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PGY2 Solid Organ Transplant Residency

The PGY2 Solid Organ Transplant Residency is a twelve-month program for candidates who desire to advance their knowledge and skills in the acute and ambulatory care management of solid organ transplant recipients and donors.

The primary focus of the residency program is to enhance the leaner’s skills related to patient care, research, and teaching. The program offers flexibility to the resident, but is intended to provide a well-rounded experience to prepare the resident to practice as a solid organ transplant pharmacist specialist in an acute or ambulatory care setting. The program focuses on clinical practice, education, leadership and research. Upon completion of this PGY2 program, the resident will be prepared for a solid organ transplant clinical pharmacist position with adjunct 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 possess 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 management of adult and pediatric solid organ transplant recipients and living donors. The resident will be able to participate effectively in therapeutic decision-making, drug therapy selection, and therapeutic drug monitoring to improve outcomes and quality of life in the solid organ transplant recipient.
  • To develop and enhance teaching skills by participating in selected didactic courses at the VCU School of Pharmacy, precepting students in clinical experiences (APPEs), and presenting educational information to health care professionals, patients, and family members.
  • To enhance written and oral communication skills to enable the resident to contribute solid organ transplant information through publication and presentation.
  • To develop sufficient knowledge and clinical experience in solid organ transplant to initiate and perform research in this area.
  • To develop effective organizational, integrative, and evaluative skills that assist the resident in developing cost-effective, patient-oriented pharmacy services in solid organ transplantation.

Recruitment

The Solid Organ Transplant Residency Program Director or program preceptors and residents from VCUHS will be interviewing candidates at the ASHP Midyear Personnel Placement Service. Candidates are encouraged to interview at the ASHP Midyear Personnel Placement Service and apply for the program. Visit our Application Process page for more information on our virtual sessions and showcase participation. On site interviews are by invitation only.

 

Program Training and Structure

The PGY2 Solid Organ Transplant resident will gain a broad range of experiences in various solid organ transplant settings. The solid organ transplant program at VCUHS is one of the pioneer transplant centers in the country, and currently performs overabout 5400 transplants annually. The Hume-Lee Transplant Center performs kidney, liver, pancreas, and total pancreatectomy with autologous islet cell transplants. The Pauley Heart Center performs total artificial hearts, heart transplantation and cares for patients with advanced heart failure.

Required Rotation Experiences

  • Orientation
  • Kidney/Pancreas Transplant Surgery I
  • Kidney/Pancreas Transplant Surgery II
  • Hepatobiliary/Liver Transplant/TP-AIT Surgery I
  • Hepatobiliary/Liver Transplant/TP-AIT Surgery II
  • Inpatient Kidney/Liver Transplant Surgery II
  • Advanced Heart Failure/Heart Transplant I
  • Advanced Heart Failure/Heart Transplant II

Longitudinal Experiences

  • Solid Organ Transplant Ambulatory Care (Heart, Kidney/Pancreas, Liver Transplant)
  • Staffing/Operations (longitudinal, approximately every third weekend)
  • Transplant Quality/Regulation (UNOS/TCOA/Quality Improvement)
  • Transplant Literature/Topic Curriculum
  • Emergency Response Coverage
  • VCU School of Pharmacy Didactic Lectures in Solid Organ Transplant Elective Course
  • Presentations (Journal Club, Case Conference, Continuing Education, Transplant Grand Rounds)
  • Medication Use Evaluation

Elective Rotation Experiences

  • Transplant Infectious Diseases
  • Solid Organ Transplant Intensive Care
  • Transplant Immunology/HLA Laboratory
  • Bone Marrow Transplantation
  • Lung Transplantation (based upon availability)
  • Surgery Trauma Intensive Care
  • Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit OR Coronary Care Intensive Care Unit

TP-AI, Total pancreatectomy with autologous islet cell transplantation; UNOS, United Network for Organ Sharing; TCOA, Transplant Coordinators of America

 

Teaching

The PGY2 Solid Organ Transplant Resident is given an academic faculty appointment as a Clinical Instructor in the VCU School of Pharmacy and has 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. The PGY2 Solid Organ Transplant resident is also involved in providing didactic lectures to pharmacy students in a transplant elective course at VCU School of Pharmacy. Residents may also participate in other an elective teaching opportunities and learning certificate program.

 

Research

Each resident is responsible for initiating and successfully completing a research project, with presentation at an internal residency research symposium and at a national meeting (e.g., American Transplant Congress or the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation Meetings). Residents are encouraged to submit their projects for publication. An advisor and additional support guide the resident through the process. Potential solid organ transplant research projects are presented to the residents at the start of the residency program.

 

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 application instructions, please visit the Application Process section of this website.

Program Leadership

Program Director

Idris Yakubu, PharmD, BCTXP
Clinical Specialist, Solid Organ Transplant
Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy & Surgery
     PharmD, University of Toledo College of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences
     PGY1 Residency in Pharmacy Practice, University of Toledo Medical Center
     PGY2 Residency in Solid Organ Transplantation at University of Maryland Medical Center

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

Transplant Preceptors

Bem Agegnehu, PharmD, BCTXP

Andrew Brown, PharmD, BCTXP

Aoife Iaria, PharmD, BCTXP

Ryan Marks, PharmD

Taylor Sprague, PharmD

Sara Sterling,PharmD, BCTXP

Idris Yakubu, PharmD, BCTXP

Application Process

This program is accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and participates in the ASHP/NMS PGY2 Matching Program and PhORCAS. 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. Clinical problem solving skills

2. Ability to work with peers and communicate

3. Emotional stability and maturity

4. Dependability

5. Effective patient interactions

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 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.

Sick and Family Leave

Two weeks (10 days) of paid sick leave and one week (5 days) of family leave are provided as baseline leave. When either sick or family baseline leave is exhausted, extended sick/family leave is available for an additional 17 days. After complete use of extended sick/family leave, unpaid leave is utilized and the need to extend the residency is considered.

Educational and Professional Leave

Educational leave is provided for attendance at a national professional meeting (up to 5 days). For the national professional meeting, PGY2 pharmacy residents will attend the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting. PGY2 residents are provided an additional 5 days of educational leave to attend a specialty-specific meeting (e.g., ACCP, SCCM, HOPA, AAPP) upon approval by the program director and the residency programs coordinator. Professional leave (up to 5 days) is granted for interviews without the use of vacation days. Professional leave may be used for attendance at a professional meeting, in lieu of interviews, upon the permission of the program director.

 

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.