PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency Program
The Atlanta VA Healthcare System PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency equips pharmacists with the core knowledge, clinical judgment, and practice experience necessary to address diverse patient needs and navigate the complexities of modern healthcare. These skills acquired during this residency program will ultimately lead to better outcomes, improved patient safety, and enhanced quality of care.
Program Goals
AVAHCS offers two positions for a 52-week ASHP-accredited PGY-1 pharmacy practice residency. Pharmacy residents are trained in ambulatory care, mental health, acute care, critical care, emergency medicine, geriatrics, and much more. Training opportunities are enhanced by unique elective rotation opportunities, research, practice management, advanced pharmacy practice (inpatient staffing), interdisciplinary collaboration, an optional Teaching and Learning Certificate Program, as well as presentation and teaching opportunities such as Grand Rounds and Journal Club. At completion of the AVAHCS residency program residents would have developed the clinical, professional, and leadership skills needed to become competent independent practitioners.
▪ Build a strong foundation in direct patient care across multiple practice areas
▪ Develop the ability to design, implement, monitor, and adjust evidence-based medication therapy plans
▪ Strengthen clinical judgement and problem-solving skills
▪ Improve communication skills with patients, providers, and interdisciplinary teams
▪ Enhance skills in drug information, literature evaluation, and pharmacotherapy recommendations
▪ Gain experience in practice management, including quality improvement and medication safety initiatives
▪ Foster professionalism, accountability, and the ability to manage one’s own workload efficiently
▪ Prepare residents for board certification (e.g., BCPS) or for advanced training (PGY-2 pharmacy residency)
Program Description
Core Experiences:
▪ Orientation
▪ Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT, primary care)
▪ Internal Medicine
▪ Critical Care
▪ Mental Health (psychiatry outpatient or residential)
▪ Infectious Diseases Inpatient (Antimicrobial Stewardship)
▪ Emergency Medicine
Longitudinal Experiences:
▪ Journal Club
▪ Grand Rounds
▪ Teaching Certificate (optional but highly encouraged)
o Two options:
1. Mercer University College of Pharmacy Teaching Certificate Program
2. VA Pharmacy Residency Clinical Teaching Certificate Program
▪ Research
• Pharmacy Practice/Staffing
• Chief Resident duties
• Pharmacy administration
Elective Experiences:
▪ Cardiology*
▪ Endocrine*
▪ Geriatric (Geri-PACT)
▪ Infectious Diseases Outpatient (HIV/general ID)
▪ Hematology/Oncology*
▪ Population Health Management
▪ Mental Health (inpatient)
▪ Rheumatology/Neurology
▪ Nephrology*
▪ Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC)**
▪ Community Living Center (CLC)**
▪ May repeat rotations
o Per ASHP Standard 3.1.c.4: no more than one-third of direct patient care learning experiences in a twelve-month residency program may focus on a specific disease state or population.
*Specialty clinical may not be available this year.
**HBPC and CLC may be combined into one block as a joint rotation depending on availability.
Program Benefits
• Estimated Stipend: $52,023
• Paid vacation 4 hours- accrued per 2-week pay period
• Paid sick leave 4 hours- accrued per 2-week pay period
• 11 federal holidays
• Healthcare benefits
• Free on-site parking
• Potential for early Commitment to Atlanta VAHCS PGY-2 Geriatric Pharmacy Residency or VA Nationwide Early Commitment (VANEC)
How to Apply
ASHP Match Applicants:
• U.S. Citizenship
• Official transcript from school of pharmacy
• Curriculum Vitae
• Letter of Intent
• 3 Letters of Recommendation
• Application submitted via Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service (PhORCAS) www.ashp.org/phorcas
o NMS code: 141213
o Deadline: January 10, 2027
Interview Notification
Candidates will be notified of interview status via email no later than the end of January each year.
Position Appointment
Appointment is contingent upon satisfactory completion of physician exam (including drug test). Applicants must meet all requirements for federal employment.
Contact Information
All correspondence should be addressed to the program managers in staff profiles below:
Jeremy Bennett, Pharm.D., BCACP PGY-1
Pharmacy Residency Program Director
Stockbridge VA Clinic
175 Medical Blvd.
Stockbridge, GA 30281
Jeremy.Bennett@va.gov
Odiri Duru, Pharm.D., BCGP
PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency Program Coordinator
Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center
1670 Clairmont Rd. (119)
Decatur, GA 30033
Odirichukwu.Duru@va.gov