Learning Experience: Family Medicine/Pediatrics

Preceptor: Jeffrey Shearin, Pharm.D., BCPS

During this 4-week required learning experience, the pharmacy resident will round with the Family Medicine team which consists of pharmacists, medical students, interns, residents and attending physicians. The pharmacy resident will experience both inpatient and outpatient clinical pharmacy training, will train family medicine residents and will practice incorporating scientific evidence into the routine use of medication. Daily activities will include monitoring adult and pediatric patients on the inpatient service, rounding with the team, researching drug information questions, and providing formal and informal presentations.

Preceptor: Stephanie Puckett, Pharm.D., BCPS

Cardiology/Neurology Critical Care elective is a four-week learning experience in the Cardiothoracic and Neurological Intensive Care units. The units consist of a total of 20 ICU beds where patients are managed by an intensivists, cardiologist, cardiothoracic surgeons, neurosurgeons, and neurologists, as well as mid-level practitioners. Attending daily rounds is required and active participation is expected. The resident may have the opportunity to shadow or work with Neuro PAs and nurse practitioners and attend Code Strokes. The resident will be offered the opportunity to spend time in the interventional cardiology lab, the cardiovascular operating room and time with a cardiac ambulatory care pharmacist to manage high risk antiarrhythmic agents and anticoagulation. 

Learning Experience: Critical Care

Preceptor: Jeff Duncan, Pharm.D., BCPS, BCCCP

The Critical Care Rotation consists of prospective chart reviews, clinical consults and the nutritional management of patients in the Medical and Surgical Trauma Intensive Care units. These units consist of 23 intensive care beds where patients are managed daily by a 6 physician Pulmonology/Critical Care Medicine practice. The critical care service relies on pharmacists for monitoring and intervening in the pharmacotherapy of severely ill patients. The resident is exposed to a variety of disease states and medication management experiences during the rotation

Learning Experience: Clinical Practice

Preceptor: Stephanie Puckett, Pharm.D. , BCPS

During this rotation the resident will review the general principles of pharmacokinetics, nutritional support and pain management. The resident will spend 4 weeks managing a variety of protocols including aminoglycoside dosing, vancomycin dosing, nutritional support, IV to PO conversions, renal dosing and pain management. The resident will participate on the nutritional support team and learn how to estimate nutritional needs, monitor patient response and adjust regimens for patients with a variety of medical conditions (renal failure, hepatic failure, etc). The resident will have the opportunity to provide pain management and monitor difficult cases. The resident will further apply the skills learned during this experience to the management of drug therapy in more complex situations experienced later in the program

Learning Experience: Infectious Disease

Preceptors:
Stephanie Puckett, Pharm.D., BCPS

Infectious Disease is a 4-week required learning experience. The resident will develop a broad understanding of the pharmacotherapy of a wide variety of infectious diseases. The resident will be responsible for monitoring patients and participating in Antimicrobial Stewardship rounds with the preceptor and an ID physician. Activities include formulating individual monitoring plans, making recommendations on patient management, and monitoring patients’ drug therapy. Topics of discussion will include management of common infectious diseases: Community Acquired Pneumonia, Hospital Acquired Pneumonia, Skin and Soft tissue infections, Urinary Tract Infections, Bacteremia, Endocarditis, Meningitis, and Osteomyelitis.

Learning Experience: Internal Medicine

Preceptor: Josh Hicks, Pharm.D., BCPS

Internal medicine is a required 4-week learning experience designed to increase the resident’s knowledge of pharmacotherapy and promote critical and independent thinking skills. This rotation teaches evidence-based patient-centered care as provided on general medical units. Residents will identify potential drug therapy problems, design and modify drug regimens, and monitor therapy. Daily activities include pharmacokinetic monitoring, nutritional management, and communicating with healthcare providers and patients. The resident will provide drug information and education for providers, patients, and students. Common diseases to be discussed include: infectious diseases, thromboembolic disease, renal failure (acute & chronic), diabetes mellitus and associated complications, cardiovascular conditions, and asthma & COPD (acute care management).

Pharmacy Leadership (2 Week Rotation and Longitudinal Experience)

Preceptors:

Julie Flint, Pharm.D., BCPS
Will Horton, Pharm.D.
Scott Lang, Pharm.D.
Randall Puckett, Pharm.D., BCPS

The three week rotation provides leadership training and gives the resident an opportunity to perform some of the tasks that are routinely performed by the pharmacy administrators. The resident will work directly with the director and operations managers at the various campuses. The resident will be exposed to the real time challenges in operations, human resources management, project management, financial management, quality assurance, medication safety, regulatory preparedness and policy development.

In addition there will be numerous longitudinal experiences as the resident participates in the work of the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, the Institutional Review Board, the Medication Safety Committee and the Centra Leadership Committee. 

Special populations is an opportunity to hone the skills gained during prior rotations, as well as gain experience in patient populations you may not have been exposed to during school or residency. The rotation is 4 weeks in duration and a required learning experience.

The Centra Virginia Baptist Hospital campus has a diverse patient population, including Long Term Acute Care, Geriatrics, Psychiatry, Acute Rehab, Med/Surg, Neonatal and Labor/Delivery.  Residents are usually on rotation at VBH during the second half of the year, and this learning experience provides the opportunity to experience a diverse patient population with a focus on neonatal intensive care and long term acute care,  while allowing the resident to learn to tailor their medication management skills as appropriate.

Learning Experience: Hospital Pharmacy Practice

Preceptor: Alison West, Pharm.D.

The resident will be responsible for interpreting prescriber medication orders for accuracy and acting as a drug information resource to medical staff, nursing staff, and ancillary department personnel. The resident will gain an understanding of USP <797> requirements involving hazardous and non-hazardous drug compounding, TPN order management, and pharmacokinetic dosing. The resident will also gain an understanding of automated drug distribution systems to include computer prescriber order entry, electronic medical records, automated dispensing cabinets, and bedside barcode medication administration. After successfully completing this rotation, the resident will be capable of fulfilling the service requirement component of the residency experience.

Preceptors: Alison West, Pharm.D and Stephanie Puckett, Pharm.D., BCPS

The orientation period to Centra's PGY1 Residency program is a required two-week learning experience that occurs during the month of July.  During this time, the resident will complete Centra's general hospital orientation on day one, be introduced to Centra Pharmacy distribution and order verification system, and complete initial IV compounding requirements. The goal of the orientation period is for the resident to gain a broad understanding of Centra Pharmacy operations, the daily activities of pharmacists (centralized and decentralized), pharmacy technicians, and the management team. The resident will be trained on basic order verification and medication dispensing to meet weekend service requirements.