Residency
Ambulatory Care
PROGRAM AND MISSION
To provide advanced training in ambulatory care to residents with an interest in academia, teaching and scholarship. This program prepares ambulatory clinical pharmacists for a position with an active clinical practice and full-time or adjunct clinical faculty responsibilities.
PROGRAM OUTCOMES/GOALS
Upon completion of the PGY2 Ambulatory Care Residency, the resident shall be able to:
- Provide comprehensive pharmaceutical care and disease state management to ambulatory patients.
- Demonstrate problem-solving and leadership skills.
- Utilize both written and verbal communication effectively.
- Effectively teach in a variety of small and large group settings.
- Acquire tools to develop lifelong scholarship
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The PGY2 Ambulatory Care Residency is offered by the UGA College of Pharmacy and Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center. It is a 12 month specialized program designed to develop an expertise in ambulatory care disease state management. The resident will provide patient care primarily at the Athens VA Outpatient Clinic. Opportunities for elective rotations at other sites are available and encouraged. Rotations will be longitudinal in nature. An additional feature of the program includes teaching and academia. Residents will be able to take advantage of the strengths of the UGA College of Pharmacy and gain experience in a variety of teaching activities, including didactic, small group/laboratory and experiential teaching skills. An emphasis will also be placed on scholarly pursuits.
PATIENT CARE
Primary practice site:VA Outpatient Clinic
Athens, GA
The following is a list of a few of the available clinic opportunities for Ambulatory Care Residents.
- Pharmacotherapy
- Anticoagulation
- Lipid
- Indigent Care at Mercy Health Center
- Addiction Pharmacy
- Mental Health
- Administration/Medication Management
Disease State Management
The following is a list of diseases in which the resident will gain significant experience in managing during the course of the residency. In addition, residents will also be exposed to and have a chance to improve pharmacotherapy regimens in many other chronic diseases.
- Hypertension
- Dyslipidemia
- Diabetes Mellitus Type 2
- Cardiovascular Risk Reduction
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
- Nicotine Dependence
- Chronic Anticoagulation
Optimize Medication Use
- Adherence
- Identification and management of all drug-related problems
TEACHING/ACADEMIA
UGA Teaching Certificate Program – Residents will participate in the annual Teaching Certificate Program designed specifically for pharmacy residents.
Didactic and Small Group Teaching - Residents will have the opportunity to utilize techniques learned in the Teaching Certificate Program and practice their teaching skills in the large classroom setting as well as in a variety of small group settings, many of which are outlined below.
Ambulatory Care APPEs/IPPEs – Residents will have the opportunity to participate in the delivery of ambulatory care advanced and introductory pharmacy practice experiences in the College of Pharmacy.
Pharmacy Skills Laboratories – Residents will serve as facilitators in the Pharmacy Skills Laboratories, the setting in which UGA pharmacy students learn and practice clinical skills needed for direct patient care. In addition, the resident will have the opportunity to develop new laboratory activities.
Problem-Based Learning – Residents will have the opportunity to teach pharmacy students utilizing a problem-based learning approach.
Clinical Research Project – Residents will complete a clinical research project and present the results at the Southeastern Residency Conference (SERC). Publication of the results is also encouraged.
Scholarly Pursuits/Manuscript Development – Residents will have the opportunity to identify a topic for manuscript development and publication in the medical literature.
Faculty Development – Residents will have the opportunity to participate in various programs and activities in the College of Pharmacy as well as development through regular discussion with the Residency Program Director.
Residency Trip – Residents have the opportunity to visit other residency programs during the year.
PRECEPTORS
Josh Guffey, Pharm.D.
Clinical Assistant Professor
Practice Site: Athens Community Based Outpatient Clinic
Pharm.D.: Wingate University
PGY1 Residency in Community Pharmacy: University of Georgia
PGY2 Residency in Ambulatory Care: University of Georgia/Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center
Practice Interests: diabetes mellitus type 2, cardiovascular risk reduction, anticoagulation, residency training, PharmD. candidate experiential training
E-mail: wguffey@rx.uga.edu
Larry Guthrie, R.Ph.
Clinical Pharmacist, Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center
Practice Site: Athens Community Based Outpatient Clinic
Practice Interests: Health promotion and prevention, nutrition as it relates to diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and cancer
Other Interests: Family activities (running, hiking, camping), Navy Reserves, continuing education
E-mail: larry.guthrie@va.gov
Michael Neville, Pharm.D.
Clinical Associate Professor
Director, Pharmacy Skills Laboratories
Pharm.D.: University of Georgia
Pharmacy Practice Residency: Emory University Hospital, Atlanta, GA
Professional Interests: Hypertension, asthma, communication, educational research
E-mail: mneville@mail.rx.uga.edu
Merrill Norton, Pharm.D., D.Ph., NCAC II, CCS
Clinical Associate Professor
Practice Site: The Commencement Center of Athens
Pharm.D.: University of Georgia
Practice Interests: Addiction Pharmacy (the science and technologies of addiction medications/treatment modalities, psychiatric medication/treatment modalities, and pain management/treatment modalities
Other Interests: Golf, coin collecting, fast cars
E-mail: mnorton@mail.rx..uga.edu
Beth Bryles Phillips, Pharm.D., BCPS, FCCP
Clinical Associate Professor
Residency Program Director, PGY2 Ambulatory Care Residency
Practice Site: Pharmacotherapy Clinic
Pharm.D.: University of Kansas
Pharmacy Practice Residency: University of Illinois at Chicago
Ambulatory Care Specialized Residency: VA Medical Center, Iowa City, IA
Practice Interests: Hypertension, Cardiovascular risk reduction, osteoporosis and residency training
Other Interests: Spending time with my family, biking, being outdoors, travel
E-mail: bbp@uga.edu
Becky Waltman, Pharm.D.
