Pharmacy Residency Programs
Pharmacists work in many of the Central Virginia VA Health Care System’s (CVHCS) clinical areas, including both inpatient and outpatient areas. We offer both PGY1 and PGY2 training and all of our programs are fully ASHP accredited. We offer a general PGY1 program (4 positions; NMS code 290613), a psych-focused PGY1 program (1 position; NMS code 290621), and a psychiatric PGY2 program (2 positions; NMS code 680266). Our residency programs prepare graduates to be exceptional clinical practitioners and leaders in whichever practice site they choose.
Progressive Practice Setting
- VA has a fully comprehensive electronic medical record
- Residents work under their pharmacy preceptors' scopes of practice and prescriptive authority
- Residents gain experience in the clinical and didactic teaching of pharmacy students, including optional participation in the Teaching and Learning Certificate Program offered by the VCU School of Pharmacy
- Teaching and presentations, including clinical seminars, case conferences, and journal club discussions are integrated into the program
- Resident-led topic discussions and clinical seminars provide public speaking opportunities
Resident Benefits
- Annual stipend
- Vacation time and sick leave accrue throughout the year
- Federal holidays
- Medical and life insurance
- Financial support to attend a residency conference
- Administrative leave for other professional meetings
Qualification of Applicants
All applicants must be United States citizens, must be licensed pharmacists or eligible for licensure in at least one state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia, and must possess a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from a school or college of pharmacy accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education. If not licensed at the beginning of the residency, the resident will make arrangements for examination and licensure as soon as possible. Applicants must be in good physical and mental health and of good moral character and personality. They must possess the unique aptitude, initiative, and motivation to practice clinical pharmacy, especially in regard to direct patient care.
General PGY1 Program
The PGY1 residency program at CVHCS is ASHP-accredited and provides four (4) residents per year an intensive experience in delivering comprehensive pharmaceutical care to the veteran population.
We prepare the pharmacist clinician to obtain a position as a clinical pharmacy practitioner, to begin a career in academia, or to continue residency training as a PGY2 resident in a focused area of practice.
Required Rotations
- Orientation
- Internal medicine
- Critical care
- Geriatrics selective (pick 1) — community living center, home-based primary care, or transitions of care
- Anticoagulation management
- Primary care
- Pharmacy management/drug information
Elective Rotations
- Advanced block in anything listed above
- Academic detailing
- Cardiology
- Infectious disease
- Mental health – inpatient, outpatient, or substance use disorders
- Oncology
- Pain management
- Polytrauma/traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
Additional Activities
- Residency project
- Medication use evaluation (MUE)
- Staffing experiences
- Teaching opportunities
Application Procedure
- Apply to our program via PhORCAS by January 2nd, 2024.
- We prefer that your three reference writers are instructors who have observed you in clinical practice.
- Applications will be reviewed, and interviews will be extended to selected candidates.
- Candidates will be ranked and positions filled using the National Matching Service (NMS). Our NMS program code is 290613.
Email the PGY1 residency program director for additional information:
Michael Geisel, PharmD, BCPS
PGY1 Pharmacy Residency with a Focus in Psychiatry Program
The psychiatry-focused PGY1 residency program at CVHCS is a one-year, full time ASHP-accredited that provides one (1) resident per year a profound experience in delivering comprehensive pharmaceutical care to the veteran population with a focus on mental health services.
We prepare the pharmacist clinician to obtain a position as a clinical pharmacy practitioner, to begin a career in academia, or to continue residency training as a PGY2 resident in a focused area of practice.
Psychiatry-Focused Rotations
- Inpatient psychiatry
- Outpatient mental health
- Substance use disorders
- Residency project
Additional Required Rotations
- Orientation
- Internal medicine
- Acute care selective (pick 1) — cardiology, critical care, spinal cord injury, or polytrauma/traumatic brain injury
- Geriatrics selective (pick 1) — community living center, home-based primary care, or transitions of care
- Anticoagulation management
- Primary care
- Pharmacy management/drug information
Application Procedure
- Apply to our program via PhORCAS by January 2nd, 2024.
- We prefer that your three reference writers are instructors who have observed you in clinical practice.
- Applications will be reviewed, and interviews will be extended to selected candidates.
- Candidates will be ranked and positions filled using the National Matching Service (NMS). Our NMS program code is 290621.
Email the residency program director for additional information:
Michael Geisel, PharmD, BCPS
Download the program brochure here.
Psychiatric Pharmacy PGY2 Program
The psychiatry pharmacy PGY2 residency program at CVHCS is ASHP-accredited and provides two (2) residents per year an intensive experience in delivering comprehensive psychiatric pharmaceutical care to the veteran population.
We prepare the pharmacist clinician to obtain a position as a psychiatric clinical pharmacy specialist in either the inpatient or outpatient setting or begin a career in academic.
Longitudinal Rotations
- Mental health primary care integration
- Opioid overdose and naloxone education
- Motivational interviewing/MH seminar
- Residency research project
- Clinical pharmacy staffing
Focused Rotations
- Inpatient psychiatry
- Substance use disorders
- Mental health intensive case management
- Bipolar psychoeducation clinic
- Clozapine clinic
- Pharmacy management/drug information
- Pain management
Elective Rotations
- Psychiatric consult and liaison
- Academic detailing
- Geriatrics
- Movement disorders/Parkinson’s disease
- Polytrauma/traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
Application Procedure
- Apply to our program via PhORCAS by January 3rd.
- Applications will be reviewed, and interviews will be extended to selected candidates.
- Candidates will be ranked and positions filled using the National Matching Service (NMS). Our NMS program code is 680266.
Email the residency program director for additional information:
Erin Mathis, PharmD, BCPP
Download the program brochure here.