Candidates are strongly encouraged to obtain pharmacist licensure in the state of Virginia by July 1 of the incoming residency year.
Orientation
All new residents are expected to attend a formal orientation program during the first 8 weeks of the new residency year. The orientation program covers the following aspects: Inova Health System orientation, general computer training, hospital orientation, pharmacy operation and training.
Clinical Rotations (typically 5 weeks in duration)
Core Rotations
Internal Medicine
Critical Care
Infectious Disease
Medication Safety
Leadership
Emergency Medicine
Elective Rotations
5-Week Electives
Internal Medicine II
Psychiatry
Cardiology/Neurology
Infectious Disease II
Juniper HIV Clinic (off-site)
Neonatal Intensive Care (off-site)
Surgical Services (off-site)
Critical Care II (off-site)
Other elective learning experiences may be developed based on resident interest and preceptor availability.
Longitudinal Pharmacy Practice Experience
At the beginning of the residency year, residents staff every other weekend to build confidence through repetition. Following midyear, the resident staffing schedule changes to every third weekend.
Participation in Inova Mount Vernon Hospital and Inova Health System committees (P&T Committee, Clinical Pharmacy Team, Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee, Medication Safety, Critical Care Committee, Readmissions Committee, Stroke Team).
Wellness Longitudinal
On a monthly basis, the Inova Mount Vernon residents partner with residents from Inova Alexandria Hospital to focus on wellness while doing fun activities together outside of the hospital. The residents greatly enjoy the wellness longitudinal. They appreciate getting to know their preceptors better in a more relaxed setting. They also benefit from sharing their experiences and realizing that they share many of the same challenges throughout the residency year. This helps them to bond as a regional residency class and better support each other as co-residents. Additionally, each resident creates a personalized wellness plan which is shared with the residency program director (RPD). Wellness and how the resident is doing with their personalized wellness plan are then consistently included during check-ins with the RPD throughout the residency year.
Additional Activities for PGY-1 Program
I. Presentations
Journal Club
Case Presentation
ACPE-accredited Continuing Education Seminar
II. Projects
Residency Research Project
Poster presentation at ASHP Midyear Conference
Platform presentation at a regional residency conference
Manuscript submission to a peer-reviewed journal
Drug Formulary Review
Medical Use Evaluation
Presentation to Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee
III. Teaching Opportunities
Precept advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs)
Participation in VCU School of Pharmacy Foundations Course (i.e. skills lab)
Enrollment in a Teaching and Learning Certificate Program (optional)
IV. Conferences
ASHP Mid-Year Clinical Meeting (December)
Regional residency conference (April-May)
Site visitation to ASHP headquarters (if available)