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PGY1 Pharmacy Residency

The PGY1 Pharmacy Residency builds on the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education. The goal is to prepare residents for board certification and develop future clinical pharmacist practitioners responsible for medication-related care of patients with a wide range of conditions.

VA residents

Requirements for completion of the Residency Program

The resident is expected to obtain pharmacy licensure within 120 days of the start date of the residency program. The resident will be responsible for required rotational learning experiences, several elective rotations, and multiple longitudinal experiences. The resident may repeat additional months of required rotation experiences as electives if desired. The resident is also required to complete a research project and present their results at national and state level professional meetings, provide a manuscript for publication, obtain ACLS and BLS certifications, complete staffing requirements in inpatient, outpatient, clinical pharmacy, and complete all requirements in the Residency Skillset checklist.

Required learning experiences (4 weeks)

  • Infectious diseases
  • Internal medicine I
  • Residency research (December)
  • Practice management (January)

Elective learning experiences (4 weeks)

  • Academia
  • Anticoagulation
  • Cardiology/Critical Care
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Geriatrics
  • Hematology/Oncology
  • Home Based Primary Care
  • Internal medicine II
  • Primary Care (including Community Based Outpatient Clinic)
  • Psychiatry
  • Solid Organ Transplant
  • Spinal Cord Injury
  • Surgery
  • Women’s Health

Required longitudinal experiences

  • Residency research
  • Practice management
  • Medication Use Evaluation (MUE)
  • Teaching certificate program
  • Non-formulary consults
  • Staffing (inpatient/outpatient/clinical)
  • Community Living Center/Home Based Primary Care*
  • General Mental Health Clinic*
  • Infectious Diseases/HIV Clinic*
  • Primary Care Clinic*

*Resident may select one of these rotations as the fourth required longitudinal learning experience.

Conferences

  • ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting
  • TSHP Alcalde: Southwest Leadership Conference

Teaching opportunities

  • Completion of the University of Houston College of Pharmacy Teaching Certificate
  • VA Houston Healthcare System pharmacists' precept more than 100 pharmacy students per year from four colleges of pharmacy
  • Didactic lecture opportunities at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy
  • Elective rotation in academia

Salary and benefits

  • PGY1 salary: $54,641 (2023-2024)
  • 11 paid holidays
  • 13 days accrued annual and 13 days accrued sick leave
  • Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB)

Application requirements

  • U.S. citizen
  • Graduate from an ACPE-accredited Doctor of Pharmacy program
  • Participate in an interview and clinical case review. Decision on whether interviews will be virtual or onsite will come at a later date.

Application must include

  • Letter of intent
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • VA Application form VHA-10-2850d ***Upload to supplemental application on PhORCAS***
  • Official pharmacy school transcript(s) sent to PhORCAS

Applicants should submit all application materials through PhORCAS. The deadline is January 2 of every year. The National Matching Service Code is 126013.

Contact

Chandler D. Schexnayder, PharmD, BCPS, CDCES, BCACP
PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Director

Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center
Pharmacy Service (119)
2002 Holcombe Blvd.
Houston, TX 77030
chandler.schexnayder@va.gov