FAQ
How are the residents selected?
Resident selection involves an application process and an onsite interview. Application, undergrad and college of pharmacy transcripts, and letters of recommendation must be received prior to scheduling interviews. All application materials must be submitted through PhORCAS. Onsite interviews will be conducted in late January into February. As an ASHP-accredited program, participation in the Resident Matching Program is mandatory.
How are the residents’ two years organized?
The first two weeks of the residency is orientation during which the residents rotate through different areas of the hospital, learn the pharmacy's computer systems, explore potential research projects, understand medication usage evaluations (MUEs), and obtain BLS/ACLS certifications. After orientation, the residents have a foundations in direct patient care learning experience in which they are introduced to the aspects of providing optimal pharmaceutical care and managing patients clinically. Learning experiences are based on calendar months throughout the residency year.
The resident will begin attending graduate courses at the University of Houston in August. Coursework is "front-loaded," meaning that the majority of the graduate coursework will be completed by the end of the resident's first year. Throughout both years, the resident will take part in administrative projects and a combination of clinical and administrative learning experiences at Houston Methodist Hospital while attending courses in the afternoon/evening.
The second year of the program will consist of administrative and clinical experiences while completing the Master’s project. Both administrative and clinical learning experiences are based on calendar months, with the exception of longitudinal experiences. The resident will take 12 required administrative learning experiences, at least seven clinical learning experiences, five longitudinal experience, and several elective learning experiences, which may be administrative or clinical in emphasis.
What are the residents staffing obligations?
The resident will staff every third weekend, where the staffing responsibilities of the resident will evolve over time. During the first year, the resident will staff primarily as an order verifying pharmacist and then transition into a role with more administrative specialist responsibilities. During the second year, the resident will also staff one clinical shift every two weeks averaged over a four week period. Additionally, each resident is required to take pharmacy manager on-call responsibilities starting in the second half of the first year of the program. The on-call responsibility consists of the resident assisting in resolving administrative issues mainly by phone or computer. Remote access to the Methodist system as well as drug information references is made available to the resident. The resident will not be required to work the night shift, although making the effort to stay during a number of night shifts to better understand a 24/7 pharmacy operation model will be strongly encouraged.
How flexible is the program with electives?
Our program is very flexible in adapting the residency experience to accommodate the resident's interests and goals. Elective rotations are available off-site if the desired experience is not available at Houston Methodist Hospital. Residents in the past have successfully completed rotations at Memorial Hermann Hospital, Ben Taub General Hospital, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, CHI St. Luke's Health -Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center, Michael DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and the Harris County Psychiatric Center. The resident can take a maximum of two rotations off-site during the two year program.
If I have already completed graduate coursework (e.g. MBA, MS, MA, etc.), may I complete the program without the coursework component?
No. This program is designed to provide pharmacy-specific coursework and general health administration and finance classes in addition to a rigorous practical experience schedule to prepare the resident to be a health-system pharmacy leader. Both the didactic and practical experiences are required to complete this two-year program.
Will I receive assistance in order to pay for the graduate portion of the program?
In addition to a competitive stipend, a tuition reimbursement program is available through Houston Methodist Hospital to use towards the graduate program.
Is the resident required to do oral presentations?
The residents are required to do several formal presentations throughout the course of the two years to fulfill both school and residency requirements. Other presentations may be required as determined by the preceptor, and other health care professionals in each rotation experience. The resident will be required to present posters at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting as well as platform presentations at the Midwest Pharmacy Residents Conference and the Alcalde Southwest Leadership Conference. A one-hour ACPE accredited continuing education program will be conducted in each year of the program. Additional opportunities to present include departmental journal club and various multidisciplinary committee meetings.
How are the residents evaluated?
The resident is provided with a list of goals and objectives for each rotation. The preceptor provides frequent verbal feedback and completes a mid-point and final evaluation of the resident. On a quarterly basis, the residency program director provides the resident with an evaluation of his or her progress. The objective of the frequent evaluations is to provide constructive feedback to the resident on their progress to maximize the opportunity for learning.
What types of positions will I be prepared to accept upon completion of the program?
Given our program's flexibility, the resident will be able to gear the program experience towards his or her specific goals. Whether the resident desires a position in clinical pharmacy leadership, pharmacy operations management, academia, or assistant director or a director position, the program is flexible enough to provide the experiences necessary for the resident to achieve his or her professional goals.
What teaching opportunities are available?
Houston Methodist Hospital is a major clinical teaching site for students from the Colleges of Pharmacy at the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Houston, Texas Southern University, Texas A&M, Lebanese American University, and University of The Incarnate Word. The residents have opportunities to assist in the teaching of students from multiple disciplines including pharmacy, medicine, nursing, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners. Opportunities for didactic teaching exist in the local colleges of pharmacy.
What involvement do the residents have with administrative projects?
The administrative residents oversee the intern program to foster their managerial experiences. Other administrative projects they oversee throughout the two years include planning pharmacy week, regulatory compliance projects related to hospital accreditation and medication security requirements.
Are all of the residents from Texas or Texas schools of pharmacy?
No, Houston Methodist Hospital considers all residency applicants and strives to obtain diversity in the educational backgrounds of the residents.
Do residents receive support to attend professional meetings?
Full support is available for required meetings such as the ASHP Conference for Leaders in Health-System Pharmacy, ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting, Alcalde Southwest Leadership Conference, and Midwest Pharmacy Residents Conference. Support to attend additional meetings is determined on an individual basis.
Do residents have library privileges?
Residents have access to The Houston Methodist Library (located on the first floor of the Main Building M155) as well as many electronic resources including over 12,000 journals, 3,000 e-books and 40 subscription databases and applications. A few of the popular databases are: Micromedex, Clinical Pharmacology, Lexi-Comp, Natural Medicine, Dynamed, Clinical Key and Up-To-Date, which are available from the hospital, as well as remotely through an application or the hospital’s VPN.
What is the average cost for housing in Houston?
You should expect to pay $1500+ per month or more for a one or two bedroom apartment if you live in the Texas Medical Center area. Housing in outlying areas is less expensive but results in longer commute times. Most residents choose to live closer to the hospital.
What is there to do in Houston?
Houston is the fourth largest city in the nation and as such has an abundance of recreational opportunities. Evenings out can include professional sporting events such as the Houston Texans, Houston Astros, Houston Rockets, Houston Dynamo, or Houston Dash games. Houston’s music and art scene includes: Houston Grand Opera, Houston Ballet, Houston Symphony, and Broadway at the Hobby Center. Discount tickets to some of these venues/events may be found on YouDecide.