In this article, we interview 2 incredible critical care pharmacists with extensive careers and a wealth of wisdom to share with postgraduate trainees: Mojdeh Heavner, Pharm.D., FCCP, FCCM, BCCCP, and Sharon Wilson, Pharm.D., BCPS, BCCCP. Keep reading to learn about their unique perspectives on board certification through their different roles. These interviews were conducted on January 20, 2026, and paraphrased by the author.

Can you please tell us about yourself?

Heavner: My name is Mojdeh Heavner, and I am a faculty member at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. After my PGY2 residency at Yale New Haven Hospital in critical care with a focus on solid organ transplant, I held several roles as an MICU pharmacist, critical care RPD (residency program director), and supervisor of clinical services. After coming to the University of Maryland in Baltimore, I practiced in the MICU at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) and was the vice chair for clinical services at the school. My current roles include assistant dean of experiential learning, professor of critical care, RPC for the pharmacotherapy program, and ambulatory care practice at the Johns Hopkins post-ICU clinic.

Wilson: My name is Sharon Wilson, and I am a critical care pharmacy specialist practicing in the SICU at UMMC. I completed my PGY2 in critical care at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. At Maryland, I started my career in general surgery and transplantation before transitioning to my current role. I am also the RPD for the UMMC critical care residency program.

What does BPS board certification mean to you? Is it required or recommended for your position?

Heavner: I have previously held board certifications in pharmacotherapy (BCPS) and critical care (BCCCP) and currently maintain my BCCCP. As a new practitioner, studying for these exams was one of the best things I could have done to enhance my clinical knowledge and synthesize my residency training into practice. Throughout my career, there have been a mix of roles that encouraged board certification as a means of career progression or required it. In addition, my physician and nursing colleagues have commented that it demonstrates a high level of competency and adds weight to a pharmacist’s recommendations, as with other health care professions.

Wilson: ASHP requires all RPDs to have board certification in their area of specialty. I completed my BCPS about 5 years after residency in 2005, when BCCCP was not yet available. I’m dating myself now, ha ha! Once it became available, I became board certified in critical care pharmacy as well. Because of my interest in academia, I wanted the flexibility to have the desired credentials for hospital or academia-based positions. Academia places a high value on board certification. To me, board certification elevates the profession, given that many practice models for clinical pharmacy now include comprehensive medication management and collaborative practice agreements (CPAs). This really created opportunities for us at UMMC because it gave us credibility with other medical professionals we partner with, demonstrating that pharmacists are qualified to manage a patient’s drug therapy plan and to create these protocols.

Do you think board certification has a different meaning depending on your practice site?

Heavner: Certainly, I think board certification is beneficial in most settings! As part of the ongoing OPTIM study (https://doi.org/10.1097/CCE.0000000000000956), which is investigating the relationship between critical care pharmacist-to-patient ratios and clinical outcomes, we are also examining the impact of board certification as an indicator of foundational knowledge to provide the best care for patients and elevate our practice. As a researcher, I think it ensures the maintenance of up-to-date practice even with less time spent in clinical practice. Especially in critical care, understanding practice trends informs research ideas and enhances the quality of scientific inquiry. In the academic setting, having my BCPS previously was also important when I managed the pharmacotherapy course series.

Wilson: I think with academia, many schools have board certification as a requirement, which is why I did it originally, to allow for more flexibility with job opportunities. Depending on where you practice, it may not be absolutely required. For instance, our hospital has a CPA model and favors obtaining board certification; however, it is not a requirement. If you aspire to be an RPD, board certification is required for that role. If you’re purely involved in research, board certification may not be worth your time and effort given that the exam questions are case based and require primarily clinical knowledge.

What are your thoughts on pursuing multiple board certifications? If so, does the order of certification matter?

Heavner: When I was first eligible for board certification, we admittedly didn’t have many options, so BCPS made the most sense for folks not practicing in ambulatory care. It brought a wide knowledge base to my practice and held a lot of value for me early in my career. Once BCCCP became available, I immediately pursued that because it fit my practice setting. After a while, I felt that most subspecialty certifications were designed to ensure an overall foundation in pharmacotherapy and noticed some overlap, which led me to only maintain my BCCCP. If pharmacists are planning to be dual certified, commonly BCPS plus their subspecialty, I would recommend taking BCPS after PGY1 and specialty certification after PGY2 depending on how fresh the knowledge is after training. Otherwise, I think it depends on your specific practice area and what you want to get out of each certification.

Wilson: In current practice where we now have more specialized certifications, I don’t think there’s a strong reason to pursue multiple certifications. I still maintain my BCPS because I already had it before BCCCP was available, which was a very common practice back then. The fees for testing and completing CEs can certainly add up if you have multiple certifications to maintain! If you aspire to go in a different direction with your career, this may be a reason to pursue multiple certifications. If you are pursuing multiple certifications like BCPS and BCCCP, I think it would be helpful to get BCPS right after the PGY1 year when you still remember more general pharmacotherapy. Once you become specialized and are not taking care of certain populations, you may begin to lose this knowledge.

Do you renew your certification through CEs or by taking an exam?

Heavner: I renew my certification through CEs, but have definitely considered taking the exam as a challenge! I think of it as signing up for a race to prove to myself that I can do it. But truthfully, CEs are nice because they can be spread out over time, and I enjoy getting to select the topics I’m interested in. Nowadays, most of my CEs come from ACCP’s Self-Assessment Program (SAP).

Wilson: I renew through CEs because it allows me to work at it little by little and use my time effectively, instead of scrambling to schedule study time for an exam. CEs help me keep up with the literature, and I often incorporate the information I learn into my daily practice. I primarily get my CEs through ACCP’s SAP series. I know ASHP also has some options, and I’ve gone to conferences as well that provide CEs.

For our trainees, what advice do you have regarding the board certification process?

Heavner: I touched on this earlier regarding order of certification. Studying for BCPS during the PGY2 year can be a difficult but helpful addition to your knowledge base during training. It’s been a while since I took the exam, but I remember the ACCP review course was very helpful (see Specialty Certification Examination Preparation). I also enjoyed studying with my coresidents and colleagues in weekly group study sessions.

Wilson: I think this should definitely be a goal for trainees who hope to practice comprehensive medication management. It opens a lot of doors for you, especially early on when you may have more frequent career changes and want to be competitive in the job market. I think it’s best to take it within the year after finishing the residency for 2 reasons. One is because most of that information is fresh in your mind given that you’ve been training and studying so much. The second reason is that there is a high level of discipline that you learn as a resident. After your training is completed and life happens, you might lose that discipline to study and read. Also, it may be more difficult to set aside time to prepare for the exam. It’s been a while since I took the exam, but I remember using ACCP’s prep review course as a study guide. I also asked other colleagues who had taken the exam for advice on how to prepare.

Is there anything else you’d like to share regarding BPS board certification?

Heavner: Once you obtain board certification, I would highly recommend getting involved with item-writing task forces and standard setting panels that set the passing thresholds for CEs and exams. This is a great way to dive even deeper into the knowledge base and continue to challenge yourself as well as give back to the profession.

Wilson: I would say that board certification is a worthwhile goal early on in your career to allow for flexibility in this job market. A lot of times, we have the ideal job in our mind when we come out of residency training, but we never really know where we’re going to end up, and I think it best to keep our career options open. For anyone focusing on direct patient care opportunities, board certification would be an important part of your career goals.