CareerPharm®

Medication Decision Sciences Fellowship

Be part of the movement redefining medication decisions through science, analytics, and human insight. This one-year fellowship is designed to cultivate teaching and research experience in decision sciences, with a focus on medication management. The fellow will work collaboratively on interdisciplinary research projects examining how clinicians and patients make medication-related decisions, with an emphasis on medication overuse and deprescribing. Throughout the program, the fellow will develop skills in proposal development, data collection, data analysis and interpretation, and effective dissemination of research findings through conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications. Graduates of this fellowship will be well-positioned for competitive roles in academia or the pharmaceutical industry.

Format

The fellow will have their time evenly split between research and teaching/service. It is anticipated that most research time will occur in the first half of the program, while most teaching activities will take place in the second half. Academic service will occur periodically throughout the year. The fellow will be located in the College of Pharmacy.

Research

The fellow will collaborate with an established, interdisciplinary team on a study funded by the National Institute on Aging, “Prescribing without a guide: A national study of psychotropic and opioid polypharmacy among persons living with dementia” (1R01AG074957). The fellow will participate in data analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of findings. In addition, the fellow will collaborate on a patient-centered deprescribing research project (e.g., interviews or a survey of community members). The fellow will be encouraged to engage in relevant research activities on campus, such as through the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation (IHPI) and the Center for History, Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences and Ethics in Medicine Working Group meetings.

Teaching

The fellow will have opportunities to teach within the PharmD curriculum, most notably in the Self-Care Therapeutics course during the P1 year. This didactic experience focuses on how patients and clinicians make decisions about over-the-counter medications. The program also supports professional growth in academic service through participation in the PharmD Curriculum and Assessment Committee, contributions to accreditation activities, and precepting students at community health outreach events. Additional teaching and service opportunities will be tailored to align with the fellow’s professional interests and career goals.

Program Directors

The fellowship program will be co-directed by Sarah Vordenberg, PharmD, MPH and Donovan Maust, MD. Although both program directors will be involved in all aspects of the fellowship training, Dr. Vordenberg will oversee the fellow's teaching and service activities, and Dr. Maust will serve as the point person for research.

Minimum Eligibility Criteria

Candidates must have a PharmD from an ACPE Accredited Institution, a PGY1 Pharmacy Residency or equivalent experience, and a license to rractice pharmacy in the State of Michigan or be Licensed by July 1, 2026.