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.

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 on 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 sessions/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 (Adult, Adolescent, Substance Abuse)
• Solid Organ Transplant (kidney, liver, heart)

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 and Quality Improvement

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.

Program Leadership

Program Director Stacey Dean, PharmD, MSHA, BCACP Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Ambulatory Care Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy

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

Accreditation

This program is accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and participates in the ASHP/NMS PGY2 Matching Program and PhORCAS. For details, visit the ASHP PhORCAS website.

Recruitment

Visit our Application and Recruitment page for more information on our virtual sessions and ASHP showcase and Personal Placement Service participation.

Application - 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 $60,000.

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.

Leave and Benefits

Two weeks (10 days) of paid vacation or personal leave are granted. Additionally, 9 days of paid holiday leave and 5 days of paid sick leave are provided. Residents also receive 2 days of family/self-care leave and 10 days for educational or professional leave.

Health Benefits

The VCU Health System provides a health insurance policy, including outpatient physician visits, lab tests, and optional dental, vision, and family coverage.

Liability Insurance

VCU Health System provides professional liability (malpractice) insurance for each pharmacy resident. The policy covers professional service within the institution.

Moonlighting

Residents may pursue additional paid staffing within VCU Health System upon program director approval, not exceeding 16 hours weekly.

Office Space and Resources

Office space and remote access to patient and drug information are provided for residents.

Health and Recreation Facilities

Residents have access to VCU recreational facilities at a reduced membership fee.

Parking

Parking and health-system shuttles are available on the VCU Medical Center campus at no cost.