Pharmacy Residency at VA Central Texas Healthcare System

The ASHP-accredited PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency at the VA Central Texas Healthcare System provides experiences in a broad array of clinical inpatient and outpatient pharmacy practice areas. 

CTVHCS provides a full range of services including medical, surgical, psychiatric, and rehabilitation with inpatient medical/surgical hospital beds, a hospice unit, and community living center (CLC) beds. CTVHCS is comprised of two large VA medical centers located in Temple and Waco, a stand-alone multi-specialty outpatient clinic in Austin, five outpatient clinics in Temple, Brownwood, Bryan/College Station, Cedar Park, and Palestine, two contract clinics in Killeen and Copperas Cove, and a rural outreach clinic in La Grange.  The CTVHCS PGY1 and Psychiatric PGY2 residencies are multi-site programs. This means that travel between sites will occur during the residency year. Travel between sites is not compensated for gas or mileage. There are government vehicles available for use, however the vehicles must be picked up and dropped off at the Temple VA each day and may not be kept by the resident overnight. If a government vehicle is used, gas and tolls are paid for by the VA. 

VA’s Core Values: The VA Core Values -- Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect and Excellence -- can be summarized in the simple but appropriate acronym: "I CARE." VA’s Core Values are the basic elements of how we go about our work – they define “who we are” – and form the underlying principles we will use every day in our service to Veterans.
 

Learning Experiences:

• Required Learning Experiences
  • Ambulatory Care I – 8 to 10 weeks
  • Anticoagulation – 4 weeks
  • Inpatient Pharmacy Operations – 4 weeks
  • Internal Medicine – 8 weeks
  • Orientation – 3 weeks
  • Outpatient Pharmacy Operations – 4 weeks
  • Pharmacy Benefits Management – 2 weeks concentrated
  • Pharmacy Practice Management – 2 weeks concentrated
• Required Longitudinal Learning Experiences
  • Longitudinal Residency Project – 12 months; 1 half day per week or two 1-week blocks in the fall & spring
  • Education & Academia – 12 months; 1 hour weekly
  • Pharmacy Leadership – 12 months; 1 hour weekly
  • Staffing (Meds to Beds) – 12 months; 1 Saturday monthly and rotating major and minor holidays
• Elective Learning Experiences
  • Ambulatory Care II – 4 to 6 weeks
  • Cardiology – 4 weeks
  • Critical Care – 4 weeks
  • Emergency Department – 4 weeks
  • Outpatient Psychiatry – 4 weeks
  • Infectious Disease – 4 weeks
  • Inpatient Psychiatry – 4 weeks
  • Home-Based Primary Care – 2 to 4 weeks
  • Residency Program Management – 2 to 4 weeks

Additionally, the residents will have an assigned major and minor leadership responsibility for the residency year. The major leadership responsibilities will have two residents assigned, and each resident will have an individual minor leadership responsibility.

• Major Responsibilities
  • Quarterly Continuing Education Program Co-Coordinator  
  • Tuesday/Thursday Pharmacy Lunch & Learn Co-Coordinator  
• Minor Responsibilities
  • Drug information Service Organizer  
  • Longitudinal Staffing Organizer  
  • Adverse Drug Event (VADERS) Organizer  
  • Tuesday/Thursday Pharmacy Lunch & Learn Conference Schedule development  
• Shared responsibilities for all PGY1 residents
  • VADERS Report
  • Adverse Reaction Tracking System (ARTs) Report
  • Hypoglycemia Safety Initiative (HSI) Report
  • Present findings of the above reports at P&T Meeting on rotating schedule

Residents will complete the following projects/presentations:

• 1 continuing education (CE) presentation
• 1 patient case presentation
• 1 journal club presentation
• 1 quality improvement/research project (with a team of pharmacist mentors) to present at ASHP Midyear national conference and TSHP ALCALDE local state conference
• 1 UT Pharmacotherapy Rounds presentation
• UT TLFP teaching certificate (which involves IPPE/APPE precepting)

The CTVHCS PGY1 residency program offers a mentorship program to guide residents throughout the year. The mentor may assist the resident in personal or professional challenges encountered throughout residency, career goals and objectives, and navigating interpersonal relationships with providers, preceptors, supervisors/RPD, and co-residents. The mentor also serves as a role model and friend, acts as a resource and guide for residency-related tasks and processes, and helps with any other concerns as they arise.