• Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from an American Council of Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE) accredited school of pharmacy.
• Minimum pharmacy school GPA or 3.2 or equivalent. Applicants from pass/fail curriculums may apply as well.
• Hold an active pharmacist license or be eligible for licensure in at least one U.S. state or territory or District of Columbia.
• U.S. citizenship
• Applicants to any PGY2 residency must have completed a PGY1 residency 
• For consideration required documents uploaded must include: three (3) clinical letters of reference (2 of which must be from clinical preceptors), a letter of intent, curriculum vitae (CV), and an official copy of pharmacy school transcripts.
• Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, resident interviews for 2021-2022 application cycle will be conducted virtually.
• Candidates will be ranked, and positions filled by submission through National Matching Service (NMS). NMS codes are as follows: PGY2 Mental Health (688866).

The 12-month program is designed to lead the resident through an assortment of rotational and longitudinal learning experiences in a variety of practice settings. By the end of the program, the resident should feel competent practicing in both inpatient and outpatient settings involving psychopharmacology. The residency includes core rotations that are chosen to establish a strong base in mental health and neuropsychopharmacology. Core disorders within this residency include depression, anxiety disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, dementia, personality disorders, and substance use disorders. The resident may choose electives based on their career goals. Although the residency is designed around core and elective rotational and or longitudinal learning experiences, the focus of the training will be to master each of the diseases and conditions established within the ASHP required competency areas, goals, and objectives for PGY2 psychiatric pharmacy residencies.

Clinical

• Establish yourself as an integral member of a health care team
• Promote expertise in managing medication therapies in psychiatric pharmacotherapy
• Develop solid patient care skills in both acute and chronic care settings
• Develop a sound understanding of pharmacy practice management
• Augment understanding of practice management in the institutional, regional, and national levels

Academic

• Interpret and disseminate knowledge in psychiatric pharmacotherapy
• Foster innovative and rewarding precepting strategies
• Provide teaching experiences in small group learning environments
• Generate new knowledge in psychiatric pharmacotherapy

Professional

• Cultivate techniques for self-assessment, goal setting, and career planning
• Demonstrate exemplary verbal and written communication skills
• Establish a personalized system for balancing multiple work/life responsibilities
• Recognize the importance of professional development though participation in pharmacy organization activities

For additional information, please refer to the ASHP PGY2 Psychiatric Pharmacy Residency Educational Goals and Objectives.

Required learning experiences (4-6 weeks)

• Acute care/Inpatient adult mental health
• Inpatient geriatric mental health/precepting
• Outpatient adult general mental health
• Primary care – mental health integration (PCMHI)
• Substance use disorders/Dual diagnosis (currently requires travel to Bonham VA part time)
• Mental Health Pharmacy Leadership/Management

Elective Learning Experiences (4 weeks)

• Mental health intensive case management (MHICM), physician precepted
• MH consultation team/Emergency Department
• OEF/OIF trauma clinic, physician precepted
• Pain management
• CLC/Pain management
• Academic Detailing
• Consult Liaison, physician precepted
• Correctional healthcare mental health (through Parkland Health) *

New elective learning experiences may be developed based on resident interests/career goals.

Required and Elective Rotations may change based on preceptor availability and program needs.

Based on preceptor/learning experience availability, the resident may be traveling to Bonham or Fort Worth VA for an elective or required rotation. To the best of our ability, we strive to be as flexible as we can and are open to making changes throughout the year as a residents’ potential interests change.

* Texas pharmacist license required for all non-VA learning experiences

Practice Experiences

• Interdisciplinary grand rounds, journal club presentation opportunities
• Rounding with health care professionals
• Practice-based projects
• Medication therapy management
• Education of health care professionals and precepting pharmacy students
• Participation in departmental and committee meetings
• Clinical intervention documentations
• Participation in board certified pharmaceutical specialist reviews
• Opportunities with Texas Tech University Teaching Certificate Program

Residency Projects

Residents will complete one research project and one quality improvement project per year. Residents may also complete additional projects as needed by the facility. Residents may be asked to present their project(s) at a local, regional, or national event.  Residents may choose any type of research project or quality improvement project, provided that the  project:

1. includes generation of original data
2. is suitable for publication and presentation at a national pharmacy meeting
3. can reasonably be completed within the residency year

Teaching activities for residents are designed to complement practice activities while allowing the resident to experience a variety of teaching methods. Residents will be required to demonstrate skills necessary to function in an academic setting by completing the following activities:

VISN 17 psychiatric pharmacy didactics series (required)

Residents will have the opportunity to participate in weekly psychiatric pharmacy didactics discussions. These discussions are presented by VISN 17 psychiatric pharmacy residents with participation, feedback, and evaluation provided by residents and clinical pharmacy practitioners. They are designed to assist with BCPP prep. Each 60-minute session consists of a 40-minute presentation of an assigned topic and 15-20 minutes for questions and discussion. Residents will be assigned two topics each to present throughout the year and are encouraged (but not required) to attend the weekly presentations.

Experiential Teaching/Precepting (required)

Clerkship teaching (involving both P3 and/or P4 Pharm.D. students) is integrated into the resident practice model. Residents will independently precept 1-2 students. Informal precepting and opportunities for layered learning may be present on multiple learning experiences.

Other Teaching/Educational Opportunities

Residents will be required to provide in-services and/or topic discussions for pharmacy, nursing and medical services as required by preceptors. Residency topic discussions will be held on individual rotations as required and/or requested.

Teaching Certificate Program (optional)

The Clinician Educator Training Program is a program to provide training for PGY1 and PGY2 residents who are interested in developing their academic skills. The major goal of the training program is to supplement a strong clinical background with the skills needed to become a successful educator. The learning objectives for this program are to develop a personalized teaching philosophy, create evaluable learning objectives and corresponding exam questions for a formal lecture, evaluate students fairly, and to discuss effective teaching methodologies for a given scenario. The program includes didactic and web-based teaching models, mentored facilitator training for small group problem-based learning, and precepting of third and/or fourth-year Doctor of Pharmacy students. Residents also receive instruction in statistical and clinical trial design; submit a project proposal to the institutional review board; and collect, interpret, and publish their results. Additional activities are provided to enhance discovery, integration, and writing skills. The program also includes innovative discussion topics based

on needs previously identified by new faculty members. While the program targets residents with an interest in academia, the skill sets gained through Teaching Certificate Program are applicable to a broad range of career opportunities.

Resident Rounds Seminar Series

Residents will present a formal 45-minute presentation with 15 minutes for question and answer to VANTHCS pharmacy staff in the fall. Residents must choose topics that are of sufficient controversy or debate that are candidates for further publication in the medical literature. These presentations are accredited for 1 hour of CE credit for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.

PGY2 Psychiatric Topic Discussions

Residents will participate in the resident driven topic discussions which can include literature review, case application, clinical pearls, etc. as well as journal clubs throughout the year.

Manuscript Preparation

Residents are required to submit one manuscript per year for publication in a peer reviewed journal.

Poster Presentation

Residents are required to present a poster of their research project at a national (preferred) or state professional meeting. In addition, a presentation towards the end of the residency year at our local facility may also be required.

Resident Interviews

Residents may be asked to participate in the interview process for the PGY2 psychiatric residency program.