The VAMC Memphis PGY-1 residency program is a twelve-month postgraduate training program accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. At the completion of the program, pharmacists will have developed the clinical skills, knowledge, and experience necessary to provide excellent pharmaceutical care to both ambulatory and hospitalized patients. Residents have the opportunity to train with experienced clinical pharmacy specialists in a wide variety of clinical settings. Training schedules allow for flexibility, enabling residents to pursue areas of personal interest. Instructional and educational opportunities are available for residents to develop teaching and precepting skills by presenting lectures, leading small group discussions, and precepting students on clinical rotation. Associated PGY-2 programs in Internal Medicine, Ambulatory Care, and Psychiatry provide opportunities for training continuity following completion of the PGY-1 year.
Summary:
Type/Duration Pharmacy Post Graduate Year One (PGY1) Residency/52 weeks
Number of Positions: 6
Application Deadline: January 2
Starting Date: June 30
Estimated Stipend: $48,608
Interview Required: Yes
Fringe Benefits:
Two and one-half weeks paid vacation and sick leave plus federal holidays
Participation in VA Plans/Programs (health, life, disability and long-term care insurance)
Three days paid interview leave and paid leave to attend and participate in state and national pharmacy meetings
Program Structure – Rotations and Learning Experiences:
Orientation to all aspects of the health system’s pharmacy services, residency, and PharmAcademic
Core required rotations (4 weeks)
Ambulatory Care
Critical Care (MICU/SICU/Nutrition Support)
Geriatrics
Internal Medicine
Practice Management/Pharmacoeconomics
Elective rotations (4 weeks):
Repeat core rotation(s)
Cardiology
Home Based Primary Care
Palliative Care/Pain Management
Spinal Cord Injury
Outpatient Mental Health
Inpatient Mental Health
Antimicrobial Stewardship/ID
Pharmacotherapy longitudinal experiences (half-day per week for 8 weeks; choose 2):
Cardiology Clinic
Hypertension Clinic
Lipid Clinic
Pain Coping Group
GI/Hepatitis Clinic
Substance Use Disorder Clinic
Other required learning experiences
Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring
Formulary Management
Case report publication or poster presentation
Journal Club
Medication Use Evaluation
Pharmacotherapy Presentations (2 CE)
IRB approved research project with opportunity to publish results
University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy Teaching Learning Program
Clinical/Operational Staffing on a rotational basis
Pharmaceutical preparation and dispensing, applied pharmacy practice
On a rotating basis, each resident serves as Chief Resident concurrent with other rotations.
General application requirements: U.S. Citizenship and Pharm.D. from ACPE-accredited college of pharmacy
PhORCAS application requirements: CV, college of pharmacy transcripts, letter of intent, three letters of recommendation; submit application at https://portal.phorcas.org
About Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Memphis PGY1
The Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center (VA Memphis) is a teaching hospital, providing a full range of patient care services, state-of-the-art technology and many educational and research opportunities. Comprehensive health care is provided through primary, secondary, and tertiary care, in areas of medicine, surgery, psychiatry, physical medicine and rehabilitation, spinal cord injury, neurology, oncology, dentistry, and geriatrics. Specialized outpatient services are provided through general, specialty, and subspecialty outpatient clinics including a women's health center. Services are available to more than 196,000 veterans living in a 53-county tristate area (Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi).
VA Memphis long-standing tradition of providing clinical pharmacy services to the medical center and training highly qualified pharmacy residents. The program was first accredited in 1963 and over 260 residents have completed training. Pharmacy residency training programs at VA Memphis have allowed residents to train at an advanced level of practice in a progressive pharmacy environment. Clinical pharmacy specialists contribute to clinical services throughout the medical c...enter and provide a wide variety of clinical pharmacy experiences including medical ICU, surgical ICU, cardiology ICU, nutrition support, internal medicine, geriatrics, palliative care, spinal cord injury, hematology/oncology, emergency medicine, practice management, pharmacoeconomics, psychiatry, primary care and home based primary care. Longitudinal clinic experiences include hypertension, hyperlipidemia, pain management, heart failure, emergency medicine, neurology, rheumatology, hematology/oncology, polypharmacy/transitions of care, geriatrics, HIV, and Hepatitis C.
Pharmacy residents are provided the opportunity to accelerate their growth beyond entry-level professional competence in patient-centered care, pharmacy operational services, and leadership skills that can be applied in any position and in any practice setting. Residents acquire substantial knowledge required for skillful problem solving, refine their problem-solving strategies, strengthen their professional values and attitudes, and advance the growth of their clinical judgment. The instructional emphasis is on the progressive development of clinical judgment, a process begun in the advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPE or clerkships) of the professional school years but requiring further extensive practice, self-reflection, and shaping of decision-making skills fostered by feedback on performance. The residency year provides a productive environment for accelerating growth beyond entry-level professional competence through supervised practice under the guidance of model practitioners. Specifically, residents will acquire these skills and competencies: managing and improving the medication-use process; providing evidence-based, patient-centered medication therapy management with interdisciplinary teams; exercising leadership and practice management; demonstrating project management skills; providing medication and practice-related education/training; and utilizing medical informatics.
VA Memphis offers four ASHP accredited residency programs, a PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency as well as two PGY-2 programs in Internal Medicine, Ambulatory Care, and Psychiatry.