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Pharmacy Residency Program

The VA Finger Lakes Healthcare System residency program is designed to develop the resident’s skills and competency in providing patient-centered care as part of an interdisciplinary team with a focus on primary care, mental health, and geriatrics.

Portrait of Bryan and Meredith,  2024-2025 pharmacy residents

VA Finger Lakes Healthcare System is comprised of the Bath and Canandaigua VA Medical Centers, and the Rochester VA Clinic, along with several community-based clinics and rural health clinics. VA Finger Lakes provides primary care, long-term care, and mental health care services to over 30,000 Veterans in New York and Pennsylvania. In addition to providing outpatient care, Bath also has a 200-bed Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program, an 80-bed Community Living Center (CLC), and a 15-bed medical floor that offers detoxification and low complexity in-patient treatment. Canandaigua also provides skilled nursing and rehabilitation care with an 80-bed CLC. The facilities are located in the heart of the Finger Lakes region in west-central New York where you can enjoy all four seasons with plenty to do all year round including hiking, biking, skiing, boating, soaring (gliders), and golf. The region is known for gorgeous lakes, waterfalls, gorges, and rolling hills, along with many wineries and culinary highlights. 
 
Finger Lakes PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency is an ASHP Accredited pharmacy residency program established in 2022. While the program requires core pharmacy practice components, it also allows for flexibility in elective rotations in order for the resident to customize the program toward his/her interests. Residents will be working with pharmacists both within the outpatient and inpatient pharmacies as well as in clinics. 

Pharmacy Service Mission Statement

Mission: To provide the highest quality of comprehensive pharmacy services to Veterans as experts in medication use across a continuum of services including rural and underserved Veteran populations

 

Pharmacy Service Vision Statement

Vision: Our comprehensive pharmacy services will be of the highest caliber. We will be an irreplaceable part of the patient centered healthcare team. We will be highly respected and sought out for pharmaceutical knowledge. We will create and environment that is dedicated to knowledge, professional development, innovation, compassion and commitment to Veterans

PGY-1 Residency Application Process

Application Requirements  

  • United States Citizen  
  • Graduate of an ACPE-accredited school of pharmacy  
  • Ability to obtain pharmacist licensure within 120 days of the start of the residency
  • Registered in the ASHP Resident Matching Program 

 

Application Information  

  • Finger Lakes VA Health System utilizes the Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service (PhORCAS) to gather application materials and also participates in the ASHP Resident Matching Program (administered by National Matching Services, Inc).   
  • All application materials should be submitted through the PhORCAS site at  https://portal.phorcas.org  by  01/06/2025

 

Application materials include

  • Letter of intent  
  • Curriculum vitae 
  • Academic transcripts  
  • Three letters of recommendation using the PhORCAS Standardized Reference Form (at least one letter should come from a preceptor with whom the applicant had a clinical rotation).
  • An interview is required  
  • The National Matching Services (NMS) Code Finger Lakes VA Health System PGY-1 residency is 22969 
  • You can search the residency directory here Residency Directory (ashp.org) 

 

Contact PGY-1 Pharmacy Program

Jill Knight, PharmD, BCPS  

PGY-1 Residency Program Director  

Jill.knight@va.gov