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PGY2 Ambulatory Care Residency

The PGY2 Ambulatory Pharmacy Residency is a twelve-month program within the specialized practice area of ambulatory care. The program provides structured ambulatory clinical practice experience in a variety of ambulatory practices. The ambulatory resident will also participate in quality improvement projects, institutional committees, didactic lectures and other educational activities designed to prepare the resident for an ambulatory clinical pharmacist position with adjunct clinical faculty responsibilities.

 

Purpose Statement

PGY2 pharmacy residency programs build on Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) education and PGY1 pharmacy residency programs to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists in specialized areas of practice. PGY2 residencies provide residents with opportunities to function independently as practitioners by conceptualizing and integrating accumulated experience and knowledge and incorporating both into the provision of patient care or other advanced practice settings. Residents who successfully complete an accredited PGY2 pharmacy residency are prepared for advanced patient care, academic, or other specialized positions, along with board certification, if available.

 

Qualifications

Applicants must be Doctor of Pharmacy graduates from an ACPE-accredited school or college of pharmacy; have completed an accredited PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency; be licensed or eligible for pharmacist licensure in Virginia; and have requisite patient care training or experience. The successful applicant must possess exceptional knowledge, clinical problem solving, communication skills, and leadership qualities.

Residency Goals

  • To develop expert pharmacy skills and competence in ambulatory related areas such as primary care, complex chronic disease state care, anticoagulation management and other specialty clinical areas.
  • To develop highly effective communication skills in an interdisciplinary practice to enhance the resident’s provision of patient-centered care.
  • To develop and enhance teaching skills through experiential and didactic teaching of pharmacy students, education of patients and families, and instruction of health care team members to promote rational, cost-effective drug therapy.
  • To enhance written and oral communication skills to enable the resident to contribute ambulatory pharmacy information through publication and presentation.
  • To provide experiences in clinical research in ambulatory care pharmacy practice through initiation and completion of a clinical research project.

Recruitment

The Ambulatory Care Residency Program Director will be interviewing at the ASHP Midyear Personnel Placement Service (PPS) and interested candidates are encouraged to interview. Visit our Application Process page for more information on our virtual sessions and showcase participation.

Program Structure

The program is comprised of required and elective longitudinal rotations.Required rotations are a minimum of 20 weeks in duration and elective rotations a minimum of 10 weeks in duration; however, rotations may be extended based upon additional learning opportunities, resident preference and availability.

 

Required Rotations (longitudinal)

Anticoagulation Clinic (1 half-day session/week)
Endocrine Clinic (1 half-day session/week)
Internal Medicine - Complex Care Clinic (1-2 half-day session/week)
Staffing & Operations – Inpatient & Outpatient (17 total weekends)

Elective Clinic Rotations (minimum of four/year, 1 half-day session/week)

Cardiology
Cystic Fibrosis (adult)
Emergency Medicine (Clinical Decision Unit)
Family Medicine (adult)
Geriatric
HIV/Infectious Diseases
Multiple Sclerosis (MS clinic)
Nephrology
Oncology and/or Bone Marrow Transplant Clinic
Palliative Pain Management
Psychiatry (Adut, Adolescent, Substance Abuse)
Solid Organ Transplant (kidney, liver, heart)
Additional rotation options, in other specialties, may be available depending on the resident’s interest.

Teaching

PGY2 Ambulatory Pharmacy Residents receive an academic faculty appointment as a Clinical Instructor in the VCU School of Pharmacy and have opportunities to provide didactic instruction (e.g., lectures, team-based learning sessions, case conferences) and experiential training (e.g., APPEs) for Doctor of Pharmacy students from the VCU School of Pharmacy. Residents may participate in an elective teaching and learning certificate program.

Research

Each resident is responsible for initiating and successfully completing a research project, with presentation at a conference. An advisor and additional personnel guide the resident through the process. Potential ambulatory care research projects are presented to the resident prior to the start of the residency program.

