Solid Organ Transplant PGY-2 Residency
Thank you for your interest in our program. We accepted an early commit applicant for the 2025 Match cycle and have completed recruiting for this year.
The primary focus of the residency is abdominal transplant (kidney, liver, and pancreas) of adult patients with a secondary focus on cardiothoracic (heart and lung) transplant.
Apply to our programClinical training at UW prepares residents for diverse practice settings.
Residents in our program deliver exceptional solid organ transplant care to a high acuity and medically complex patient population at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics — ranked #1 in Wisconsin for 12 years in a row by U.S. News & World Report.
- UW Health performs nearly 500 solid organ transplants per year
- Consistently ranked among the top 10 most active transplant centers in the country
- Depth and breadth of clinical pharmacy services at UW
- Excellent relationships with physicians, APPs and nurses
- Serving a diverse patient population
- “Staffing” on a Transplant unit rather than production
- Involvement with School of Pharmacy in didactic teaching and preceptorship of students
- Participation in ambulatory care clinics for abdominal transplant and cardiothoracic transplant
- Flexibility in tailoring program to needs/interests
Why UW?
"I chose to continue my training at UW Health because of the robust transplant experiences available in both abdominal and thoracic transplantation. UW Health also encourages a pharmacy practice model where pharmacists are respected, trusted, and involved in almost every aspect of patient care. I know that UW will appropriately challenge me this year to become an exceptional transplant pharmacist."
Required Rotations
Inpatient:
- Kidney / Pancreas Transplant Surgery
- Liver Transplant Surgery
- Medical Liver Transplant
- Medical Kidney / Pancreas Transplant
- Heart Transplant
- Lung Transplant
- Transplant Practice Management / UW Organ and Tissue Donation
- Transplant Clinical Research / Pharmaceutical Research Center
Ambulatory Longitudinal and Other:
- Abdominal Transplant Clinic (6 months)
- Lung Transplant Clinic (3 months)
- Heart Transplant Clinic (3 months)
- CMV Stewardship Clinic (12 months)
- Academia (2 weeks)
- Pharmacy Practice Staffing Experience (12 months)
- Residency Project (12 months)
4 week rotations unless specified
Elective Rotations
Inpatient rotations:
- Hepatology Consults (2 weeks)
- Transplant Infectious Diseases (2 weeks)
- Trauma Life Support Center (TLC) - ICU
- Acute Nephrology Consults
- Kidney / Pancreas Transplant Surgery 2
- Advanced Heart Failure / Heart Transplant 2
- Medical Kidney / Pancreas Transplant 2
- Lung Transplant 2
- Pediatric Transplant
Longitudinal rotations:
- Academia / Research
Residency Program Director
Kim Holdener
What makes UW Health’s Transplant Residency Program unique?
UW Health has a long transplant history and is consistently ranked among the top 10 most active transplant centers in the country. Our pharmacists are well integrated within the care team and interact with patients in all phases of care. UW Health transplant pharmacists are involved in leadership roles in national organizations and multiple transplant research and quality improvement projects.
What goals do you have for residents who complete your residency program?
My goal is for residents to develop confidence in providing care to organ transplant recipients and their donors in both inpatient and ambulatory settings and be well versed in QI research to improve the patient experience in their future role. I want residents to successfully achieve their goals and be prepared for any transplant position in their future.
What is your best advice for prospective residency candidates?
Residents should keep an open mind during recruitment season and reflect on what type of learner they are and how programs will fit with their learning style. Relationships can be a key part of PGY2 training in addition to the strengths of the training site.
Contact Information
Kim Holdener, PharmD, BCPS, BCTXP
Clinical Pharmacist - Transplant & Nephrology
PGY-2 Transplant Residency Program Director
UW Health Department of Pharmacy
600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53792
(608) 263-1290 | KHoldener@uwhealth.org
Josh Wiegel, PharmD, BCPS, BCTXP
Clinical Pharmacist - Transplant
PGY-2 Transplant Residency Program Coordinator
UW Health Department of Pharmacy
600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53792
(608) 263-1290 | JWiegel3@uwhealth.org
Clinical Activities
- Collaboratively managing drug therapy with other members of the healthcare team
- Rounding daily with the transplant team including physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, dietitians and social workers
- Conducting pre- and post-transplant patient appointments in the transplant clinic
- Medication management via delegation protocols
- Patient monitoring, problem solving, and documentation
- Attendance of Transplant Grand Rounds
Teaching Opportunities
- Clinical instructor status at the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy
- Co-Preceptorship of PharmD students and PGY-1 residents on clinical rotation
- Lectures in the UW School of Pharmacy pharmacotherapy class
- Optional teaching certificate program for residents through the School of Pharmacy
Presentation Experiences
- Educational presentations and in-services on clinical rotations
- Journal club discussions, group presentations with other UW pharmacy traineess
- Presentation at WI Chapter of the International Transplant Nurses Society Conference
- Pharmacy Resident Grand Rounds
- Showcase project at the American Transplant Congress and/or other clinical meeting
Stipend/Benefits
Travel
Support to attend one national conference
- American Transplant Congress Conference OR
- American College of Clinical Pharmacy Conference OR
- American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Midyear Conference
AND choice of one local conference
- Great Lakes Pharmacy Residents Conference OR
- Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin Educational Conference
UW School of Pharmacy
Example Previous Resident Projects
Development of a pharmacist managed anemia protocol in the transplant clinic
Evaluation of antimicrobial penetration of biofilms produced by Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium urinary isolates from solid organ transplant recipients
Evaluation of generic tacrolimus trough concentrations at discharge and the association with the rate of biopsy proven acute rejection in renal transplant recipients
Evaluation of thymoglobulin versus basiliximab induction in sensitized deceased donor kidney transplant recipients
Evaluation of the incidence of de novo donor-specific antibodies and antibody mediated rejection rates in moderately sensitized renal transplant recipients receiving thymoglobulin versus basiliximab for induction
Evaluation of single dose basiliximab induction therapy on the incidence of rejection in renal transplant patients
Review of risk factors and outcomes in HLA-matched kidney recipients with rejection
Development and implementation of a CMV stewardship program in transplant clinic
Cytomegalovirus preemptive monitoring conversion and the use of a preemptive threshold after solid organ transplant
Belatacept conversion in elderly renal transplant recipients
Risk factors for high level cytomegalovirus viremia in liver transplant recipients and associated outcomes
Evaluation of delayed initiation of mycophenolate in liver transplant recipients at high risk for invasive fungal infections
Pharmacy Practice Model and Staffing
Pharmacy services are provided by teams of pharmacists within an integrated practice model. Decentral pharmacists provide care through interdisciplinary rounds, clinical monitoring, medication order review, admission histories, discharge teaching and care coordination, code and stroke response teams, drug information resource and medication use stewardship. The resident will staff as a decentral transplant pharmacist over the course of the residency year. On average, the resident will staff 24 hours every two weeks, including every third weekend.
Ready to Join our Resident Class?
Apply Now Application Deadline: Jan 2nd, 2025Program Start Date: Jul 7th, 2025