PGY1 Pharmacy Residency

Purpose and Program Overview

The ASHP-accredited PGY1 Pharmacy Residency at CaroMont Regional Medical Center is a twelve month program of training and experience based upon the ASHP Standards for PGY1 Pharmacy Residencies. The program begins in late June or early July and finishes at the end of June the following year. Upon successful completion of the residency requirements, the resident is awarded a certificate of program completion.

The program seeks residents who are independent, flexible, motivated, and proactive in their professional growth. The residency strives to create and prepare well-balanced pharmacist clinicians capable of providing evidence-based pharmacotherapy who thrive in both clinical and distributive roles in a community hospital acute care setting. To assist the resident in navigating their residency and encourage their professional growth, all residents are matched with a pharmacist mentor for the residency year.

The purpose of the CRMC PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program is to build on Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) curriculum and outcomes to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists who are responsible for medication-related care of patients with a wide range of conditions. Successful completion of the residency program will confer eligibility for board certification, as well as pursuit of postgraduate year two (PGY2) pharmacy residency training.

CaroMont Regional Medical Center is a 476 bed not-for-profit community hospital that provides 24-hour clinical pharmacy services. Clinical pharmacists participate in patient care through dosing and monitoring of approved pharmacotherapy protocols including aminoglycosides, enoxaparin, heparin, warfarin, vancomycin, renal monitoring, and TPN micronutrients. In addition, pharmacists participate in multidisciplinary patient care teams, an antimicrobial stewardship program, discharge medication counseling and many committees throughout the hospital.

Throughout the PGY1 year, residents engage in a variety of clinical experiences tailored to their specific interests and goals.

Learning Experiences

Required Learning Experiences (1 month each):

Orientation
Internal medicine
Critical care
Cardiology
Emergency medicine
Management
Ambulatory care (anticoagulation management)

Elective Learning Experiences Available (1 month each):

Certain core rotations may be repeated as an elective.

Emergency medicine II with a toxicology focus (within the emergency department)
Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and pediatrics
Medication safety
Oncology
Surgery/operating room pharmacy services
Ambulatory care (CaroMont Medical Group)
Student precepting (must be combined with a core rotation repeat)

Longitudinal Learning Experiences and Expectations:

Research Project and manuscript eligible for publication (12 months)
Staffing throughout the year (every third weekend, assigned holidays)
Code Blue response (after completion of ACLS)
Drug information requests
Residency mentor program
Leadership position within the residency program
Student education and precepting (high school and pharmacy students)
Teaching certificate through High Point University (optional)
Committee involvement (P&T, AMS)
Teaching and education:
- Continuing education seminar for the Gaston County Pharmaceutical Association (a 1 hour CE program)
- Lunch and learn presentations to the department
- Journal Club presentations
- Rotation-related presentations (topic discussions and case presentations)
- Platform research presentation at the Southeastern Residency Conference (SERC) or Research in Education and Practice Symposium (REPS)
- Community, support group or departmental presentations and in-services upon request
- Committee-related presentations as needed
Required Professional Meetings and Conference Attendance:
- ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting & Residency Showcase
- SERC in Athens, Georgia (or similar residency conference for research presentation)
- Gaston County Pharmaceutical Association (GCPA) Seminars

Specific information on the expectations and requirements for successful completion of the residency program may be requested from the residency program director and will be provided to all applicants invited to interview.

View the residency manual here.

Candidate Information

CRMC does not currently sponsor candidates for H-1B visa status to work as pharmacy residents.

Interested candidates may direct correspondence to the program director:
Saumil Vaghela, Pharm.D., BCPS
saumil.vaghela@caromonthealth.org