Welcome to the Southern Arizona VA health care system.
We are excited to tell you
about our amazing residency programs.
The southern Arizona V.A.
is an integrated health
care system with over two hundred and fifty beds
and multiple primary care and specialty clinics
right on the main campus in Tucson, Arizona.
We also have several community
outpatient clinics located in Tucson's outlying areas.
The PGY 1 residency program was first accredited
in 1984 and accepts eight residents.
The PGY 2 oncology residency program was accredited
in 2010 and accepts one PGY 2 resident.
Both programs are based on the main campus in Tucson, Arizona.
Our PGY 1 residency program offers experiences in acute
care, medicine, primary care, critical care,
pharmacy operations and three electives
during the year, such as mental health, infectious disease,
academia, oncology, geriatrics and even informatics.
The PGY 1 residency
at longitudinal experiential act a longitudinal primary care cli
which is half a day per week, and anticoagulation
clinic weekend staffing,
as well as a variety of administrative experiences.
The PGY 2 oncology pharmacy residency offers experiences
in outpatient oncology, surgical oncology, inpatient oncology,
bone marrow transplant, hospice and palliative care.
In addition to the therapeutic drug monitoring,
drug information and drug policy development for the hematology
and oncology clinic, the PGY 2 oncology
residency offers two electives during the year,
such as hematology, academia and residence
may even repeat and experience in any area of interest.
Hi, I'm Stephanie Davis.
The PGY 1 residency director at the southern Arizona
VA Health Care System in Tucson, Arizona.
Our program is accredited in nineteen eighty four,
and since that time, we've grown
from one residency position to eight.
Each year, our residents provide feedback about the program,
and they consistently list
our preceptors as one of the many strengths we have here
We have over 50 preceptors to help guide you
through the program.
As the newest member of the pharmacy team,
each resident brings
with them their unique experiences, strengths,
perspectives and goals.
We learn from each other
throughout the residency
program, and we work collaboratively to provide
the optimal care to the veterans have served our country.
Our programs goal is to build and strengthen core skills
and communication, clinical and confidence, equipping
the resident to be able to practice in any setting.
Upon completion of the residency program,
we tailor the program to each resident to meet their goals.
Some ways that we tailored the program
include three electives having the resident complete
one or two of those electives before the midyear program.
So that way they can decide if they want to pursue a
PGY 2 program or not to select their continuity clinic,
either at the main station of the VA
or at one of the community based outpatient clinics.
Selecting a residency project in their area of interest
and selecting topics that they present to the pharmacy staff,
as well as their continuing education presentation.
Our program offers a blend of both the ambulatory
care and acute care experiences.
A few of these experiences are repeated twice.
This provides the opportunity for the resident
to see their growth in their clinical
skills, confidence as well as independence
as a residency director.
I feel a real joy
in watching the transformation of each new graduates
to a competent pharmacist by the end of the program.
If you join our group here, you'll be joining
seven co residents,
an amazing group of preceptors
and pharmacy staff as the first step in your career.
I thank you for your interest
in our program at the southern Arizona VA health care system.
If you have any questions,
feel free to reach out to me
or one of our current residents.
Thank you!
Hi my name is Megan Banasynski and I am the PGY 2 oncology res
Pharmacy director here at the southern Arizona VA
Health Care System in Tucson, Arizona.
We have been an accredited AHP program since 2010,
and we accept one
PGT way to oncology pharmacy resident each year.
During this residency, you'll receive specialty training
to ensure optimal drug therapy for oncology patients.
You will provide care and a variety of settings,
including outpatient oncology, inpatient and acute care,
surgical oncology,
bone marrow transplant, as well as palliative and hospice care.
We work closely with oncology providers, including attendings
and fellows, as well as nursing social workers and dietitians
provide patient centered care for our veterans.
We are a huge resource for patients and caregivers.
When we provide drug counseling at the chair side,
as well as supportive care treatment options for patients.
This program is tailored to meet the goals and development
plan for each individual PGY 2 resident.
We are able to customize rotations and are flexible
with changing things depending on the residents interests.
There are plenty of teaching and learning opportunities
for the resident, including precepting and mentoring
pharmacy students,
the PGY 1 residents, as well as oncology
fellows in their training for the three years that they'r
with us here at the VA.
Your RPV serves as your primary mentor, but you also
have a lot of precepting and mentoring from other
pharmacists across the health care institution.
You'll have the opportunity to work with eight PGY 1
residents here at this health care setting.
And we as preceptors
are dedicated to the professional growth
and development of our PGY 2 oncology resident.
Please feel free to reach out to me
if you have any questions or concerns about the program.
And we appreciate your interest in our PGY 2
program here at the southern Arizona VA health care system.
Why did you choose this
residency? I was actually
fortunate enough to have two of my fourth
year pharmacy school rotations here at the southern Arizona VA
and I absolutely fell in love with this residency program.
