PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program
VA Health Care – Defining excellence in the 21st Century. The Pharmacy Residency Program at the Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center (MVAMC) has been defining excellence in pharmacy practice since 2003. We are proud to be a part of the largest program for advanced clinical pharmacy training in the country. Nationally, the VA trains over 600 residency annually in over 200 American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacy (ASHP) accredited residencies.
Martinsburg VA Clinical Pharmacy Services
Patient care is provided by a staff of approximately 48 pharmacists and 27 pharmacy technicians. In addition to distributive functions, a wide variety of clinical services are maintained to ensure our Veterans receive optimal care. Clinical Pharmacy Practitioners play an integral role by enhancing care to patients in all settings at the MVAMC including primary and acute care, both at the medical center and in community based clinics. These pharmacists function as licensed independent practitioners and work under a scope of practice to provide medication therapy management services.
Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Services
Clinical pharmacy services for primary care are provided by both pharmacists at the main campus, at outlying Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), and in Home Based Primary Care (HBPC). Clinical pharmacist practitioners provide care in multiple other specialty areas including long term care, psychiatry, substance use disorder, pain management, and anticoagulation. The clinical pharmacy practitioners manage a wide variety of disease states, provide patient education, and run their own clinics.
Acute Care Pharmacy Services
In addition to centralized pharmacists supporting the 24 hour operational hospital pharmacy, four clinical pharmacist practitioners are aligned with inpatient care teams including psychiatry, internal medicine, critical care, and infectious diseases/antimicrobial stewardship.
Additionally, our pharmacists promote the pharmacy profession through involvement in multidisciplinary committees and work groups throughout the medical center.
Purpose
PGY1 pharmacy residency programs build on Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) education and outcomes to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists responsible for medication-related care of patients with a wide range of conditions, eligible for board certification, and eligible for postgraduate year two (PGY2) pharmacy residency training.
Program Overview
The ASHP Accredited PGY1 Pharmacy Residency program is at the Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Martinsburg, WV and offers training opportunities to develop clinical competency in both acute and ambulatory care settings. This residency is a 12 month appointment. The training program offers a variety learning experiences designed to build the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to provide personalized pharmaceutical care services and enhance patient outcomes in all care settings.
Residency Structure
There an orientation period, then the residency is divided into month-long rotations with a mix of staffing, core, and elective rotations. The rotations are arranged to combine required experiences along with electives in the resident’s identified area of interest to allow for growth of skills throughout the year. Simultaneously, the resident is expected to prioritize and work on ongoing requirements in longitudinal, didactic, management, research, and residency project rotations.
In each experience, the resident works closely with the residency director, residency coordinator, and the rotation preceptor to develop goals and objectives that will assist the resident in expanding skills for current and future practice. Regular meetings with the residency director ensure that long-term goals are met.
| Rotation | Rotation Type | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rotation | Anticoagulation | Rotation Type | Core |
| Rotation | Critical Care | Rotation Type | Core |
| Rotation | Infectious Disease/Antimicrobial Stewardship | Rotation Type | Core |
| Rotation | Internal Medicine | Rotation Type | Core |
| Rotation | Oncology | Rotation Type | Core |
| Rotation | Ambulatory Care (PACT) | Rotation Type | Core |
| Rotation | Orientation | Rotation Type | Core |
| Rotation | Psychiatry | Rotation Type | Core |
| Rotation | Staffing | Rotation Type | Core/Longitudinal |
| Rotation | Research Project | Rotation Type | Longitudinal |
| Rotation | Practice Management | Rotation Type | Longitudinal |
| Rotation | Management and Leadership | Rotation Type | Longitudinal |
| Rotation | Teaching and Learning Certificate | Rotation Type | Longitudinal |
| Rotation | Academic Detailing | Rotation Type | Elective |
| Rotation | Critical Care II | Rotation Type | Elective |
| Rotation | Long Term Care/Geriatrics | Rotation Type | Elective |
| Rotation | Home Based Primary Care | Rotation Type | Elective |
| Rotation | Inpatient Acute Psychiatry | Rotation Type | Elective |
| Rotation | Ambulatory Care II (PACT) | Rotation Type | Elective |
| Rotation | Pain/Palliative Care | Rotation Type | Elective |
| Rotation | Pharmacy Informatics | Rotation Type | Elective |
| Rotation | Substance Use Disorder | Rotation Type | Elective |
| Rotation | Women's Health | Rotation Type | Elective |
Position Details
Duration: 12 months
Position(s): 3
Starting Date: ~July 1, 2024
Estimated Stipend: ~$53,650
Application Deadline: January 1, 2024
Interview Required: Yes
Benefits
Benefits include health insurance, annual leave (vacation), time off for illness/appointments/family care and 11 paid federal holidays.
