PGY1 Pharmacy Residency
The Ralph H. Johnson (RHJ) Veterans Affairs Health Care System (VAHSC) offers a 12-month, PGY1 pharmacy residency. The goal of the residency is to develop the resident's skills and competency in providing patient-centered care as part of multi-disciplinary teams. We develop pharmacist clinicians for patient care positions, adjunct faculty or faculty positions, or PGY2 training. Education and training will involve patients in the ambulatory care and acute care settings. Research and continuing educational activities are encouraged and are made available to the resident.
Residency Program Specifics
- Duration: 52 weeks
- Maximum of 37 days away from the training program (including attendance at conferences, use of annual or sick leave, etc); if this is exceeded, resident may be required to extend duration of the program in order to meet training requirements (in which case, pay is not guaranteed)
- Number of Positions: 4
- Application Deadline: December 31
- Starting Date: July 1 (varies each year slightly)
- Estimated Stipend: 47,397 (varies each year slightly)
Recruitment Information
- Annual participation in ASHP Residency Showcase at Midyear Clinical Meeting ASHP and VA Pharmacy Residency Showcase VA Pharmacy Residency Program - Pharmacy Benefits Management Services
- Interview offers are typically extended to applicants by mid-January each year
- Interviews typically one-half day in January and February
- Virtual interviews with option for on-site interview if desired
- RHJ VAHCS makes every effort to recruit a diverse residency class that is reflective of all segments of society and provides an environment that promotes inclusion, diversity, equity and access (I-DEA). Our program is dedicated to the idea that increased self-awareness and appreciation for other worldviews and cultures makes pharmacists more effective clinicians, consultants, researchers, educators, and advocates.
Basic Requirements
- Doctor of Pharmacy Degree (Pharm.D.) from an ACPE-Accredited College of Pharmacy
- Licensure through any U.S. State Board of Pharmacy within 120 days of the start of the training program through PhORCAS application system
- Application, Curriculum Vitae, Academic Transcripts, Letter of Intent, and Three Letters of Reference
- Recommended content in letter of intent:
- Why do you want to do a residency at our program?
- What are your clinical areas of interest?
- What are your five-year career goals?
- Describe how your APPE and work experience make you qualified for this program
- Include information about other experiences that demonstrate maturity, leadership and/or responsibility
- Recommended content in letter of intent:
- U.S. citizenship
- Interview (typically virtual, in-person available by request)
Resident must clear onboarding process through Human Resources which may include background check, physical, drug test, fingerprints, references, required vaccinations, etc. Specific details to be provided to applicants.
Core Experiences: 8 months - all PGY1 residents
- Orientation: July
- Primary Care- PACT Clinic
- Primary Care 2- additional PACT, Home Based Primary Care, Pharmacy Impact Clinic
- Anticoagulation
- Inpatient Adult Medicine
- Critical Care
- Administration
- December: Project Month
Longitudinal Experiences
- Adverse Drug Event Reporting
- Drug Information/Formulary Management
- Pharmacy Management
- Yearlong Clinical Project
- Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee/Patient Safety
- Pharmacy Education/Presentations
- Student Precepting (presentations and APPE rotations)
- Staffing (22-30 hrs/month, paid)
- Resident must ensure compliance with ASHP Duty Hours Requirements duty-hour-requirements.pdf (ashp.org)
- Elective: Teaching Certificate through Medical University of South Carolina or VA Residency Certificate
Elective Experiences: 4 months
Inpatient-based electives:
- Inpatient Adult Medicine II
- Critical Care II
- Medication Reconciliation
- Mental Health
- Emergency Medicine
- Geriatrics Inpatient Medicine
- Inpatient Staffing
Ambulatory Care-based electives:
- Primary Care Clinic
- Specialty Clinics*
- Geriatrics Clinic
- Anemia Clinic
- Infectious Diseases/HIV Clinic
- Endocrinology Clinic & DM Teaching Class
- Rheumatology Clinic
- Neurology Clinic
- Pain Clinic
- Mental Health
- Hematology/Oncology
- Cardiology/Pulmonary
- Transplant Clinic
- Home-based primary care
*Specialty clinics generally meet on certain days of the week, therefore, 2-3 specialty clinics are often combined into a month-long rotation.
Requirements to receive Residency Certificate
- Meet all ASHP PGY1 Residency Requirements, including achieving all six of the required outcomes.
- Satisfactory completion of all rotational experiences.
- Completion of a service or research project with a manuscript acceptable for publication or presentation.
- The residency project will be presented formally at the Southeastern Residency Conference.
- Active participation in the successful completion of a Medication Use Evaluation.
- Presentation of a Seminar at SC College of Pharmacy, MUSC Campus, or VA Medical Center.
- Compliance with all institutional and departmental policies.
- Participation in the PharmD student teaching activities of the department.
- Completion of staffing commitment of 22-30 hours per month.
- Active participation and presentation in monthly topic/case discussion series.
- Active participation and presentation in Journal Club.
- Active participation in the recruitment efforts of the department.
Benefits
- Four hours vacation and sick leave earned per pay period (every two weeks)
- Paid administrative leave for educational meetings
- Pharmacist salary for staffing hours (separate from residency stipend)
- Health and Life insurance available
- Free parking
Chief of Pharmacy

Sharon Castle Pharm D., BCPS
Acting, Assistant Director
VA Charleston health care
Phone: 843-789-6190
Program Director
Cristina Elgin Plemmons Pharm.D., BCPS
Supervisor, ACC Pharmacy Service
VA Charleston health care
Phone: 843-818-5100 ext 404334
Email: cristina.plemmons@va.gov