The Graduate Pharmacy Education (Residency) Program at the TTUHSC School of Pharmacy, established during the 1997-1998 academic year, celebrated its 20th anniversary June 13 at the Embassy Suites Amarillo Hotel Downtown.

Winter Smith, Pharm.D., the school’s vice chair for residency programs, said the anniversary celebration sought to recognize and honor the history of the graduate pharmacy residency programs and acknowledge those who have helped it become one of the nation’s best. She said the residencies are designed to produce well-rounded, independent pharmacists through experiences in clinical practice, teaching, basic clinical research and professional activities.

“All of our residency programs are ASHP-accredited, and therefore emphasize the development of pharmacy practice skills to improve patient care, advance practice and improve patient care,” Smith added. “Our residencies also are designed to develop leadership and management skills, enhance teaching skills and advance the dissemination of knowledge.”

Smith said program directors and preceptors have designed their individual residency training programs to emphasize the strengths of their practice sites and campuses. To develop practice skills, Smith said residents are delegated clinical responsibilities under the mentorship of their preceptors so they can develop independent practice excellence. To develop teaching skills, she said residents are provided opportunities to deliver didactic course lectures, facilitate small group discussions, supervise laboratory courses and precept both introductory pharmacy practice experiential (IPPE) training and advanced pharmacy practice experiential (APPE) training.

“To develop scholarship skills, residents have the opportunity develop their problem solving skills and their ability to interpret, generate and disseminate knowledge,” Smith said. “They learn these skills by conducting a major research or quality improvement project, developing a research manuscript and then presenting their project findings at a state-wide professional meeting.”