Residency Showcase Program Listings

ABOUT VA PUGET SOUND PGY1 PHARMACY RESIDENCY PROGRAM:

The VA Puget Sound Health Care System's PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program offers a dynamic and comprehensive training experience, located in the vibrant city of Seattle, Washington. Starting on June 29, 2026, our program seeks to recruit 7 residents for the upcoming year, providing them with a broad experience in health-systems pharmacy practice in both inpatient and ambulatory care settings. 

With a proud history spanning 50 years and more than 200 graduates, the VA Puget Sound PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program remains one of the largest and most extensive VA Pharmacy training programs in the country. We are dedicated to continuing our legacy as a premier destination for pharmacist training.

PROGRAM FEATURES:

• Core Experiences: Our residency program ensures residents gain exposure to a wide array of patient care environments. Core rotations cover essential areas such as Primary Care Clinic (available at both the Seattle and American Lake campuses), General Medicine with a focus on acute inpatient care, Critical Care in either the Medical or Surgical Intensive Care Units, Pharmacy Administration and Management where residents develop leadership and management skills and outpatient pharmacy/formulary management.

• Extensive Elective Opportunities: What makes this program stand out are the various elective opportunities available to accommodate the specific interests of the residents. The program offers four 5-week elective experiences and two six-month longitudinal elective experiences.  Options include but are not limited to oral oncology, bone marrow transplant, antimicrobial stewardship, infectious disease clinic, outpatient cardiology, mental health, outpatient endocrinology clinic, inpatient spinal cord injury, emergency medicine, anticoagulation clinic, and home-based primary care. Additionally, residents can complete electives through the regional Veterans Integrated Services Network (VISN), including experiences in Pharmacoeconomics, Pharmacy Informatics, pharmacogenomics, and other clinical experiences offered through the network. 

• Leadership: Residents will gain extensive leadership experience throughout the year. They will be directly involved in residency program operations, serving as a chair for operational elements of the PGY1 program, including the residency candidate selection process, community building, and other coordination efforts. Each resident will serve as a chief resident for five weeks, acting as a liaison between the residency cohort and the Residency Program Director. Additionally, residents can participate in federal-level leadership positions through the Federal Resident Council (FedREC).

• Residency Staffing: Residency program staffing requirements include a 12-weekend staffing scheduled every third weekend starting Mid-December. Residents complete various training sessions and competency assessments before independent staffing to ensure they have the skills to perform the duties as a staff pharmacist. Residents are not scheduled to staff on Designated Holidays.

• Career Advancement and Professional Development: Career advancement is a key component of our program. Residents have the opportunity to participate in ASHP's largest PGY2 early commitment process (VA-National Early Commit Process, VA-NEC). Within this early commit process, PGY1 residents can early commit to our internal PGY2 Health Systems Pharmacy Administration/Leadership and Oncology Programs. Additionally, residents have significant influence over their schedules to ensure that the selection and timing of rotations align with their professional goals. Furthermore, residents will have the opportunity to participate in various local, regional, and national professional conferences.

• Teaching and Precepting: Our program also emphasizes the importance of teaching and precepting. There are two optional teaching certificate tracks that residents may consider. One option is a didactic-focused teaching certificate program in affiliation with the University of Washington School of Pharmacy. Alternatively, residents can consider obtaining a teaching certificate through the VA National Pharmacy Residency Programs. In addition to the teaching certificate options, residents will have ample opportunities to precept UW IPPE and APPE pharmacy students during their residency year.

Site Special Features: A university-affiliated teaching, research, and clinical center with extensive patient clinical services in inpatient, outpatient, and extended-care settings. VA Puget Sound is a 1A, Tertiary facility serving veterans across the northwest region including Alaska, Washington, and northern Idaho. Facility is a designated Centers of Excellence site amongst nine VA programs in specialty care areas and research. The site is also one of three VA institutions in the nation with a bone marrow transplant unit. The VA Puget Sound also has the 5th largest research program in the Department of Veterans Affairs with over 600 active research projects and $38 million average research expenditures. The University of Washington School of Medicine is a primary affiliate. Residents will have opportunities to experience both VA facilities, Seattle and American Lake. Free shuttle service is provided for rotations located in American Lake.

Fringe Benefits: Thirteen paid days each of annual and sick leave accrued over the course of the year, 10 paid holidays, Professional leave for required conferences and licensure exams. Free parking on-site for both Seattle and American Lake campuses, Public transit lines that go directly into the hospital. Healthcare benefits including dental and vision, Duty free shopping through facility canteen goods store, Tax-Free pricing on sporting and concert events, Dedicated, individual workstation in office with view of Mount Rainier, Dual appointment Pharmacist Pay for internal moonlighting.

Program Website Link

**WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US FOR ONE OF OUR UPCOMING RECRUITMENT EVENTS**

All times in Pacific Standard Time, PST

• Monday, December 8, 1:00p-4:00p: ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting Showcase (Booth 4547)
• Monday, December 15, 5:00p-6:30p: VA Puget Sound Virtual Showcase Register Here:  https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/bbe06b09-5fcb-4232-8139-e2af6abd04f1@e95f1b23-abaf-45ee-821d-b7ab251ab3bf

• United States citizenship
• Eligibility for pharmacist licensure in any US state
• PhORCAS™ application with the following:
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Letter of intent
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Academic transcript (for pass/fail schools must include letter from school indicating class average rank, percentile rank, or at minimum quartile ranking)