Pharmacy PGY2 Infectious Diseases Residency

• Deadline for application – December 31
• Start Date – July
• Application materials must be submitted via PhORCAS™
• Onsite interview required (Mondays or Fridays in January or February)
• Annual Salary $60,000
• Benefits include 10 days of vacation, 80 hours of sick leave, medical insurance, on-site medical library and medical graphics department, office with your own computer and reference library
• Meetings funded include ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting, IDWeek Annual Meeting
• Numerous Board Certified Preceptors
• Diverse Infectious Diseases learning experiences with tailored instruction and electives for the individual resident based on interest(s) and career goals
• Research project required to be completed with presentation at a local or national meeting
• Additional professional writing opportunities as need arises
• Professional presentations: Pharmacy Grand Rounds (ACPE-accredited), Infectious Diseases Citywide case conference, Infectious Diseases case conference, Infectious Diseases Journal Club
• Precepting / mentoring opportunities – University of Houston and University of Texas College of Pharmacy student clerkship precepting, institutional PharmD Shared Student Instruction, PGY-1 Pharmacy Resident precepting
• Weekend coverage: approximately 12 - 14 weekends per year (including non-formulary pager coverage)
• Teaching certificate program through University of Houston College of Pharmacy if needed

Learning experiences are scheduled as monthly rotations or in a longitudinal format.  Residents are required to meet with the preceptor(s) prior to starting each learning experience to review the goals/objectives and expectations of the learning experience.  The resident’s daily responsibilities will be under the direction of the assigned preceptor. 

Required Experiences: Resident experiences are on a one month basis or in a longitudinal (i.e., 12 month long) format. The resident is required to successfully complete all PGY2 Infectious Diseases residency learning experiences, including:

• Clinical Microbiology
• Antimicrobial Stewardship I
• Antimicrobial Stewardship II
• Stem Cell Transplantation Primary Service
• Infectious Diseases Consultation  (Leukemia)
  
• Infectious Diseases Consultation (Stem Cell Transplantation / Lymphoma)
• Infectious Diseases Consultation (Intensive Care Unit)
• Infectious Diseases Consultation (Solid Tumor)
• Infectious Diseases Clinic (longitudinal, 12 months)
• Research (longitudinal, 12 months)

Elective Learning Experiences: The resident is required to successfully complete two, one-month elective experiences. Elective experiences may include additional on-site experiences or an off-site rotation, allowing the resident to take advantage of the unique patient populations found across the Texas Medical Center. Resident interest and a specific elective experience should be discussed with the RPD at least 6 months in advance to ensure availability. Off-site experiences cannot always be guaranteed and are dependent on external availability. Examples of previously completed elective learning experiences are:

• Pediatric Infectious Diseases (Texas Children’s Hospital)
• Solid Organ Transplant Infectious Diseases (Houston Methodist Hospital)

Longitudinal Learning Experiences

• Outpatient Infectious Diseases Clinic (12 months)
• Antimicrobial Stewardship Policy (12 months)
• Drug Information (12 months)
  • The MD Anderson Drug Information Service is designed to provide information to healthcare providers within MD Anderson and its associated facilities and to outside healthcare providers.  This learning experience is completed on a longitudinal basis throughout the residency year.  Orientation to the goals, objectives, and learning experiences is typically completed during orientation.  As a component of the Drug Information experience, residents will each complete a DI project and present the findings to the P&T (Pharmacy and Therapeutics) or other appropriate committee.  Other responsibilities include:  taking minutes for a P&T meeting, contributing articles to the pharmacy e-newsletter, and participation in group discussions throughout the year.  Each resident will also facilitate Journal Club during the year.

Presentations:

The PGY2 Infectious Diseases resident is responsible for completing the following presentations (at minimum):

• Case conference (minimum of 2)
• Journal club (1)
• Journal scan (monthly)
• ACPE-accredited Pharmacy Grand Rounds (1)
• Infectious Diseases Pharmacotherapy Citywide (1)
• Shared student instruction (minimum of 2)
• Drug monograph or class review for the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee (1)
• Houston Infectious Diseases Network research platform presentation (1)

Longitudinal Research Project:

The resident is required to successfully complete one research project for successful completion of the residency program. The project is typically retrospective in nature and will be conducted in collaboration with infectious diseases pharmacists, physicians, and others from across the institution. At the beginning of the residency year, the resident will be provided a list of project ideas to choose from or may develop his/her own idea with approval from the RPD. A research project mentor will be identified to assist the resident with the project and ensure completion. The resident will be required to present their findings in a number of venues, including (but not limited to) local pharmacy groups, infectious diseases faculty meetings, and others. Successful completion of the research experience requires development of a publication-quality manuscript.