Anticoagulation Management Service, Clinic Manager
Practice site: Athens Regional Medical Center Anticoagulation Management Clinic
Pharm.D.: University of Georgia
Pharmacy Practice Residency: Methodist Healthcare of Memphis, Memphis, TN
Practice interests: anticoagulation, cardiology
E-mail: bwaltman@armc.org
CURRENT RESIDENT
Alexis Horace, Pharm.D.
Pharm.D.: University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN
PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency: MCG Health, Inc./UGA
Practice Interests: disease state management, diabetes, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and infectious disease
E-mail: ahorace@rx.uga.edu
BENEFITS
- Health insurance
- 10 days of vacation
- 12 days of sick leave
- 12 University holidays
- Professional meeting attendance
- Laptop computer
- UGA lab coats
APPLICATION
Successful candidates for the PGY2 Ambulatory Care Residency must have a Pharm.D. degree and PGY1 Certificate of Residency completion, be a U.S. citizen and supply proof of pharmacy licensure in any state. Applications will be accepted until January 15th. Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications early to facilitate scheduling of the on-site interview. The following materials are required to complete the application:
- Completed application form
- Letter of intent
- Electronic copy of the current curriculum vitae
- Academic transcripts
- 3 letters of recommendation
University of Georgia
Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center
PGY2 AMBULATORY CARE RESIDENCY FAQS
1. Why is the residency called the UGA/Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center PGY2 Ambulatory Care Residency program?
The University of Georgia and the Charlie Norwood Augusta VA Medical Center collaborate to offer an exciting and unique residency program. The Residency Program Director is a UGA faculty member and fully appointed clinical pharmacist at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center. Clinical pharmacists and faculty from both UGA and the VA provide guidance and preceptorship in the program. The practice site is the VA Outpatient Clinic in Athens, GA.
2. Is the program ASHP-accredited?
Yes.
3. Where is the program based?
Athens, GA
4. Does the residency participate in the ASHP Midyear Residency Showcase?
Yes, we participate in the Residency Showcase! Look for us at the University of Georgia (UGA) display.
5. Does the residency participate in the Personnel Placement Service (PPS) at Midyear?
Yes, we participate in PPS! Stop by to make a personal appointment to speak to us. Residency candidates must be registered for PPS themselves in order to gain access to programs in PPS.
6. Does the residency program participate in the match?
Yes, we do participate in the match. Our National Matching Service (NMS) code is 618265.
7. Does the resident get to participate in disease state management?
Yes! The VA Pharmacist Scope of Practice allowing prescriptive authority lends itself nicely to disease state management of chronic diseases. One example of disease state management occurs in the Pharmacotherapy Clinic, whereby patients are referred for a variety of different disease states for optimization of drug therapy and meeting guideline-driven disease state goals. Examples of these disease states include hypertension, diabetes mellitus type 2, dyslipidemia, nicotine dependence, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, anticoagulation and others.
8. Do you have pharmacy-run clinics?
Yes! The majority of rotation experiences are in pharmacy-run clinics (Pharmacotherapy and Anticoagulation Clinics) focusing on disease state management. The clinical pharmacists work closely with other health care providers for triaging and "curbside" consults to provide pharmaceutical care to our patients. There are opportunities for multi-disciplinary clinic opportunities in the elective experiences.
9. What are the staffing requirements?
Since there is no pharmacy on-site at the clinic, there is no staffing/dispensing requirement per se. However, residents are expected to fulfill patient care and teaching responsibilities as set forth in the residency.
10. Can I "moonlight" during the residency?
Residents are not prohibited from working in a pharmacy outside the residency program as long as it does not interfere with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) duty hour requirements or with residency responsibilities.
11. Are there opportunities for teaching during the residency?
Yes! The residency program takes full advantage of the faculty and opportunities at the UGA College of Pharmacy. There are many opportunities for small and large group teaching, facilitating, developing new materials and precepting students. Please review the Teaching/Academic (link back up to the teaching/academic section) section of the website for a description of some of these exciting opportunities.
12. Can I do an elective rotation that is not on the list of potential clinic sites?
Absolutely! If the opportunity exists, the residency program director will work with the resident to develop a good learning experience for the resident.
13. How is the residency project selected?
Residency preceptors provide the resident with a list of potential topics with explanation just before or at the beginning of the residency program. Residents may also come up with a topic on their own. However, the topic must be approved by the residency preceptors to ensure the project could reasonably be completed in one year.
14. Do residents get to go on a "Residency Trip"?
Residents in the past have visited other residency programs during the year. This is a good way to network, meet future colleagues, and compare notes with other programs (besides the fact that it is just plain fun)!
15. Will I have an office and a computer as a resident?
Yes! The main resident office is located in the College of Pharmacy along with other UGA residents. There is also an office and work space at the clinic. Residents are provided with a laptop computer and a printer for their use throughout the year.
16. What is the holiday staffing schedule like?
The clinics are closed for VA and UGA holidays. UGA sets the university holiday schedule on an annual basis.
17. What are other benefits of the program?
Health/dental insurance, 10 vacation days, 12 sick days, 12 university holidays, professional meeting attendance and travel, laptop computer, UGA lab coats
18. Who can I contact for more information?
Beth Bryles Phillips, Pharm.D., BCPS, FCCP
Clinical Associate Professor, UGA College of Pharmacy
Director, PGY2 Ambulatory Care Residency
E-mail: bbp@uga.edu
