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Pharmacy Residency

Cook Children's pharmacy residency training is divided into two post-graduate years. Each year long program introduces residents to multiple aspects of pediatric medicine, diverse patient populations and leading-edge health care technology. The goal of the programs is to produce well-rounded pediatric pharmacy practitioners with solid foundations built on the theoretical and practical application of clinical pharmacy skills.

Cook Children's is affiliated with University of Texas, University of North Texas, and Texas Tech Schools of Pharmacy.

PGY1 Pharmacy Residency

The Cook Children's post-graduate year one residency program offers residents an opportunity to develop clinical pharmacy practice skills in a challenging and progressive environment.

Purpose

Cook Children’s PGY1 pharmacy residency programs build on Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) education and outcomes to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists responsible for medication-related care of patients with a wide range of conditions, eligible for board certification, and eligible for postgraduate year two (PGY2) pharmacy residency training.

Mission

The Cook Children’s PGY1 residency program provides residents an opportunity to develop clinical pharmacy practice skills in a challenging and progressive environment. Residents are exposed to multiple aspects of pediatric medicine, diverse patient populations and leading-edge health care technology. Our goal is to produce a well-rounded pediatric pharmacy practitioner and leader with a solid foundation of theoretical and practical applications of clinical pharmacy skills.

Required rotations

Each core rotation is four to six weeks.

  • Orientation (8 weeks)
  • General pediatrics
  • Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
  • Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
  • Pharmacy administration
  • Medication safety
  • Teaching and precepting

Elective rotations

  • Advanced required rotation
  • Hematology and Oncology
  • Cardiology
  • Emergency medicine
  • Infectious Disease/ID clinic
  • Nutrition
  • Stem cell and bone marrow transplant
  • Pain Management/Palliative Care
  • Pulmonary clinic
  • Neurology

Residency requirements

  • Begin the residency program in mid-June.
  • Obtain Texas Pharmacy licensure by August 1.
  • Meet staffing commitments.
  • Finish a residency research project and manuscript in publishable form. Residents will be required to present their research with a poster at ASHP midyear clinical meeting and a platform presentation at PPAG annual meeting.
  • In addition to rotations, the residents will be expected to complete various projects including, but not limit to:
    • A medication use evaluation.
    • A pharmacy and therapeutic committee drug monograph.
    • Quality and performance improvement projects.
    • Adverse drug reactions evaluations.
    • Safety siren updates for the medication safety group.
    • Community service projects.
  • Additional information:
    • All residents receive travel allowances for ASHP midyear clinical meeting and PPAG annual meeting (or an appropriate specialty focused conference for PGY2 specialty tracks).
    • All residents have the opportunity to be a camp counselor at select Cook Children’s patient summer camps.

PGY2 Pharmacy Residency

The Cook Children's post-graduate year two residency program helps residents transition from a general practice to a more specialized practice focusing on pediatric patients.

Purpose

PGY2 pharmacy residency programs build on Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) education and PGY1 pharmacy residency programs to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists in specialized areas of practice. PGY2 residencies provide residents with opportunities to function independently as practitioners by conceptualizing and integrating accumulated experience and knowledge and incorporating both into the provision of patient care or other advanced practice settings. Residents who successfully complete an accredited PGY2 pharmacy residency are prepared for advanced patient care, academic, or other specialized positions, along with board certification, if available.

Mission

The Cook Children’s PGY2 pharmacy residency in pediatrics is designed to transition PGY1 residency graduates from generalist practice to specialized practice focused on the care of pediatric patients. Residency graduates are equipped to participate as integral members of interdisciplinary teams caring for pediatric patients assuming responsibility for pharmaceutical care. These residents acquire the capacity to deliver evidence-based care to pediatric patients within the limitations presented by the shortage of research in the use of medications in this patient population. They are able to prepare or supervise the preparation of the unique formulations required by pediatric patients as those patients' needs change according to their stage of growth and development.