Longitudinal Drug Information and Drug Use Policy:

Drug information is a longitudinal learning for the PGY2 Infectious Diseases pharmacy resident and other residents at MD Anderson. The PGY2 resident is required to complete the following activities: provide coverage of the non-formulary pager for a minimum of 5 weekends, develop one formulary monograph or class review for an infectious diseases-related topic and present findings to the P&T committee, and take minutes for one P&T meeting. Other activities may be assigned at the discretion of the RPD.

Committee Involvement:

The resident is required to serve as a member of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee. Expectations include timely attendance at all meetings, active involvement in the committee as assigned by the RPD, adherence to set deadlines, and taking minutes for the meetings. Additional committees, including Infection Control, may also be available.

Experiential Precepting:

The resident is required to become a licensed preceptor with the Texas State Board of Pharmacy, which necessitates completion of 3 hours of preceptor CE. Residents will participate in precepting opportunities for students from the University of Texas College of Pharmacy, University of Houston College of Pharmacy, and PGY1 pharmacy residents as they become available and based on the interest of the PGY2 infectious diseases resident.

Weekend / Holiday Coverage:

The resident will work approximately 12 – 15 weekends throughout the year, potentially including one to two institutionally-recognized holidays. Weekend responsibilities include staffing in the ICU satellite pharmacy and antimicrobial therapeutic drug monitoring.

The weekend / holiday schedule is made in advance and will occur during the 7 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. shift. If a resident needs a particular weekend off that he/she is schedule to work, arrangements to switch with a co-resident should be made. All changes must be approved by the RPD in advance.

Conference / Seminar Attendance:

Funding will be provided for the resident to attend the following conferences: IDWeek / SIDP, ASHP Midyear Meeting. The resident may attend other local / national conferences (e.g., MAD-ID, ACCP) as designated by the RPD. Travel outside of the continental United States is handled on a case-by-case basis and may not be approved or financially supported.

What is the goal of the residency?
The goal of the PGY2 Infectious Diseases residency program is to provide the resident the opportunity to develop his/her clinical skills in preparation for a comprehensive practice as an Infectious Diseases Clinical Pharmacy Specialist. Residents completing the program will be competent and confident in both the management of adult patients with infectious diseases and the implementation of antimicrobial stewardship.

How is the residency offered?
The residency is a one-year program that is heavily weighted in direct patient care. The program consists of core learning experiences and additional requirements, but also incorporates tailored instruction based on each individual resident’s interest(s) and career goals.

Is this a new program?
Yes, our second resident is currently completing the ID program. MD Anderson has successfully hosted other ASHP-accredited residency programs since the 1980s, including a prior PGY2 Infectious Diseases Residency.

Is the program accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)?
Not yet, but we anticipate full accreditation by ASHP following response to an onsite survey which took place in February 2020.

Is participation in the ASHP match program required?
Yes, participation in the ASHP match program is required. Please review the match requirements and process at www.natmatch.com. For details regarding the residency application process, please visit our Pharmacy Division page. The deadline for application submission is December 31.

How many resident positions are available and what are the requirements?
We accept 1 PGY2 Infectious Diseases pharmacy residents each year. Requirements include a Pharm.D. degree from an accredited school of pharmacy and successful completion of an ASHP-accredited PGY1 Pharmacy Residency.

What should I expect at the time of the on-site interview?
Applicants should be prepared to assume the travel and lodging costs for the interview, as MD Anderson does not have a mechanism to provide compensation for the interview process. We can assist with coordinating transportation to and from the airport and your hotel if this is desired and if flights arrive / depart at reasonable hours. The interview process entails a full day (8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) of meetings with the RPD, residency preceptors, infectious diseases physicians, Pharmacy administrative staff, the current PGY2 Infectious Diseases resident, and a tour of the facilities. A 30-minute professional PowerPoint presentation (candidate’s choice) to the PGY2 Infectious Diseases residency preceptors is required during the interview. Interviews are conducted in the months of January and February.

How and when is the resident selected for the residency?
Following completion of all residency candidate interviews, the PGY2 Infectious Diseases Residency Advisory Committee convenes to discuss the applicants. Resident ranking for the ASHP Match program is based on multiple factors including: past education and training, letters of support, performance during the on-site interview and matching interests between that of the applicant and the PGY2 Infectious Diseases residency offered at MD Anderson Cancer Center. The RPD will discuss the matching process and notification of resident selection during the on-site interview.

Does the resident need to be licensed in the state of Texas?
The resident must be eligible for licensure (via reciprocity or examination) upon acceptance into the program. It is highly recommended that the resident complete all necessary examinations / processes for licensure prior to starting the program in July. It is mandatory that the resident is licensed by the Texas State Board of Pharmacy by October 1st in order to continue in the program.

