The PGY1 Pharmacy Residency is an American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP) accredited twelve-month program designed and structured to provide the organized healthcare community and the pharmacy profession with knowledgeable, creative, and resourceful practitioners who can provide direct patient care services in an institutional practice environment.
PGY1 residency programs build upon Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and outcomes to develop pharmacist practitioners with knowledge, skills, and abilities as defined in the educational competency areas, goals, and objectives. Residents who successfully complete PGY1 residency programs will be skilled in diverse patient care, practice management, leadership, and education, and be prepared to provide patient care, seek board certification in pharmacotherapy (i.e., BCPS), and pursue advanced education and training opportunities including postgraduate year two (PGY2) residencies.
Applicants must be Doctor of Pharmacy graduates from an ACPE-accredited school or college of pharmacy; be licensed or eligible for pharmacist licensure in Virginia; and possess requisite patient care training or experience. Pharmacy residents must acquire and maintain a valid license to practice pharmacy in Virginia. The successful applicant must possess exceptional knowledge, communication skills, and leadership qualities.
Visit to our Application Process page for more information on our virtual sessions and showcase participation.
The program is comprised of required and elective rotations. The rotations are generally five weeks in duration; however, the staffing/operations rotation is longitudinal over the course of the year. The elective rotations are based on the resident's professional interests.
Required Rotations (8)
Orientation
Internal Medicine
Critical Care
Pharmacy Administration
Drug Information and Policy
Teaching
Ambulatory Care
Staffing (Longitudinal)
Elective Rotations (3)
Cardiac Surgery ICU
General Cardiology
Cellular Immunotherapy and Transplant
Clinical Toxicology
Coronary Care ICU
Emergency Medicine
Adult Hematology
Adult Infectious Diseases Consult Service
Pediatric Infectious Diseases Consult Service
Medical Respiratory ICU
Neonatal ICU
Neurology
Neuroscience ICU
Adult Oncology
Pediatric Oncology
Pediatric ICU
General Pediatrics
Adult Psychiatry
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Solid Organ Transplant
Acute Care Trauma Surgery
Surgical/Trauma ICU
PGY1 Pharmacy residents receive an academic faculty appointment as a Clinical Instructor at 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 Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy. Residents may participate in an elective Teaching and Learning Certificate program.
Each resident is responsible for initiating and successfully completing a research or quality improvement project, with presentation at a regional residency conference. An advisor and additional support guide the resident through the process. Potential research projects are presented to the residents at the start of the residency program and residents will rank their project preferences.
A PGY1 Pharmacy resident who desires to pursue a PGY2 residency at VCU Health System has two options. The resident may express their interest in the fall of the PGY1 residency and initiate the process for securing a PGY2 residency position through early commitment. If the applicant is successful, the PGY1 Pharmacy resident will generally be offered the PGY2 residency position in November with several days to accept or decline the offer, prior to the ASHP/NMS PGY2 early commitment deadline. If a PGY1 Pharmacy resident indicates an interest in a PGY2 residency position after the early commitment deadline, they may apply through the usual PGY2 residency application process by following the pertinent deadlines and participating in PhORCAS and the respective PGY2 match.
This program is accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and participates in the ASHP/NMS PGY1 Matching Program and PhORCAS. For application instructions, please visit the Application Process section of this website.
| Program Director, PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program May T. Aziz, PharmD, BCOPClinical Specialist, Cellular Immunotherapies and Transplant Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy PharmD, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency, VCU Health System PGY2 Oncology Residency, VCU Health System |
Assistant Program Director, PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program
Tammy T. Nguyen, PharmD, BCPS
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Emergency Medicine
Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy
Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
PharmD, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy
PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency, University of Illinois College of Pharmacy
PGY2 Emergency Medicine, University of Illinois College of Pharmacy
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
Application is made through the PhORCAS process.
The application is submitted through PhORCAS. The application deadline is January 3, 2025.
For application instructions, please visit the Application Process section of this website.
6
The salary for PGY1 pharmacy residents at VCU Health System is approximately $58,000 .
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.
Two weeks (10 days) are granted for paid vacation or personal leave. This may be taken during rotations throughout the year. At least 10 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.
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.
Twelve days are provided for educational and professional leave. This includes but is not limited to, attendance at professional meetings (e.g., ASHP, ACCP, SCCM, NCS), interviews, licensure or board exams, visitation to other medical center(s) or national pharmacy organizations, or participation in a medical mission.
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.
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.
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 16 hours weekly. Additional staffing which conflicts with residency requirements is not permitted.
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.
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 is provided on the VCU Medical Center campus through payroll deduction at the reduced, house staff rate.