PGY2 program tracks

The Cook Children’s PGY2 pediatrics residency program allows residents the flexibility to choose one of three sub-sepcialty tracks, based on incoming PGY1 experience:

General pediatrics

Candidates have completed an adult-focused PGY1 residency

Required rotations during PGY2 residency

  • Orientation
  • General pediatrics
  • Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
  • Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
  • Teaching/precepting

Elective rotations (choose four)

  • Advanced required rotation
  • Emergency Department (ED)
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Hematology and Oncology Center
  • Bone Marrow Transplant Unit
  • Pain Management
  • Pulmonology clinic
  • Nutrition
  • Cardiology
  • Neurology
  • Administration
  • Medication safety
  • Pain Management
  • Palliative Care

Longitudinal experiences

  • Practice management

Hematology and Oncology Center

Candidates have completed a pediatric-focused PGY1 residency

Required rotations during PGY2 residency

  • Orientation
  • Oncology I – liquid tumors
  • Oncology II – solid tumors
  • Hematology
  • Bone marrow/transplant
  • Teaching/precepting

Elective rotations (choose five)

  • Investigational drug service
  • Pain Management
  • Palliative Care
  • Neuro-oncology
  • Medication safety
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
  • Emergency Department (ED)
  • Nutrition
  • Hematology and Oncology administration
  • Cardiology
  • Neurology

Longitudinal experiences

  • Hematology and Oncology (AYA) clinic
  • Practice management

Critical Care

Candidates have completed an pediatric-focused PGY1 residency

Required rotations during PGY2 residency

  • Orientation
  • Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
  • Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
  • Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU)
  • Emergency Department (ED)
  • Teaching/precepting

Elective rotations (choose three)

  • Medication safety
  • Administration
  • Bone marrow transplant
  • Hematology and Oncology
  • Nutrition
  • Ambulatory care
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pain Management
  • Neurology
  • Pulmonology clinic
  • Investigational drug service
  • Palliative Care

Longitudinal experiences

  • Practice management

PGY2 residency requirements

Throughout the PGY2 residency year, each resident must:

  • Start the residency program at the beginning of July
  • Obtain Texas pharmacy licensure by July 1
  • Meet staffing commitments
  • Complete a residency research project and manuscript in publishable form. Residents will be required to present their research at either the PPAG Annual Meeting or an appropriate specialty focused conference
  • Serve as a preceptor for pharmacy students and PGY1 residents.
  • In addition to rotations, the residents will be expected to complete various projects including, but not limited to:
    • A Medication Use Evaluation
    • A Pharmacy and Therapeutic Committee drug monograph
    • Quality and performance improvement projects including Medication Safety Failure Mode Effects Analyses (FMEA)
    • Drug Class Reviews to aid in formulary management
    • FDA Label Updates for the Medication Safety group
    • Community service projects
  • Acquire teaching certificate through UNT Health Science Center College of Pharmacy (if not already obtained during PGY1).

Pharmacy/Application Information

Pharmacy services

Cook Children's Pharmacy provides service to patients admitted to the Emergency Department, inpatients and outpatients. The pharmacy operates under a decentralized model, with a majority of pharmaceutical care occurring on the patient care units. Pharmacy services include drug procurement and storage, preparation and dispensing, drug therapy monitoring, medication reconciliation, patient education, and parenteral nutrition evaluation. The pharmacy is a part of the medical center's clinical support division and reports activities through the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee.

The pharmacy team

  • Administration: Director, clinical manager, three clinical coordinators, operations manager, business manager, and pharmacy technician supervisors
  • Specialists: NICU, PICU, Hematology and Oncology, Cardiology, Nutrition support, and antimicrobial stewardship/infectious diseases.
  • Pharmacy support: Informatics, medication safety, investigational drugs and pharmacy finance.
  • Two PGY1 and two PGY2 residents.
  • 55 full-time equivalent pharmacists: clinical, distributive, Hematology and Oncology satellite, outpatient satellite, operating room satellite (2), ambulatory surgery center satellite, emergency room satellite, retail.
  • 67 full-time equivalent pharmacy technicians: Distributive, clinical, data analyst, medication safety, medication assistance program, purchasing, inventory and billing/340b.
  • 12 pharmacy interns.

Current pharmacy resident biographies

Biographies

Program graduate biographies

Biographies

Pharmacy preceptor biographies

Biographies

Residency program application instructions

Interested candidates should submit the following items no later than January 1st.

  • Online employment application at cookchildrens.org/careers.
  • Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service (PhORCAS) application.
  • Candidate application with the National Matching Service (NMS).
  • A one-page letter of intent which includes both your short and long-term professional goal, why you are pursuing residency training, and why you are interested in the residency program at Cook Children’s Medical Center.
  • Official transcript from pharmacy school.
  • Curriculum vitae (CV).
  • Three letters of recommendations.
    • PGY2: One letter must be from PGY1 Residency Program Director (RPD).
  • Optional photograph.

An on-site interview is required. Selected applicants will be invited to interview at Cook Children’s Medical Center at a mutually convenient time during late January or February.