St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital offers a 12-month ASHP-accredited specialized PGY2 Residency in Clinical Pharmacogenomics.
This program prepares residents to excel in implementing pharmacogenomic testing in clinical practice. The Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences provides unmatched opportunities for clinical use of pharmacogenomics into patient care due to St. Jude’s full integration of an electronic medical record that applies to inpatient and outpatient care, comprehensive translational research programs, highly skilled clinical pharmacy specialist team, and a strong laboratory component of the PGY2 program.
As a resident, you will learn, contribute and participate in a dynamic environment with world experts translating laboratory-based discoveries into comprehensive medication management for multiple disease states.
St. Jude runs an institution-wide program to implement pre-emptive pharmacogenomic testing (PG4KDS). You will assist in directing the Clinical Pharmacogenomics Program, return results to patients and families and provide pharmacogenomic consults in the context of a comprehensive approach to pharmaceutical care integrated into the clinical practice areas: general hematology/oncology and bone marrow transplantation. Training will be provided in applied pharmacokinetics, infectious diseases, nutrition support, clinical informatics and advanced pediatric pharmacotherapy. The resident will work with established clinicians on interdisciplinary teams to deliver personalized pharmacotherapy to pediatric patients with catastrophic diseases.
The resident will design safe and effective patient-centered therapeutic regimens and monitoring plans. In addition, the resident will build pharmacogenomic clinical consults and help develop customized pharmacogenomic clinical decision-support alerts (best practice advisories) that will alert clinicians of high-risk gene-drug pairs and allow for pharmacogenomically guided drug dosing. The resident will participate in patient education, drug information, quality improvement and medication-outcomes activities and will be expected to have a publication ready manuscript by the end of the residency year.
Residents are highly involved in international efforts to implement pharmacogenomics on a broad scale via participation in the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC). Upon completion of the program, the resident will have the clinical and leadership skills as well as the necessary experience to start and manage a clinical pharmacogenomics practice, and to implement pharmacogenomic testing in other health-system settings.
Clinical Pharmacogenomics residents learn, contribute and participate in a dynamic environment that consists of interprofessional and technical personnel in both patient care and pharmaceutical research. Along with direct patient care responsibilities, residents will have the opportunity to gain experience in teaching through lectures, in-services, journal club presentations and precepting pharmacy students. A teaching certificate is offered by the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy. An independent research project will be carried out during the residency, with a presentation of the findings at a national meeting.
Rotations
- Clinical Pharmacogenomics Longitudinal Experience (8 months)
- Pharmacogenomics Clinic Longitudinal Experience (6 months)
- Inpatient Leukemia / Lymphoma Service (1 month)
- Solid Tumor / Neuro-Oncology – Ambulatory Care (1 month)
- Chemotherapy Service (1 month)
Clinical Pharmacogenomics Clinic Longitudinal Experience Description
During this rotation, the resident will be returning pharmacogenomic test results to patients who have been genotyped at St. Jude.
Specifically, the resident will participate in activities related to interacting with patients and their guardians to return pharmacogenomic test results. The resident will gain an about how to return genomic test results to patients in lay language.
Longitudinal Experiences
Research project
The research project will be designed and carried out by the resident to answer a clinically relevant question in the field of pharmacogenomics. The project may encompass one of the following areas:
- Laboratory performance characteristics of genotyping techniques
- Creation of automated pharmacogenomic consults and alerts in the electronic health record
- Defining a phenotype for a novel observed diplotype
- Clinician actions based on point-of-care pharmacogenomic alerts
- Patient acceptance of pharmacogenomic information
- Generalizability to other clinical settings.
The resident will use effective written and oral communication to disseminate the research findings.
Educational and Teaching
Throughout the year, the Clinical Pharmacogenomics resident will provide didactic lectures to pharmacy students and in-services to clinicians on implementation of pharmacogenomics in the clinic. In addition, the resident will present at journal clubs and participate in the Pharmacogenetics Oversight Committee and other institutional meetings. The resident will meet on a routine basis with the preceptor for the purposes of discussing performance and addressing goals and objectives relating to improving quality of one’s own performance through self-assessment and personal development
Professionalism and Leadership
This experience is designed to assure that goals and objectives related to professionalism and leadership are addressed during the program. Residents are routinely informed of organizational practice and other issues that may impact pharmacy practice. Residents will also have scheduled access to the senior leader of the department. You will meet with the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer on a routine basis for the purpose of discussing and addressing goals, objectives, and other relevant professional and organizational issues.
How to Apply
Qualified candidates are strongly encouraged to interview with St. Jude staff at the Professional Placement Service (PPS/CareerPharm) at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting.
To apply, complete the following materials within PhORCAS:
- Official school transcript(s)
- Letter of intent
- Three (3) letters of reference
Other requirements include:
- Doctor of Pharmacy degree, successful completion of an ASHP-accredited PGY1 Residency, and eligibility for licensure to practice pharmacy in the state of Tennessee
- Completion of an onsite or virtual interview
Application deadline: January 5, 2024 by 11:59 p.m. CST
Submit residency application materials within PhORCAS to the PGY2 Residency Program Director listed below:
Number of Positions
One
Start Date
July 1
Program Director
Kristine R. Crews, PharmD, FCCP, BCPS
Mail Stop 313
Phone: (901) 595-3338
kristine.crews@stjude.org