Who is the PGY 2 Infectious Diseases Residency Program Director and who are the preceptor faculty?
The director of the PGY2 Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Residency is Samuel Aitken, Pharm.D., MPH, BCIDP. Three other Clinical Pharmacists in Infectious Diseases will also be intimately involved in the program and resident education. They are Patrick McDaneld, Pharm.D., BCIDP (program coordinator), Jovan Borjan, Pharm.D., BCIDP, and Nancy Vuong, Pharm.D., MBIOT, BCPS. Together, the infectious diseases pharmacy team has a diverse clinical background and will provide the resident with a well-rounded experience. In addition to the Division of Pharmacy leadership and residency program director, there are numerous board certified clinical pharmacy specialists who serve as preceptors for the Infectious Diseases pharmacy residency. This includes clinical specialists in the areas of Leukemia, Stem Cell Transplantation, Critical Care / Nutrition Support, and Drug Information / Drug Use Policy. Additionally, infectious diseases physician faculty members will be consistently involved in the education of the PGY2 Infectious Diseases pharmacy resident/ The preceptor group is dedicated and committed to the continued success of each resident and the program overall.

What are the “required” patient care experiences and how are the rotations offered?
Rotations consist of 1 month blocks for most patient care experiences. The required patient care experiences include:

• Clinical Microbiology
• Antimicrobial Stewardship I
• Antimicrobial Stewardship II
• Stem Cell Transplantation Primary Service
• Infectious Diseases Consultation (Leukemia)
• Infectious Diseases Consultation (Stem Cell Transplantation / Lymphoma)
• Infectious Diseases Consultation (Intensive Care Unit)
• Infectious Diseases Consultation (Solid Tumor)
• Infectious Diseases Clinic (longitudinal, 12 months)
• Research (longitudinal, 12 months)

Two months of elective time are scheduled throughout the year to help tailor the residency to meet each resident’s individual goals as well as potentially provide off-site experiences.

What expectations are placed on the resident?
The resident is expected to make a commitment to satisfactorily complete all requirements of the residency, as planned in advance and communicated with the resident upon acceptance into the program. This commitment includes but is not limited to the following: active participation in direct patient care, presentations, precepting and mentoring of pharmacy students, non-formulary pager coverage, weekend clinical coverage, attendance at required meetings and programs, and the availability and willingness to participate in any function of the Division of Pharmacy on a 24-hour basis. In regards to the outcomes of the PGY2 Infectious Diseases residency program, the resident must “achieve” a pre-specified number of goals in order to successfully complete the program.  Progress towards goal achievement is discussed, at a minimum, quarterly with each resident.

What are the service commitments?
In addition to scheduled and elective learning experiences, the resident is required to participate in weekend operational coverage for the ICU satellite operational pharmacy services on a scheduled basis (approximately every 3 weeks, potentially including 1 – 2 holidays). The resident will not be removed from his/her clinical rotations in order to provide medication order-entry services unless in a disaster management situation.

What are the presentation requirements of our residents?
Throughout the year, the resident will provide a minimum of 1 journal club presentations and 2 case conferences, including an opportunity to present to infectious diseases pharmacists and residents from around the Texas Medical Center. Additionally, the resident will present a “Pharmacy Grand Rounds” for ACPE continuing education credit. The resident will present a less formal infectious diseases “journal scan” on a monthly basis. The resident is also expected to present the results of his/her major research project in platform format to the Houston Infectious Diseases Network as well as during the MD Anderson Cancer Center Pharmacy Research forum. Lastly, per the discretion of the RPD and individual preceptors, the resident may be asked to provide additional presentations.

What are the publication requirements of our residents?
The research project requires development of a publication-quality manuscript for successful completion. The resident is strongly encouraged to submit the findings for publication to the peer-reviewed medical literature. Other writing opportunities, including review articles and textbook chapters, will be made available as the opportunity arises. The RPD and Infectious Diseases clinical pharmacy specialists are fully invested in developing the publication portfolio of the Infectious Diseases pharmacy resident.

How is the resident evaluated?
The PGY2 Infectious Diseases pharmacy residency is based upon behavioral plus competency-based objectives. During each learning experience, preceptor faculty will provide the resident with weekly informal feedback as well as a formal summative evaluation upon rotation completion according to pre-assigned goals and objectives. Longitudinal learning experiences are evaluated quarterly. Non-patient care activities are directly evaluated at the time of performance (e.g., presentations). Additionally, the resident will evaluate his/her preceptor and the learning experience upon completion of each individual experience. All learning experience evaluations are documented and maintained in PharmAcademic. Upon completion of the residency program, the resident will be asked to evaluate the residency program overall (i.e., strengths, weaknesses) as well as provide suggestions for improvement.

