Residency Purpose Statement
PGY2 residency program build upon Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and PGY1 pharmacy residency training to develop pharmacist practitioners with knowledge, skills, and abilities as defined in the educational competency areas, goals, and objectives for advanced practice areas. Residents who successfully complete PGY2 residency programs are prepared for advanced patient care or other specialized positions, and board certification in the advanced practice area, if available.
Program Overview
Vanderbilt University Hospital offers a 52-week PGY-2 Infectious Disease residency in which residents will gain experience in all areas of ID pharmacotherapy with an emphasis on clinical practice and antimicrobial stewardship. The purpose of the PGY2 Infectious Diseases pharmacy residency is to develop and refine clinical, leadership, research management, quality assurance, and teaching skills within the practice of infectious disease. PGY2 residencies provide residents with the opportunities to function independently as practitioners by conceptualizing and integrating accumulated experience and knowledge and incorporating both into the provision of patient care or other advanced practice settings. Upon completion of the PGY2 Infectious Diseases Residency, graduates should be well-prepared to pursue board certification (BCIDP) and to enter clinical practice as an infectious diseases clinical specialist, associate or affiliate clinical faculty member, or to pursue infectious diseases fellowship training.
Rotations
The residency year is comprised of 12 month-long rotations. The resident is afforded flexibility in order to allow the resident to tailor experiences to meet his/her professional goals.
Core Rotations (1 month each)
- Orientation
- Adult Antimicrobial Stewardship
- Pediatric Antimicrobial Stewardship
- Adult ID Consults (A Service)
- Adult ID Consults (B Service)
- Pediatric ID Consults Service
- Transplant ID Consult Service
Elective Rotations (1 month each)
- Outpatient Specialty Clinic (HIV/HCV)
- Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT)
- Rogers ID Service
- HIV Clinic Elective
- Pediatric ASP and ID Consult
- Any core rotation may be repeated; additional electives may be coordinated based on resident's interest.
Longitudinal Clinical Experiences (August - June)
- Longitudinal HIV Clinic OR Longitudinal OPAT (resident choice): Weekly on Tuesday afternoons
Additional Longitudinal Experiences
- Longitudinal Antimicrobial Stewardship (full year)
- Research Project Learning Experience (full year)
- Medication Use Evaluation (July - December)
Presentations
Written and verbal communication skills are highlighted throughout the year. Anticipated presentation experiences include:
- Journal Club
- Case Presentation
- 1-hour ACPE-accredited continuing education program
- Lecture(s) to ID fellows with the ID Fellows Core Curriculum
- Lecture(s) to area college of pharmacy students
Precepting
VUMC serves as a rotation site for students from Belmont University, Lipscomb University, University of Tennessee, Samford University, University of Mississippi, and Union University Colleges of Pharmacy. The PGY-2 will also have the opportunity to precept PGY-1 residents when concurrently on service.
On-Call and Staffing
The resident will work in a guided hospital practice scheduled every fourth weekend and on selected holidays. The primary responsibility of the PGY2 resident will be clinical pharmacy practice such as pharmacokinetic consults and clinical dashboard activities. The resident will also participate in antimicrobial stewardship functions.
How to apply
Applicant must be graduated of an accredited Doctor of Pharmacy program, be a licensed pharmacist in any state with reciprocation to Tennessee and completed an accredited PGY1 residency program.
Submit the following application materials for Infectious Diseases Residency to be received by January 2 deadline.
- Cover Letter/Letter of Intent
- Curriculum Vitae
- Three letters of recommendation via PhORCAS
- Pharmacy School transcripts
- Application submitted in PhORCAS application portal by January 2 deadline
Selected Resident Publications
An app a day: Results of pre- and post-surveys of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding antimicrobial stewardship principles among nurses who utilized a novel learning platform.
Bobbitt LJ, Cimino C, Garvey KV, Craft LS, Eichenseer NA, Nelson GE.
Antimicrob Steward Healthc Epidemiol Mar 2023
Development of the Three Antimicrobial Stewardship E's (TASE) Framework and Association Between Stewardship Interventions and Intended Results Analysis to Identify Key Facility-Specific Interventions and Strategies for Successful Antimicrobial Stewardship.
Kimball JM, Deri CR, Nesbitt WJ, Nelson GE, Staub MB.
Clin Infect Dis Oct 2021
Identification and Antibiotic Susceptibility Patterns of Clinical Blood Culture Isolates Not Identified by a Rapid Microarray Diagnostic System.
Freiberg JA, Deri CR, Nesbitt WJ, Humphries RM, Nelson GE.
Microbiol Spectr Sept 2021
Description of a pharmacist-driven safety algorithm in Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia: Compliance, interventions, and good saves.
Lines TH, Nesbitt WJ, Greene MH, Nelson GE.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol Aug 2020
Enterococcus faecalis and Penicillin Susceptibility Testing: The Challenge of Multiple Methods and Agent-to-Agent Predictions
Lines TH, Green MH, Nesbitt WJ, Stratton CW, Schmitz JE.
The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine Nov 2018
Driving Antimicrobial Use Improvement: Attitudes of Providers of Adult Hospital Care on Optimal Attribution and Feedback
Lines TH, Nesbitt WJ, Nelson GE.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2018 Aug
Program Details
Application Information
Number of Positions: 1
Start Date: July 1, 2025
Estimated stipend: $60,000 *unverified & subject to change each year
Requirements: Doctor of Pharmacy degree, PGY-1 pharmacy residency certificate, licensure in Tennessee
Submit application in PhORCAS application portal by January 2 deadline.
Contact Information
Christo L. Cimino, PharmD, BCIDP
PGY2 Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Residency Program Director
Clinical Pharmacist Specialist, Infectious Diseases
Email: christo.l.cimino@vumc.org | Telephone: 615.936.0483
Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Department of Pharmaceutical Services
1211 Medical Center Drive | Nashville, TN 37232
Institutional Information
Private non-profit hospital/clinic | Teaching/Tertiary Model | Total Beds 1622
Professional Staff 372 | Non-professional staff 450