Residency Program Director
Allison Lizer, Pharm.D., BCPS
PGY1 Residency Program Director, Internal Medicine Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner
Martinsburg Veterans Affairs
Phone: 304-263-0811 Ext. 3154
Email: allison.lizer@va.gov
Current Residents
Natalie Parrish, Pharm.D., Shenandoah University
I graduated from Shenandoah University Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy located in Winchester, VA. I chose to pursue a career in pharmacy after becoming interested in how powerful drugs work in the body and after observing how pharmacists serve as a leader in personalized drug selection on the interdisciplinary healthcare team. I became interested in the Veterans Affairs healthcare system after witnessing interdisciplinary collaboration to provide superior care for veterans while on APPE rotations and noticing the opportunities for pharmacists to practice as clinical practitioners in various clinical settings. Following PGY-1 residency, I hope to pursue a career within the VA health system as a clinical pharmacy practitioner with a focus in behavioral health. In my free time I enjoy baking desserts, trying new restaurants, and exploring the northern Virginia area.
Hillary Sensabaugh, Pharm.D., Shenandoah University
Although I am originally from Midlothian, VA, I completed my pharmacy education at the Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy at Shenandoah University in Winchester, VA. Since my freshman year of high school, I knew I wanted to be a pharmacist. My mom’s friend introduced me to the field, and it has been history ever since! While in my fourth year of school on rotations, I had an awesome experience with the inpatient psychiatry pharmacist at the Martinsburg VAMC. After that, I knew I had to apply to this residency program. I feel valued as a resident here and enjoy giving back to those that have served our country. In the future, I am looking to pursue a career in ambulatory care or psychiatry/SUD, with hopes of becoming board certified. Outside of residency, I like to visit my family, go to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, and hang out in Northern Virginia!
Lindsay Williams, Pharm.D., West Virginia University
I earned my Doctorate of Pharmacy from West Virginia University. I've wanted to pursue a career in healthcare for as long as I can remember. Therefore, I chose pharmacy because I love building connections with my patients and helping them manage their medications. I decided to pursue a residency at the VA because of the degree of autonomy VA pharmacists have to make clinical decisions regarding patient care. As well as the opportunity to care for our nation’s veterans. My professional interests include ambulatory care, academia, and cardiology. In my free time I like to travel, spend time with friends and family, and read.
Residency Preceptors
| Preceptor | Position | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Preceptor | Patricia Callahan, PharmD | Position | Antimicrobial Stewardship Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner |
| Preceptor | Joy Chai, PharmD | Position | Academic Detailing Pharmacist |
| Preceptor | Robert Cyparksi, PharmD | Position | PACT Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner |
| Preceptor | Danielle Davis, PharmD | Position | Anticoagulation Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner |
| Preceptor | Trisha Exline, PharmD | Position | Associate Chief of Clinical Pharmacy |
| Preceptor | Gary Flowers, PharmD, BCPP | Position | Outpatient Psychiatric Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner |
| Preceptor | Kelly Gray, PharmD | Position | Critical Care Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner |
| Preceptor | Ashley Herlihy, PharmD, BCACP | Position | PACT Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner |
| Preceptor | Angel Jordan, PharmD | Position | Informatics/Pharmacoeconomics Pharmacist |
| Preceptor | Timothy Kefauver, PharmD | Position | Long Term Care Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner |
| Preceptor | Brigit Kirwan, PharmD, BCPP | Position | Substance Use Disorder Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner |
| Preceptor | Allison Lizer, PharmD, BCPS | Position | Internal Medicine Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner, RPD |
| Preceptor | Sarah Mickanis, PharmD, BCPS | Position | Chief of Pharmacy |
| Preceptor | Justin Miller, PharmD | Position | PACT Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner |
| Preceptor | Position | ||
| Preceptor | Beth Sheldon, PharmD | Position | Home Based Primary Care Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner |
| Preceptor | Douglas Smith, PharmD, BCOP | Position | Oncology Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner |
| Preceptor | Tessa Twigg, PharmD, CACP | Position | Anticoagulation Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner |
| Preceptor | Andre Watson, PharmD | Position | Inpatient Pharmacy Supervisor |
| Preceptor | Melinda Albritton, PharmD, BCGP | Position | Inpatient Psychiatric Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner |
How to Apply
MVAMC Pharmacy Residency Programs participate in the Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service (PhORCAS). To apply, the following must be submitted through PhORCAS by the deadline to be considered for an on-site interview:
- Letter of Intent
- Curriculum vitae
- Pharmacy school transcripts
- Three completed references in PhORCAS
Past Residents
If you are a graduated resident, please feel encouraged to reach out and keep the program updated on your accomplishments! You can contact the RPD at any time to catch up and share your professional journey.