What support is offered for educational trips and seminars?
Every attempt is made to financially support resident attendance of educational seminars and programs. Priority programs include the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting, and IDWeek / SIDP. Additionally, residents are encouraged to attend local and national meetings (e.g., MAD-ID, ACCP) as time and funding allows.

What stipend and benefit program is offered?
The annual stipend is currently $60,000. There is a liberal benefit program that includes comprehensive health insurance. There is no financial support for moving and living expenses, but relocation information is provided that educational trainees find beneficial.

In what other educational programs does the Division of Pharmacy participate?
The Division of Pharmacy (including our residents) participates in undergraduate and graduate clinical and experiential programs with The University of Houston and University of Texas Colleges of Pharmacy. Residents also participate in the University of Texas Galveston/Houston Pharm.D. student regional meetings (15-17/year) to evaluate student presentations and provide mentoring. Preceptor continuing education opportunities are disseminated to the Division of Pharmacy. In addition, clinical research training (i.e., protocol development) as well as advanced cardiac life support certification is provided to the residents during their orientation period. The Division of Pharmacy also offers additional residency programs (PGY1 Pharmacy residency, a PGY1/PGY2 Health System Pharmacy Administration residency, PGY2 Oncology residency, residency, PGY2 Critical Care residency), and provides many in-services and continuing education programs to the hospital's professional staff.

What other support is available to the resident during the residency?
The Division of Pharmacy provides lab coats and scrubs to the residents. An office dedicated for pharmacy residents is provided with books and supplies as well as individual desk, computer and iPhone support. MD Anderson has its own medical library and also provides on-line access to the Texas Medical Center library both from within and outside of the institution. The institution also has its own medical graphics department to assist in the development of professional poster presentations, as well as a biostatistics department to assist with research endeavors.

What living arrangements are available for the resident?
Houston offers a wide variety of housing opportunities, including many apartments and townhouses near the Texas Medical Center. Many of the surrounding housing opportunities have a regular shuttle service to the hospital or are close to the light rail into the Texas Medical Center.

What entertainment and cultural opportunities are available in the Houston area?
Houston offers every possible opportunity for enjoyment of the arts, entertainment, and recreation. The city offers major league sports, outstanding shopping areas and several special attractions, including the Johnson Space Center, Moody Gardens, the Museum of Natural Science, Cynthia Woods Pavilion, the Toyota Center, NRG Stadium, Minute Maid Park, BBVA Compass Stadium, Kemah Boardwalk, The Strand in Galveston and the beaches of the Texas Gulf Coast.

Application Instructions:

• Contact Residency Program Director prior to starting the application process.
• ASHP Midyear PPS or telephone interview is required prior to application submission
• Applications must be submitted via the Phorcas system™
• Application(s) must be submitted no later than December 31
• Participation in ASHP Resident Matching Program is required for all Residency Programs
• No temporary United States visa sponsorship
  • Immigration visa sponsorship for this program is NOT offered by MD Anderson.  Individuals admitted to this program will be required to demonstrate a valid immigration status prior to the PGY2 residency appointment and it must be for the full period of the PGY2 residency program.

The following application materials must be submitted via the PhORCAS™ online application system by December 31:

• A Statement of Intent (not to exceed one typewritten page) describing your career goals and reasons for pursuing the residency program
• Curriculum Vitae
• Official Transcript from Pharmacy College/University  indicating date of graduation and degree earned (originals required via PhORCAS™)
• Reference Form in PhORCAS™ completed by THREE references

In addition to the Reference Form in PhORCAS™, MD Anderson also requires that your THREE references each submit a Formal Letter of Reference

• Directions for Letters of Reference
  • All letters must be on institutional letterhead and must be dated AND contain an original signature
  • Completed letters can be submitted as follows:
    • Scan and email the letter (PDF document) directly to slaitken@mdanderson.org
  • The PhORCAS™ “Standardized Reference Form” does not meet our institution/program requirements and cannot be accepted in lieu of reference letters.

On-site Interview Requirements and Scheduling:

• An on-site interview is required.
• All candidates will be notified of their interview status by January 15
• Interviews will be conducted in January and February, after receipt of all application materials.

Upon release of the match results, candidates that match with our institution will need to complete an institution specific application and requirements for appointment via the MD Anderson DISCOVER™ online application system.  The DISCOVER System™ is a web based database utilized to streamline the application selection and appointment process.  More information about this process will be provided at the time of onsite interviews.

For questions regarding the application process, please contact Samuel Aitken, Director PGY2 Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Residency program, via email at slaitken@mdanderson.org or by phone at 713-745-3968.

Download the application instructions in PDF format.