The pharmacists here are so integrated
into the care teams, both inpatient and outpatient
and truly empowered to practice at the top of their license.
The preceptors are also amazing.
Most of them completed their residency here,
and so they know exactly
what we're going through and are always so eager to help
And finally, I love that we have such a large residency class.
I get to learn from
my co residents every single day. So it's great.
I chose this residency program because when I was here as a
student for my APPE rotations,
I felt that my preceptors are really engaged.
They were passionate about what they do
and they were really invested in my learning.
After pharmacy school,
I knew I wanted to continue to serve veterans
and go to a residency
that offer electives
in my interest, which is psych and infectious disease.
So I felt that my
great experience here and overall my goals align
well with this residency program
is ultimately the reasons why I chose to do my residency here
I chose this pharmacy residency program
because of the wide variety of experiences that it offers.
And with these, I knew that
I would be prepared for any type of work afterwards
And especially after I met the preceptors on the interview
I knew that the preceptors would fully invest in
training me to become one of their colleagues.
And a few months into residency, they still hold me
to these high standards and help me grow professionally
What are you enjoying the most about residency so far
There's a couple of things
I'm enjoying a lot about this residency.
One of them is how flexible they are.
There's three electives that are set up throughout the year.
If you have an interest in one of the electives
and they don't have one currently, then
they allow you to create one.
So one of my interests is transgender health.
And we don't currently
have an elective, but the program director and other
pharmacists are helping me to create this elective.
And so because I'm interested in it.
Another thing I really
appreciate about this residency is work life balance.
So I feel like they maximize
my time here, but at the same time,
they allow me time outside to recharge.
So while I'm here, I get the most out of
my residency experience.
What I've enjoyed most about residency
so far is seeing how integrated pharmacy is
within both the inpatient and
outpatient settings when helping my primary care patients.
It's really fulfilling
to have consistent communication with them and be able
to make any medication changes that are needed on the spot
due to the progressive scope of practice we here at the VA
that we have at the VA.
And I've also really loved rounding with the
internal medicine teaching teams
and infectious disease consult service.
Interprofessional collaboration is truly
why optimizes patient care.
And I'm really grateful
that this residency provides these experiences.
Why did you choose this PGY 2
oncology pharmacy residency?
I chose this PGY 2 oncology pharmacy residency
because you'll have many opportunities
to learn about both oncologic and hematological disorders.
And I also wanted to work with a larger scope of practice
and have a big impact on patients and their families.
What have you enjoyed the
most of your PGY 2 oncology pharmacy residency?
I've enjoyed the most working in the outpatient infusion center
because you're able to establish a rapport
with both the fellows, the nurses and the patients.
And at the VA, you work with a very supportive
group of health care providers where they want you
to equally succeed, as well as providing the best
care to our veterans.
What are the application qualifications
and requirements for the pharmacy residency programs
application qualifications include U.S.
citizenship, doctor pharmacy degree from ACPE
accredited school of pharmacy pharmacist licensure
and any of the United States
within 90 days of the residency start date and participation
in the National Matching Service and PhORCAS
the PGY 2 oncology residency application qualifications
would also include the completion of an ASHP
accredited PGY1 pharmacy residency.
What are the core rotations?
The core required rotations for the PGY 1 program.
Our primary care, acute care, medicine, critical care
and pharmacy operations.
Please refer to the PGY 1 websit
The core required rotations for the PGY 2 program
include outpatient oncology
hematology and oncology consults, bone marrow
transplant and palliative and hospice care .
Please refer to the PY 2 website
What are the staffing
requirements for each residency program?
PGY 1 staffing is generally one weekend each month,
plus one holiday and provide weekend inpatient
pharmacist coverage.
Staffing consists of two residents
working together to perform
the clinical and distributive functions of a pharmacist
PGY2 staffing includes half of one morning each week
for 10 weeks in the
inpatient pharmacy for chemotherapy verification
and preparation.
Is it possible to speak with a current pharmacy resident?
Of course. Please just email the residency program.
Directors and a current resident can directly reach out to you
what to do in Tucson.
Tucson is home to the University of Arizona.
If you're into college sports, the university has twenty one
athletic programs with Wildcats playing
mainly different sports to watch as midsize city offers
big city amenities with a smaller town feel,
Tucson offers mountains in every direction.
You're quite literally
surrounded by five minor ranges of mountains
with three hundred and fifty days of sunshine a year.
Tucson offers fantastic weather, national parks, forests
and deserts, providing
the perfect environment for tons of outdoor activities
such as golfing, rock climbing, birdwatching, astronomy
and cave exploration. Tucson is a biking paradise.
The city has won numerous awards when it comes to biking.
You can also find great hiking trails within the city limits.
After all the outdoor
activities, you'll be happy to know.
Tucson has a huge variety of restaurants.
The various downtown Tucson restaurants each offer unique
atmospheres and span the gamut with food choices.
Thank you for watching.