Accreditation

This program is accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and participates in the ASHP/NMS PGY2 Matching Program and PhORCAS

 

Program Leadership

Program Director

Stacey Dean, PharmD, MSHA, BCACP
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Ambulatory Care
Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy
     PharmD, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy
     Residency in Ambulatory Care, VCU Health System
     MSHA, Virginia Commonwealth University

Coordinator, Pharmacy Residency Programs

Craig Kirkwood, PharmD
Assistant Director, Pharmacotherapy Services
Associate Professor of Pharmacy
     BS, University of Buffalo
     PharmD, University of Buffalo
     Residency in Hospital Pharmacy, Buffalo General Hospital
     Residency in Drug Information, North Carolina Memorial Hospital at University of North Carolina

Director, Department of Pharmacy Services

Rodney L. Stiltner, PharmD, MS
Director, Department of Pharmacy Services
Clinical Associate Professor of Pharmacy
     PharmD, Mercer University
     MS, University of Wisconsin
     Residency in Pharmacy Practice, Charleston Area Medical Center, West Virginia
     Residency in Management Pharmacy Practice, University of Wisconsin Medical Center Hospitals and Clinics

Preceptors

Katie Adams , PharmD, BCPP
Adult Psychiatry

Stacey Dean, PharmD, MSHA, BCACP
Primary Care/Geriatrics

Dave Dixon, PharmD, BCPS, CDE, CLS
Cardiology

Rachel Flurie, PharmD, BCPS
Internal Medicine/Nephrology

Patricia Fulco, PharmD, BCPS, FASHP, AAHIVP
HIV/Infectious Diseases

Sandra Mitchell, PharmD, BCPP
Pediatric Psychiatry

Tammy T. Nguyen, PharmD, BCPS
Emergency Medicine

Kendra Ogbonna, PharmD, BCPS
Anticoagulation

Idris Yakubu, PharmD
Solid Organ Transplant

Application Process

Application is made through the PhORCAS process. The application deadline is January 2, 2024. For application instructions, please visit the Application Process section of this website.

Required Characteristics to be Evaluated by Your Reference Writers:

1. Oral communication skills

2. Ability to work with peers and communicate

3. Clinical problem solving skills

4. Effective patient interactions

5. Emotional stability and maturity

Number of Positions

1

Salary and Benefits

The salary for PGY2 pharmacy residents at VCU Health System is $49,816.

Duration of Appointment

The pharmacy resident's contract at VCU Health System will begin on July 1 of the program year. The pharmacy residency will be completed on June 30 of the subsequent year.

Vacation and Holiday Leave

Two weeks (10 days) are granted for paid vacation or personal leave. This may be taken during rotations throughout the year. At least 9 days of paid holiday leave are provided during the year. Discretionary leave (personal or vacation leave) is pre-approved by the resident's rotation preceptor, the residency program director, and the residency programs coordinator. In general, the resident will be absent no more than five days during any rotation.

Sick Leave

Five days of paid sick leave are provided as baseline leave. After complete use of sick and vacation leave, unpaid leave is utilized and the need to extend the residency is considered.

Professional Leave

Twelve days are provided for educational and professional leave. This includes, but is not limited to, professional meetings (e.g., ACCP, ASHP, AAPP, HOPA, SCCM), interviews, licensure or board exams, visitation to other medical center(s) or national pharmacy organizations, or participation in a medical mission.

Health Benefits

The VCU Health System provides a health insurance policy, to each pharmacy resident. Coverage includes outpatient physician visits and laboratory tests. Prescription, dental, vision, and family coverage are available through payroll deduction with the respective co-pay and vary with the level of coverage desired.

Liability Insurance

VCU Health System is self-insured and provides professional liability (malpractice) insurance, subject to policy limits, for each pharmacy resident. Insurance covers professional service when on-duty within the institution. It does not cover professional services (e.g., moonlighting or consulting activities) provided at other facilities or institutions. This malpractice insurance will cover all acts of alleged medical negligence while a resident is at VCU Health System. Residents may choose to enhance the professional liability insurance with a personal liability policy.

Moonlighting

Residents are permitted to seek additional, paid staffing as a pharmacist upon approval of their program director. For convenience, the additional staffing usually occurs within VCU Health System. Moonlighting, in general, will not extend to greater than eight hours weekly. Additional staffing which conflicts with residency requirements is not permitted.

Office Space and Resources

The Department of Pharmacy Services provides office space for the residents. Residents may access patient information and drug information throughout VCUHS and from home via remote access.

Health and Recreation Facilities

Residents have access to VCU recreational facilities, including exercise equipment, weight rooms, aerobic activities, basketball courts and swimming pools, at a reduced membership fee.

Parking

Parking is provided on the VCU Medical Center campus through payroll deduction at the reduced, housestaff rate.