residency here. During interviews, I saw how much UAB values its residents, especially their growth and development. The wide variety of rotations and strong mentorship have allowed me to become a more confident and competent clinician.
What I’ve enjoyed the most is working in a high-acuity setting alongside dedicated preceptors and interdisciplinary teams. The supportive, yet challenging environment pushes me to grow every day. From complex patient care to research and leadership rotations, UAB has helped shape my professional identity.
After residency, I’m thrilled to continue my journey as an acute care float pharmacist here at UAB. I hope to begin precepting students and residents while pursuing board certification in pharmacotherapy (BCPS).
Contact Information:
Program Director: Alexandra James, Pharm.D., BCPS
Email: [email protected]
Website: uabmedicine.org PGY1 Residency
Follow us: @UABPharmRes
Submitted by:
Kendra Langham, Pharm.D.
Email: [email protected]