Pharmacy Residency – Duluth, MN

Build on your pharmacy school education, gain clinical experience, and grow as a professional at Essentia Health. The Essentia Health-St. Mary's Medical Center Acute Pharmacy Residency Program in Duluth, Minnesota, can help prepare you for a career in patient-focused pharmaceutical care.

Accredited PGY1 Pharmacy Residency

Receive education and training that meets national quality standards. Our postgraduate year one residency program is accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). That means you’ll be eligible to take your board examinations more quickly and you’ll be a more competitive candidate during your job search.

Upon completing your residency, you’ll be qualified for:

• A clinical staff position in an acute care setting
• An adjunct faculty position at a college of pharmacy
• Postgraduate year two (PGY2) training in a focused area of practice

Be Part of the Care Team

Benefit from opportunities to collaborate with health care professionals at Essentia to provide safe, efficient, cost-effective patient care, including:

• Antimicrobial (including antibiotic) stewardship
• Blood thinner dosing and monitoring
• Code Blue response
• Geriatric dosage adjustment
• Intravenous (IV) to oral (PO) conversion
• Medication reconciliation
• Order verification
• Pharmacokinetic dosage adjustment
• Renal dose adjustment
• Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) management

Pharmacy Rotations

Develop skills as a practicing pharmacist during rotation assignments across a variety of departments at St. Mary’s Medical Center.

Required Rotations

Build foundational skills through core clinical rotations:

• Cardiology (4 weeks)
• Critical care (6 weeks)
• Orientation to Hospital Practice (6 weeks)
• Medical and surgical care (4 weeks)
• Pediatrics (4 weeks)
• Oncology supportive care (4 weeks)

Elective Rotations

Explore your interests, gain exposure to a wide range of specialties, or get additional experience in an area you enjoy with three elective rotations. All are 4 weeks. Select from:

• Ambulatory care (4 weeks)
• Antimicrobial stewardship (4 weeks)
• Behavioral health (4 weeks)
• Critical access and rural hospitals (4 weeks)
• Critical care (4 weeks)
• Emergency medicine (4 weeks)
• Medical and surgical care (4 weeks)
• Transitions of care (4 weeks)

Longitudinal Rotations

Participate in ongoing learning experiences throughout your residency year with longitudinal rotations in:

• Pharmacy administration/leadership (11 months)
• Teaching (10 months)
• Research (11 months)
• Drug information (12 months)

Teaching Experience

Get experience as an instructor during a semester as a teaching assistant at the University of Minnesota Duluth College of Pharmacy.

Research Experience

Take advantage of weekly protected research time to complete a research module—a structured, collaborative opportunity to learn and apply principles of academic research.

Project Experience

Spend approximately five weeks participating in projects, such as:

• Clinical projects
• Administrative projects
• Formulary medication or class review
• Medication use evaluation
• Journal clubs
• Case presentations
• Committee membership

Staffing Opportunities

Apply your pharmaceutical knowledge and distribution skills by practicing as a pharmacist during regular shifts at an Essentia pharmacy. You’ll work:

• Staffing shifts on every third weekend
• Three staffing weeks spaced throughout the year
• Two holidays, such as Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day, Easter, or Memorial Day

Compensation & Benefits

Enjoy competitive benefits and a flexible pharmacy residency program at Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center in Duluth, Minnesota.

Pharmacy Residency Benefits

As a postgraduate year one (PGY1) pharmacy resident, you’ll receive:

• An annual salary of $54,000
• Health and dental insurance
• Paid time off (18 days) and seven paid holidays
• Two white coats
• Reimbursement of membership dues for American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and Minnesota Society of Health-System Pharmacists (MSHP)
• Travel allowance and professional days for the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting, MSHP Midyear Clinical Meeting, and Midwest Pharmacy Residency Conference

Meet Our Leaders & Current Residents

Meet the director of the Essentia Health-St. Mary's Medical Center Pharmacy Practice Residency Program and get to know our current residents.

Jason Aulie, PharmD
Residency Program Director, Essentia Health Pharmacy Services
Email Jason Aulie

Jason Aulie received his Bachelor of Science (2003) and Doctor of Pharmacy (2007) degrees from the University of Minnesota. After graduation, he practiced as a clinical pharmacist for seven years at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, WI. In 2014 he moved to Duluth, MN where he has continued practice at Essentia Health St. Mary’s Medical Center as a clinical pharmacist. He was in that role for 3 years before becoming the Clinical Specialist/Residency Program Director in 2017.

His primary practice is in adult general medicine, and he serves as the preceptor for the residents in the staffing and orientation experiences.

 

Allison Bushaw, PharmD
Pharmacist Resident, St. Mary’s Medical Center
Email Allison Bushaw

Alli is originally from Horace, ND. She completed her Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2022 and Doctorate of Pharmacy in 2024 at North Dakota State University (NDSU). Throughout her time at NDSU, she actively participated in various student organizations such as the Blue Key Honor Society, College of Health Professions Ambassadors, and Rho Chi Honor Society. Additionally, she served as a student researcher for NDSU’s ONE Program and gained experience as an intern at Sanford Medical Center. Alli's clinical interests include emergency medicine, ambulatory care, and critical care. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with her family on the lake, running, and exploring new places to eat in Duluth!

 

Asjad Gariballa, PharmD
Pharmacist Resident, St. Mary’s Medical Center
Email Asjad Gariballa

Asjad grew up in Rochester, MN and obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Minnesota and went on to complete her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Charleston in Charleston, WV. Throughout pharmacy school, she was involved in several student organizations including Student Society of Health System Pharmacists (SSHP), Phi Lambda Sigma (PLS), Student Ambassador, and Lambda Kappa Sigma (LKS). She worked as a pharmacy intern at Publix Pharmacy and participated in the summer internship at Mayo Clinic. Asjad’s clinical interests include psychiatry, oncology, ambulatory care, and pharmacogenomics. In her free time, she likes to tend to her house plants, paint, and spend time exploring with family and friends.

 

Aubrey Norgren, PharmD
Pharmacist Resident, St. Mary’s Medical Center
Email Aubrey Norgren

Aubrey is originally from Grand Rapids, MN, and received both her Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Applied Dance (2020) and Doctor of Pharmacy (2024) from the University of Minnesota. During her studies, she was involved in a variety of organizations and extracurricular activities, including the Minnesota Pharmacy Student Alliance (APhA-ASP) as president, Teaching Assistant for the “Becoming a Pharmacist” course, Rho Chi Honors Society, Phi Lambda Sigma Leadership Society, and Phi Delta Chi pharmaceutical fraternity. She was also a class representative for her graduating class and received a Leadership Emphasis Area. She started her pharmacy career in 2018 at Globe Drug & Medical Equipment in Grand Rapids (which has since closed) and has worked for CVS Pharmacy as an intern. Aubrey’s clinical interests are oncology and rural medicine. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, going to concerts (indoor & outdoor), reading, going out on the lake, and going to hockey games.