PGY2 Internal Medicine

PGY2 Internal Medicine Pharmacy Residency
NMS: 598256  ASHP Code: 64450

Program Brief Description:

The VA St. Louis Health Care System PGY2 Internal Medicine Pharmacy Residency is designed to build upon the generalized skills obtained during a PGY1 to a specialty practice which focuses on the ability to provide optimal pharmaceutical care of adults, primarily in the inpatient medical setting.  Residents will further refine and develop knowledge, skills, experience, and attitudes necessary to perform as clinical pharmacy practitioner, with increased autonomy and responsibility, through a variety of duties including care of patient in the inpatient setting and specialty clinics, hospital committee involvement, providing educational and experiential training of pharmacy students, participation in scholarly activities, and the dissemination of knowledge for the advancement of pharmacy and health care.  Residents who successfully complete the PGY2 Internal Medicine Pharmacy Residency will be capable of providing both patient specific and population-based disease state management, engage in outcome based program management, and prepared to be effective educators as independent clinical pharmacy practitioners. The graduate will also be provided a foundation to further progress as a practice leader through specialty certification and independent self-study. 

Program Overview:

The PGY2 Internal Medicine pharmacy residency program further building on knowledge and skills to:

• Serve as an authoritative resource on the optimal use of medications
• Optimize the outcomes of internal medicine patients by providing evidence based, patient-centered medication therapy as an integral part of an interdisciplinary team
• Demonstrate excellence in the provision of training and educational activities for health care professionals and health care professionals in training
• Demonstrate leadership and practice management skills
• Contribute to the body of pharmacy knowledge in internal medicine
• Evaluate, manage, and improve the medication use process

VA Core Values:

VA’s five core values underscore the obligations inherent in VA’s mission: Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence. The core values define “who we are,” our culture, and how we care for Veterans and eligible beneficiaries. Our values are more than just words – they affect outcomes in our daily interactions with Veterans and eligible beneficiaries and with each other. Taking the first letter of each word—Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, Excellence—creates a powerful acronym, “I CARE,” that reminds each VA employee of the importance of their role in this Department. These core values come together as five promises we make as individuals and as an organization to those we serve.

Integrity: Act with high moral principle. Adhere to the highest professional standards. Maintain the trust and confidence of all with whom I engage.
Commitment: Work diligently to serve Veterans and other beneficiaries. Be driven by an earnest belief in VA’s mission. Fulfill my individual responsibilities and organizational responsibilities.
Advocacy: Be truly Veteran-centric by identifying, fully considering, and appropriately advancing the interests of Veterans and other beneficiaries.
Respect: Treat all those I serve and with whom I work with dignity and respect. Show respect to earn it.
Excellence: Strive for the highest quality and continuous improvement. Be thoughtful and decisive in leadership, accountable for my actions, willing to admit mistakes, and rigorous in correcting them.

Program Outcomes (ASHP 2017 Standards)

The PGY2 Internal Medicine pharmacy residency program further builds knowledge and skills to:

• Serve as an authoritative resource on the optimal use of medications
• Optimize the outcomes of internal medicine patients by providing evidence based, patient centered medication therapy as an integral part of an interdisciplinary team
• Demonstrate excellence in the provision of training and educational activities for health care professionals and health care professionals in training
• Demonstrate leadership and practice management skills
• Contribute to the body of pharmacy knowledge in internal medicine
• Evaluate, manage, and improve the medication use process

For a complete list of the ASHP PGY2 Internal Medicine Residency outcomes, goals, objectives and instructional objectives areas, goals, and objectives click here for details.

Requirements for Completion of Residency

• Successful completion of all residency rotations and longitudinal experiences
• Disease state appendix completion
• Successful fulfillment of pharmacy newsletter requirements
• Research Project/Pharmacy Project/Medication Use Evaluation, including results presentation
• Presentations
  • Seminar Presentation (1)
  • Formal Case Presentations (2)
  • Journal Club Presentation (1)
  • VA Continuing Education Day Presentation (1)
  • Pharmacotherapy Grand Rounds Presentation (1)
• Residency Education Academy Certificate (or PGY1 equivalent)
• Manuscript preparation
• Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education Involvement
• Successful fulfillment of VA staffing requirements
• R1.1 Objectives (Patient care) 100% Achieved for Residency (ACHR)
• All remainder objectives 90% ACHR

Required Rotations

• Orientation
• Medicine Core I – II
• Medicine Consult
• Medicine Precepting
• Critical Care
• Infectious Diseases
• Practice Management
• Elective I-II

Longitudinal Experience

• Weekly Infectious Diseases Clinic
• Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) Monitoring
• Professional Development

Elective On Site Experiences

• Ambulatory Care
• Academia
• Cardiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Inpatient or Outpatient Mental Health
• Medical Critical Care
• Medicine III
• Nephrology
• Pain Management
• Pharmacy Outcomes and Healthcare Analytics
• Surgical Critical Care
• Various offsite elective opportunities are available in at least five (5) surrounding area hospitals based on resident interest.
• Past resident experience include but are not limited to cardiology, cardiac critical care, neurology/stroke team, transplant,   infectious disease, community medicine, family medicine, and nephrology  * limited to two (2), 4week offsite experiences.

Teaching Requirements and Opportunities

• Completion of St. Louis College of Pharmacy Teaching Certificate Program (if equivalent not completed during PGY1)
•  Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education involvement
•  St. Louis VA Clinical Pharmacist precept over 80 pharmacy students from multiple schools of pharmacy per year.

Pharmacy Practice experiences:

• Medication therapy management
• Hospital administration including participation in departmental and committee meetings
• Rounding with multidisciplinary health care team
• Antimicrobial stewardship
• Clinical intervention documentation

Salary and Benefits:

• Stipend: $51,617 (as of February 2023)
• Leave: See Residency Manual "Leave Policy"
  • Thirteen (13) days of annual leave accrued (4 hours every two weeks)
  • Thirteen (13) days of sick leave accrued (4 hours every two weeks)
•  Travel Stipend: Amount is determined each year and may have limited travel support
•  Federal Holiday: Eleven (11) federal holidays
•  Centralized office work space with access to a personal computer

Positions: 1

Start Date: July 8th, 2024 (tentative)

Conferences:

• Gateway College of Clinical Pharmacy (GCCP) Meeting 
• ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting (required) (pending funding)

Program Director and Contact Information:

Danielle Skouby, Pharm.D, BCPS
PGY2 Internal Medicine Pharmacy Residency Program Director
VA St. Louis Healthcare System, John Cochran Division
Pharmacy Service (JC 0119)
915 N. Grand Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63106
Phone:
Fax:
Email: Danielle.Skouby@va.gov