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College of Pharmacy

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Postgraduate Training

Tandem Health – USC Residency

Our post-graduate year one residents grow into pharmacy leaders who add value and implement services to improve the health of patients within the community.

About the Program

The Tandem Health-University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) pharmacy residency program aims to develop pharmacist leaders who add value and implement services to improve the health of patients within the community, emphasizing those in outpatient rural and underserved settings. 

Residents in our program will focus on growth as a practitioner in ambulatory care, community pharmacy, and transitions of care settings. Specifically, residents will have the opportunity to rotate through internal medicine, family medicine, and rural health practices. Additionally, we have many elective opportunities available that allow residents to tailor the year to their interests, including pediatrics, behavioral health, infectious diseases, academia, global health, and women’s health.

Number of Resident Positions Available: 1

About Tandem Health

Tandem Health is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and accredited patient-centered medical home (PCMH) providing comprehensive, personalized healthcare services to the Sumter, South Carolina, community at large, regardless of the patient’s ability to pay. We are not a free clinic. Rather, we offer a sliding fee scale to qualifying patients based on the size of their family and income to improve their access to the high-quality healthcare services they deserve. Our services include adult medicine, family medicine, pediatric medicine, behavioral health, OB/GYN, infectious diseases, and retail pharmacies. We are also home to a family medicine physician residency program, providing opportunities for the pharmacy resident to collaborate in both patient care and quality initiatives. 

About the USC College of Pharmacy

The University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy is located in Columbia, South Carolina, in the heart of USC’s campus - one block from the student union, university library, and historic USC Horseshoe. Through the USC College of Pharmacy's two departments and six research centers, our faculty members are conducting groundbreaking research in state-of-the-art facilities, and our clinical instructors are elevating the standard of excellence in professional practice. The strength of our faculty and our research also provide rich experiential learning opportunities for our residents. In addition, the USC College of Pharmacy is affiliated with several residency programs in various settings. Partnership with this institution allows residents the experience of teaching, precepting, and mentoring throughout the year as a means of giving back to the profession of pharmacy. The college offers access to research tools, mentorship, and collaboration with academicians across the state.

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Video: Join our program faculty for an overview of the Tandem Health – USC Residency program

The goal of our residency program is to build on the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) education and outcomes to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists responsible for medication-related care of patients with a wide range of conditions. Residents should be fully capable of practice as a clinical pharmacist in an outpatient setting after completion of this one-year pharmacy residency experience. Graduates from the program will also be eligible for board certification and eligible for postgraduate year two (PGY2) pharmacy residency training.

Required Rotations

  • Adult Medicine
  • Family Medicine
  • Internal Medicine
  • Transitions of Care
  • Outpatient Cardiology
  • Rural Health 

Elective Rotations

  • Pediatrics
  • Substance Use Disorder
  • Academia
  • Advanced Cardiology
  • HIV/Infectious Diseases
  • Geriatrics
  • Global Health
  • Population Health
  • Repeat of a Required Rotation

Longitudinal Rotations

  • Diabetes Self-Management & Education
  • Leadership & Practice Management
  • Clinical Teaching Certificate
  • Research Series
  • Leadership Series
  • Staffing
  • Resident Didactics
  • Quality Improvement Initiatives
  • Board Certification Preparation 

Longitudinal Experiences

Other Residency Opportunities

  • Grand Rounds, Case Conferences, Journal Clubs
  • Attend Pharmacy Conferences
  • Involvement in Quality Improvement Initiatives
  • Continuing Education Activities
  • BCACP Board Certification Longitudinal Prep Course
  • Inservice Activities with Providers and Medicine Residents
  • Resident Research Seminar Series (details below)

Staffing Requirements

  • 4-hour shift one weeknight every other week in the outpatient pharmacy at Tandem Health
  • No weekend staffing requirements
 
Residency Research Seminar Series

Goal: Expose residents and preceptors to tools, published literature, and anecdotes, through a series of seminars, to help in successful completion of a pharmacy residency project in a 1-year time period.

Objectives:

  • List the characteristics of an ideal residency project

  • Acknowledge the importance of a residency project for the resident, preceptor, institution, and potential contribution to the literature

  • Acknowledge the role of the institutional review board (IRB)

  • Review standard concepts in study design and basic methodology

  • Review basic statistical and analytical tools including power, effect size, sample size calculation, p-values, types of data, t-tests, chi-square, and others

  • Apply concepts reviewed above to developing a residency research project protocol

  • Submit protocol for IRB approval through eIRB system

  • Create and utilize a data collection form with a database capable of organizing and simplifying data compilation

  • Create a clinical abstract suitable for acceptance at a regional or national pharmacy or medical conference

  • Create a manuscript suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed medical or pharmacy journal

Compensation: $50,500 including health/medical benefits

General

Clinical Instructor at the USC College of Pharmacy with Full-Time Faculty Perks

  • Eligible for a Carolina Card with access to USC sporting events, cultural events, gym membership, discounts and more
  • Tuition reimbursement for coursework during your year

PTO and Holidays: Refer to USC Employee Benefits

Comprehensive Benefits Package: State Insurance Benefits

Our application is available through PHORCAS and will be due annually on January 5. Interviews will be held January-February.

Applicant Requirements

  • Pharm.D. from ACPE-accredited pharmacy school
  • Eligible for or current S.C. licensure
  • Completed application in PHORCAS by the deadline
  • Three recommendations included in PHORCAS application
  • Participation in the ASHP residency match program

Residency Program Director
Brandon Bookstaver, Pharm.D., BCIDP, FCCP, FIDSA
bookstaver@cop.sc.edu 

Residency Program Coordinator (Primary Contact)
Reagan K. Barfield, Pharm.D., BCPS
reagankb@cop.sc.edu 

Tandem Health
Carrington Royals, Pharm.D.
croyals@tandemhealthsc.org 

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