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 29
• Estimated Stipend: $49,194 (2026 - 2027 Residency Year)
• Interview Required: Yes

Fringe Benefits:

• Annual Leave (AL): 4 hours per pay period (13 days per year)
• Sick Leave (SL): 4 hours per pay period (13 days per year)
• Federal Holidays: 11 paid Federal Holidays
• Financial support for one professional membership, one professional meeting attendance, teaching certificate registration, and local residency research symposium attendance. Funding may be limited by VA federal funding. Additional requests for financial support will be reviewed on case-by-case basis.
• Other: 2 administrative research days (one in the fall and one in the spring); administrative leave for VA authorized travel; 3 days of interview leave; “comp day” following the week of being on independent clinical staffing; participation in VA Plans/Programs (health, life, disability and long-term care insurance and Employee Assistance Programs)

Program Structure – Rotations and Learning Experiences:

• Orientation (1 month)
• Core required rotations (1 month)
  • Ambulatory Care I
  • Critical Care I
  • Geriatrics
  • Internal Medicine I
• Elective rotations (1 month) *:
  • Ambulatory Care II or III
  • Critical Care II
  • Internal Medicine II or III
  • Infectious Diseases/Antimicrobial Stewardship
  • Cardiology
  • Home Based Primary Care
  • Mental Health - Inpatient
  • Mental Health – Outpatient
  • Mental Health - Substance Use Disorder
  • Palliative Care/Pain Management
  • Spinal Cord Injury
• Pharmacotherapy longitudinal experiences (half-day per week for 2 months; choose 2):
  • Hypertension Clinic
  • Lipid Clinic
  • Hepatitis Clinic
  • Pain Coping Group
  • Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Clinic
  • Nephrology Clinic
  • Pharmacogenomics Clinic
• Other required learning experiences/activities:
  • Medication Safety and Formulary Review Longitudinal
    • Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring (VADERs/ARTs)
    • Formulary Management (Prior Authorization Drug Requests)
    • Chief Resident Month - on a rotating basis, concurrent with other rotations.
  • Pharmacy Resident Project – IRB-approved research project including
    • Written manuscript suitable for publication (publication not required)
    • National Poster Presentation (or case report publication in lieu of a poster presentation)
    • MidSouth Pharmacy Residency Conference presentation
  • Journal Club (minimum of 3)
  • Newsletter (1 article)
  • Drug Use Evaluation
  • Pharmacotherapy (CE) Presentations (minimum of 1.5 hours total)
  • University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy Teaching and Learning Program (TLP) - Teaching certificate
  • Clinical Staffing on an 8-week rotating basis (minimum of 5 individual shifts)
  • Operational Staffing on an 8-week rotating basis (minimum of 5 individual shifts)

*Other elective opportunities may be available depending on time of year and with advance notice based on resident interest and preceptor availability

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 three PGY-2 programs in Internal Medicine, Ambulatory Care, and Psychiatry.

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