Characteristics of Postgraduate Year 1 Pharmacy Residency Programs at Veterans Affairs Medical Centers

Abstract

Purpose Although the characteristics of pharmacy postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) residency programs have been examined among large academic medical centers, there are no identified studies comparing the attributes of individual programs in the Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Administration System. The primary objective of this study was to describe and contrast characteristics of VA PGY1 residency programs. Methods This was a cross-sectional survey of VA pharmacy residency programs. An online survey was distributed electronically to residency program directors of VA PGY1 residencies. Results Responses from 33 (33%) PGY1 programs were available for the analysis. Programs reported growth over the previous 2 years and expected continued expansion. There was a wide variety of learning opportunities, although experiences were customizable based on residents’ interests. Notably, many programs allowed residents to seek rotations at other locations if specific experiences were not available on-site. Additionally, most programs had a mandatory staffing component and required residents to present the results of residency research projects. Conclusion There is a high degree of variability among individual VA facilities with regard to the requirements and opportunities available to PGY1 pharmacy residents. This assessment is able to characterize the currently established residency programs and allows for an active comparison of programs in a nationally integrated health care system.

Assessment of Postgraduate Year 2 Pharmacy Residency Programs Within the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System

“…18 Moreover, the supply of qualified applicants is also expanding, with a demonstrated growth trajectory identified for PGY1 programs both within the VA and among academic health centers. 15,19 Our study findings also suggest that, even with the increasing supply of advanced opportunities, the demand for PGY2 positions remains high. After the 2012 to 2013 recruitment cycle, only 1 program that responded to the survey had an unfilled position.…”

“…This differs significantly from those of PGY1 programs, in which mandatory staffing was a component required by most programs. 15,19 While this finding points to a positive quality of life benefit for PGY2 residents, the long-term educational value of a required staffing component for PGY2 residents is unclear. Because clinical pharmacist positions often incorporate a staffing component into their regular role, additional experience as a PGY2 resident may be a valuable asset to future employers.…”

“…Although the response rate of 33% is low, it is consistent with or better than other recently published surveys of residency programs. [19][20][21][22] The low response rate may be less concerning, given the consistency of responses received, despite the diversity of programs represented. As the survey was primarily structured in a multiple-choice format, responses were usually restricted to available answer choices that may not have captured important nuances of individual programs.…”

Estado da arte das residências integradas, multiprofissionais e em área profissional da Saúde

“…In the American context, the selection format for residency vacancies was described, including interviews, requirement to be linked to a recognized educational institution and the student's overall grade 27 . A reliable evaluation form was also developed for candidates during selection interviews 28 .…”

“…In a US survey that investigated 33 one-year pharmacy programs, 78.5% allow residents to rotate to other locations if specific experiments are not available on the service itself; 87.9% of the programs require that residents have experience in basic life support; 84.8% of the programs allow their residents to perform preceptorial functions with students, and 72.7% offer an internship in teaching. In addition, most programs had a compulsory elective component and required residents to submit research project results 27 .…”