PGY-2 Neurology Residency

The PGY2 Neurology pharmacy residency program at Grady Memorial Hospital is one of only two ASHP-accredited, neurology pharmacy residency programs in the nation. Established in 2017, the program is the first of its kind as part of a Comprehensive Stroke Center and Level I Trauma Center. The program design provides comprehensive and customized experiences in an array of inpatient and outpatient neuroscience areas including neurology clinics, neurointensive care, neuro-trauma, neurointerventions, general neurology, neurosurgery, and others.

Purpose:

PGY2 residency programs build upon Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and PGY1 pharmacy residency training to develop pharmacist practitioners with knowledge, skills, and abilities as defined in the educational competency areas, goals, and objectives for advanced practice areas. Residents who successfully complete PGY2 residency programs are prepared for advanced patient care or other specialized positions, and board certification in the advanced practice area, if available.

The 52-week PGY2 Neurology pharmacy residency program is designed to develop and refine clinical, leadership, research, performance improvement, and teaching skills within the practice of neurology.  Training focuses on a full range of neurologic disease states, disorders, and procedures, along with the literature supporting the medication management of neurologic conditions. The resident will have longitudinal research, presentation, didactic, on-call, staffing, pharmacokinetic, and practice advancement responsibilities throughout the year. In addition, other projects will be assigned according to the resident’s interests, learner needs, and goals. These additional assignments are designed to enhance the resident’s clinical knowledge and professional skills.

The program is intentionally designed with flexibility to meet the individual needs and career focus of the resident. Rotations are designed to ensure experience is gained with the highest acuity patients in each sub-specialty area. Graduates are able to conduct research independently in the neurology environment and should be confident educators in the multidisciplinary and pharmacy training environments.

A tentative schedule will be developed for the resident at the start of the residency that will incorporate each of the required rotations. Following an initial assessment of the resident’s skills and interests, the program and schedule will be adjusted and customized to meet the goals of the specific learner. Learning Experiences may be assigned in any order throughout the year as resident and preceptor availability permits. Neurocritical care learning experiences must be taken after the resident has successfully completed a surgical or medical intensive care unit rotation as a PGY1 or PGY2 resident.

Required Core Learning Experiences

• Orientation (3 to 4 weeks)
• Neurocritical Care 1 (8 weeks)
• General Neurology 1 (8 weeks)
• Neurology Clinics 1 (4 weeks)
• Neurology Consults (3 – 4 weeks)
• Surgical Intensive Care – (focus on TBI) (4 weeks)
• Emergency Medicine – required only for residents who have not had an emergency medicine experience as a PGY1 resident

Elective Learning Experiences (2 to 4 weeks each unless otherwise specified and resident chooses at least 3 from these experiences)

• Neurocritical Care 2
• General Neurology 2
• Neurology Clinics 2
• Neurology Consults 2
• Neurosurgery
• Infectious Diseases Consults
• Academia (under development) -5 month longitudinal
• Palliative Care
• Medical Intensive Care

Longitudinal Learning Experiences (required-12-months unless otherwise specified)

• Presentation and Didactic Learning
• On-Call
• Staffing: inpatient/ED
  • Early commit residents will staff in ED only
• Professional Development
• Research
• Practice Management
• Neurology Clinic (twice monthly, January through June)

1. Letter of interest stating why the applicant wants to pursue the Neurology specialty residency at Grady Memorial Hospital
2. Current Curriculum Vitae (include completed and anticipated residency rotations)
3. Four (4) references completed on the PhORCAS Recommendation Form. Formal, typed letters are not required but may be uploaded by the reference if desired. If an applicant cannot meet the reference requirements below, please reach out to the residency program director for exception.
   1. Two recommendations must be from clinical pharmacist preceptors who taught the resident during a PGY-1 pharmacy residency rotation.
   2. One recommendation must be from the residency director.
   3. One recommendation from a person of the applicant’s choosing. This recommendation must be from someone who has worked with the applicant in a clinical setting or as an advisor during their PGY1 year.
4. Residency Questionnaire: Please answer the following questions and upload them into PhORCAS:
   1. What do you wish to achieve by the conclusion of the residency?
   2. Describe the ideal PGY-2 residency program.
   3. Which clinical rotations in your residency program did you most like and which did you least like? Why?
   4. What would your most recent supervisor/preceptor/program director say are your strengths and areas of improvement? Please provide examples.
   5. When will you complete your PGY-1 training?
   6. Will you be eligible to sit for the Georgia practical exam in June? (for those applicants who do not currently have a Georgia pharmacist license)

Applicants invited to interview may be required to present a 15 – 20 minute (time includes ~ 5 minutes of Q&A) professional presentation on a topic related to clinical pharmacy practice (may present residency research project if some data collection and analysis has been completed).

Representatives will be available at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting Residency Showcase. Interviews will be scheduled in late January or February.

For additional questions, please contact Dr. Katleen Chester, Director of the Neurology Residency program or Dr. Olivia Morgan, Residency Program Coordinator.

Katleen Chester, PharmD, BCCCP, BCGP, FNCS
PGY-2 Neurology Residency Program Director
Neurocritical Care Clinical Pharmacist Specialist
[email protected]

Olivia Morgan, PharmD, BCCCP, BCGP
PGY-2 Neurology Residency Program Coordinator
Neurology Clinical Pharmacist Specialist
[email protected]

Department of Pharmacy and Clinical Nutrition
Grady Health System
80 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive, SE
Box 26041
Atlanta, Georgia 30303