FAQs

PGY2 pharmacy residency programs build on Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) education and PGY1 pharmacy residency programs 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.

The overall goal of the St. Luke’s residencies is to provide to the resident the practical training and experience that provides the opportunity and stimulus to develop, to the highest degree attainable, professional expertise and competence as a health-system pharmacy practitioner. Other goals are to provide a foundation for, and stimulate an interest in, the achievement of a leadership role in the profession; to support the attainment of professional self-realization; to prepare the resident for more advanced training or experiences, if that is the career objective; and, for the PGY2 solid organ transplant specialty residency, to prepare the resident to be a competent practitioner in this challenging, exciting, and professionally rewarding practice.

As of the Fall of 2024, we have had 130 graduates of the current program and six in training.  Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center has several other residency opportunities. We have a post-graduate year 2 (PGY2) Critical Care Residency which was accredited in 2003 and has 32 graduates and two in training. We also have a PGY2 Cardiology specialty residency program that started in July 2008 and received full accreditation in 2011 with 16 graduates and one in training. Also in 2008, we established a two-year Infectious Diseases Fellowship in conjunction with the University of Houston College of Pharmacy. We have had 14 fellows complete the program. There are currently two in the program. Lastly, we have a PGY1/PGY2 MS and Pharmacy Administration residency in conjunction with the University of Houston which was established in July 2009 and received full accreditation in 2011. We have had 10 graduates in the program and two in training. In 2012, we expanded the PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency to 6 positions. In addition, we added a PGY2 Solid Organ Transplant Residency program, which has had 18 graduates, two in training, and received full accreditation in 2013.

The residency is a full-time 52-week program which requires a commitment of 40-48 hours per week. The residency is conducted through the accomplishment of formal learning objectives, consistent with the accreditation standards of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). The program is custom tailored to each resident’s background, experiences, and personal goals for the program.  

The start date of the residency is around July 1st. Earlier or later start dates may be arranged based on individual circumstances. Ample time is given off to take the licensure exam if that is an issue.  PGY2 residents staff every third weekend and can expect to cover one major and one minor holiday during the year. Two weeks of paid vacation are available during the year, and are given as additional pay if not used.  

We knew you’d ask. Staffing experiences mean that the resident will be dedicated to working as a clinical practitioner here at Baylor St. Luke’s -- this is a critical component to the program as often times, this is your first opportunity to be an independent Pharmacist. Residents complete their staffing component through every third weekend assignments. While staffing, residents rotate through positions focused on patient centered services as well as centralized prospective order review. We believe that such staffing experiences are a very important part of meeting practice residency goals and objectives and that the absence of such experiences diminishes the resident’s growth and practice maturity in the program.

It is our belief that meaningful staffing experiences are absolutely necessary in the PGY2 solid organ transplant residency. We are, after all, focused on training competent practitioners who will provide pharmaceutical care to solid organ transplant patients. Staffing experiences give the resident the opportunity to function independently as a practitioner by conceptualizing and integrating accumulated experience and knowledge and transforming it into improved pharmaceutical care for patients who have received transplanted organs. The absence of such experiences diminishes the resident’s growth and practice maturity in the program.  

The current stipend per year is $51,300. Residents are entitled to the same benefits as clinical pharmacists.  Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center has a “choice plan” for insurance benefits, with many options available to fit the individual or family situation.  

BSLMC allocates “benefit dollars” to employees, who then can spend them on the benefits of their choice. The allocation covers the needs of the individual employee, with payroll deduction for increased individual coverage or family/dependent plans. Parking is provided for free at a remote lot with access to Metro Transit (Metrorail) and free, air-conditioned shuttle service at all hours.  

Funded meetings are the American Transplant Congress and the American Society of Transplantation Fellows Symposium on Transplantation. 

The resident has dedicated desk space with access to a personal computer with all contemporary software and printing. Full internet access is provided, with e-mail services.   

A major advantage in taking the residency program at Baylor St. Luke’s is its location in the Texas Medical Center (TMC). The TMC is the largest medical center in the world, and is more than twice as large as the second largest medical center. It occupies over 500 acres, including twelve major hospitals representing over five thousand beds, and has a large central medical complex. It is home to nine academic institutions including two colleges of medicine, two colleges of pharmacy, several colleges of nursing, dentistry, and other medical disciplines. TMC is adjacent to the Rice University campus and the Hermann Park/Museum complex of the City of Houston. Baylor St. Luke’s itself is home to the world renowned Texas Heart® Institute. The first human heart transplant in the United States was performed here; more open heart surgical procedures have been performed here than anywhere else in the world, and Baylor St. Luke’s has the largest cardiac catheterization facility in the world.

Houston is the fourth largest city in the nation and has an abundance of recreational opportunities. Immediately to the south of the Medical Center is the large Reliant Park complex, featuring NRG Stadium and the Astrodome. Evenings out can include events such as the Houston Astros, Texans, Rockets or Comets games. The beaches and attractions of Galveston Island are less than an hour away. Other activities include multi-cultural activities such as opera, the ballet, symphony or musicals. In addition, there are many places to eat and try new foods. 

The Department of Pharmacy at Baylor St. Luke’s consists of approximately 175 staff members, of which nearly 100 are pharmacists. All contemporary services are provided.  We emphasize being a “pharmacist-centered pharmacy in a patient-centered hospital.” Our distribution model uses unit based automation with decentralized clinical pharmacy services. We have automated carousels and automated repackaging in Central Pharmacy. Pharmacy Services are available 24/7 in Central Pharmacy. We have four pharmacy satellites in the operating room (OR), Cardiovascular OR, Outpatient OR Satellite, and Emergency Department Satellite.

The hospital itself has 850 available beds, of which 157 are intensive care. It has forty-four operating rooms and ten cardiac catheterization labs.  

We are looking for mature individuals who have made a career decision to become a leader in health-system or institutional pharmacy. The candidate must be prepared to make a serious commitment to satisfactorily complete all requirements of the program, as planned in advance. This commitment includes attendance at required meetings, programs, presentations and trips, and the availability and willingness to participate in any function of the Department of Pharmacy on a 24-hour basis. The residency is tailored to each individual, and regular evaluations of accomplishment must be satisfactory.  This is a mature program for mature individuals who are serious about the profession as a lifelong career, and solid organ transplant as a specialty practice. Applicants should hold the PharmD degree and complete and ASHP-Accredited PGY1 Residency in Pharmacy Practice prior to starting the Specialty Residency. Texas licensure is required as well.  

You will need to apply to our residency program online through the ASHP PhORCAS program (www.ashp.org/phorcas). Application documents required are a cover letter, curriculum vitae, college transcripts (if less than five years post-graduation), letters of recommendation along with the ASHP-developed recommendation form and a passport-size photo. The application deadline is January 6, 2025 at 11:59 PM.

An virtual interview is considered very important and is required for a complete application. All applications will be screened by our Residency Advisory Council, and all applicants chosen for interview will be contacted by the end of January. The virtual interview will be a partial day consisting of a patient case and interviews with the transplant clinical pharmacist team and clinical manager as well as transplant residents. The last date for interviews is normally one week before the ASHP match list submission date.