PGY2 Critical Care Pharmacy Residency

Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center (BSLMC) is a non-profit, quaternary care teaching hospital licensed for 850 beds, 44 operating rooms, and 164 intensive care unit beds. The PGY2 Critical Care Program at BSLMC was established in 1997 and has since expanded to two residents per year.  

PROGRAM PURPOSE

PGY2 pharmacy residency programs build on Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) education and PGY1 pharmacy residency programs to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists in specialized areas of practice. PGY2 residencies provide residents with opportunities to function independently as practitioners by conceptualizing and integrating accumulated experience and knowledge and incorporating both into the provision of patient care or other advanced practice settings. Residents who successfully complete an accredited PGY2 pharmacy residency are prepared for advanced patient care, academic, or other specialized positions, along with board certification, if available.

LEARNING EXPERIENCES AND ROTATIONS

Core Learning Experiences

• Orientation & Training (6 weeks)

• Medical Intensive Care Unit – Kelsey-Seybold Intensivists (4 weeks)

• Medical Intensive Care Unit – Baylor Intensivists (5 weeks)

• Cardiothoracic Transplant/VAD (4 weeks)

• Cardiovascular Surgery (4 weeks)

• Emergency Medicine (4 weeks)

• Infectious Diseases (4 weeks)

• Neuro Critical Care (4 weeks)

• Surgical Critical Care (4 weeks)

• Clinical Research Month (5 weeks)

• Teaching Certificate Program, University of Houston (optional, longitudinal)

• Clinical On-Call (longitudinal)

• Weekend MICU Clinical Coverage (Every third weekend, longitudinal)

• Practice Management & Leadership (longitudinal)

 

Elective Learning Experiences

• Mobile ICU (4 weeks)

• Cardiac Care Unit (4 weeks)

• Academia (with University of Houston College of Pharmacy, 4 weeks)

 

PROJECTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Major Research Project: Residents design, develop and complete an original research project with a publication-ready manuscript by the end of the residency year. Residents present their projects at the annual Texas Medical Center Critical Care Pharmacy Research Forum, as well as the Critical Care Committee and Pharmacy Department.

Best Practice Improvement Project or Medication Use Evaluation: Residents design, develop and complete a best practice improvement project or a medication use evaluation with a final write-up with recommendations by the end of the residency year. Residents have the opportunity to present findings to the Critical Care Committee and Pharmacy Department, as applicable.

Seminar Presentation: Residents prepare and deliver a 45-minute presentation in person to various members of the clinical pharmacy team.

Precepting: Residents serve as co-preceptors for PGY-1 pharmacy residents and fourth-year PharmD student(s).

Journal Club: Residents formally present recent critical care pharmacotherapy journal articles once per year as scheduled. Residents also attend fellow resident and student journal club presentations.

Staffing: Residents staff every third weekend in medical ICUs and provide clinical services.

Administration: Residents actively contribute to policies, procedures, order sets, and operational optimizations, as needed.

Code Blue Response: Residents attend and actively participate in adult code response throughout the residency year.

On-call: Residents participate in pre-scheduled, week-long on-call shifts which, on average, occur 4-5 times per year. A Clinical Pharmacist II and Pharmacy Administrator are also on-call alongside the resident.

LICENSURE AND BENEFITS

Licensure: Residents must obtain licensure with Texas State Board of Pharmacy within 4 weeks of beginning the program.

Benefits: Residents receive medical, dental, vision and 401K benefits, disability, vacation and personal time off, and professional meeting and travel reimbursement.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Residents participate in professional organizations during their residency year and receive travel compensation for SCCM Congress. 

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applicants must apply online through the ASHP PhORCAS program, (www.ashp.org/phorcas).

The following documents are required to be submitted as part of a complete application for the PGY2 Residency in Cardiology Pharmacy Practice.  The deadline for application is January 5th by 11:59 PM CST.

1. Letter of Intent - please provide a letter of intent for your application materials which addresses:  a) your short and long term career goals, b) your thoughts on how a critical care residency will help you achieve these goals, c) why you feel that a specialty residency is the best career path for you, and d) any information about yourself and your candidacy which may not be apparent on other documents.

2. A copy of your curriculum vitae (CV).

3. Most recent College of Pharmacy and/or Graduate School transcript(s). This is waived if you are more than five years post-graduation. The transcript can be an unofficial copy.

4. Letters of Recommendation:  Three (3) letters of recommendation are requested. The ASHP-developed recommendation form must be included with the letters.

An on-site interview is considered very important and is required for a complete application. However, a virtual option can be discussed on a case-by-case situation. All applications will be reviewed and applicants chosen for interview will be contacted by the middle of January.

QUESTIONS?

Meghna Vallabh, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP

PGY2 Critical Care Pharmacy Residency Program Director

Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center

Department of Pharmacy

6720 Bertner Avenue  (MC 2-230)

Houston, TX  77030

Email: [email protected]