Ochsner Health is a system that delivers health to the people of Louisiana, Mississippi and the Gulf South with a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate.
PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency
The ASHP-accredited Ochsner Medical Center PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency is an intense twelve-month program designed to develop clinical practice skills by providing exposure to a clinical environment that offers diverse training in a variety of pharmacy practice areas. The resident will become proficient in a broad range of services structured to develop their individual strengths and advance the growth of their clinical judgment. The program allows for sufficient flexibility to adapt to the needs and interests of the individual resident, while providing the basic foundation to develop the professional skills essential for a practicing clinical pharmacist. At the completion of the program, the resident will be prepared to function as a general clinical practitioner in an acute care setting and be prepared to pursue a PGY 2 residency.
Ochsner Health is dedicated to excellence in patient care, education, and research. This mission has been intricately entwined throughout all aspects of the Health System. Ochsner is one of the largest non-university based physician training centers. Pharmacists are integrally involved in all aspects of patient care.
- To develop competent practitioners with an understanding of rational drug therapy and the ability to ensure safe, effective, and economical use of drugs.
- To provide a broad scope of experiences which enhances the resident’s ability to design, implement, provide, and improve clinical pharmacy services.
- To develop oral and written communication skills including enhancement of teaching skills and scholarly activity.
- To develop investigative and problem-solving skills.
Core Learning Experiences |
Duration |
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4-5 weeks |
Longitudinal Learning Experiences |
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|
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Elective Learning Experiences |
Duration |
*any core learning experience can be repeated as an elective |
4-5 weeks |
- Research Project - Residents will be provided a list of research topics to choose from at which point they will develop a protocol, submit to the Institutional Review Board (IRB), collect data, present their research at Ochsner Research Seminar, and complete a publishable manuscript. The resident will work under the mentorship of a preceptor to enhance the resident’s skills in study design, data collection, data analysis and results reporting.
- Continuing Education Presentation - Resident will present one 60-minute formal continuing education presentation for the pharmacy department.
- Morbidity, Mortality, and Improvement - Residents will present a 60-minute formal, live case conference. The goal of the lecture is to expand the resident's communication and presentation skills while also providing them an opportunity to participate in quality improvement initiatives.
- Physician Lecture Series - Residents will present one 20-minute pharmacotherapy topic to Internal Medicine resident physicians.
- Journal Club - Residents will present one formal journal club per year to the pharmacy department.
- Staffing -
- Residents will gain experience learning the drug distribution system by staffing in the central pharmacy every other weekend.
- Residents will have the Monday following their weekend worked off as a comp day
- Residents will be required to work one major and one minor holiday
- Stipend: $53,000
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance
- Health and Wellness Program
- Discounted gym membership
- 10 days of vacation & 6 holidays
- Letter of intent
- Academic transcript
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Three(3) Letters of Recommendation
- Graduate of an accredited College/School of Pharmacy
- Eligible for licensure to practice pharmacy in the State of Louisiana
- Must obtain a Louisiana pharmacy intern license by start of the program (if not licensed as a pharmacist)
- Licensed in the State of Louisiana before the program begins or shortly thereafter
- Materials should be submitted via the PHORCAS
Deadline for completed applications is January 5, 2026
Only fully completed applications will be considered for a virtual interview.
Residency Program Director
Marissa J. O’Connor, PharmD, BCPS, BCTXP
Residency Program Director, PGY 1 Pharmacy Residency Program
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Abdominal Transplant
Ochsner Medical Center – New Orleans
marissa.oconnor@ochsner.org
Residency Program Coordinators
Heather Savage, PharmD, BCPS
Residency Program Coordinator, PGY1 Pharmacy Residency
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Internal Medicine
Ochsner Medical Center – New Orleans
heather.savage@ochsner.org
Current Residents
Morgan Irvin, PharmD
Education: University of Incarnate Word, San Antonio TX
Practice Interest: Oncology
Interests & Hobbies: Morgan enjoys reading, baking and cooking. She also loves to travel (and creating detailed itineraries for her trips).
Maya Lacey, PharmD
Education: Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans LA
Practice Interest: Solid Organ Transplant
Interests & Hobbies: Maya loves Broadway musicals (her current favorite is Hadestown) and learning how to crochet.
Cameron Schexnaildre, PharmD
Education: Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans LA
Practice Interest: Critical care and oncology
Interests & Hobbies: Cameron enjoys traveling to national parks and finding new places to eat.
Joyce Williams, PharmD
Education: Long Island University, Brooklyn NY
Practice Interest: Infectious disease and internal medicine
Interests & Hobbies: Joyce enjoys traveling, trying new restaurants and making pottery.
