The Hackensack University Medical Center Pharmacy Residency Program – Post Graduate Year 1 (PGY1) is an ASHP accredited 12-month program affiliated with the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. The program design utilizes a clinical focus, research project and administrative exposure to provide the resident with a multi-level educational experience and a strong foundation in pharmaceutical care. The resident will have the opportunity to interact with multiple health care professionals, students, patients and the community to build medication management skills. Active participation with the clinical research preceptors allows the resident to develop an understanding of the research approval and monitoring process. By fostering personal and professional development throughout the year, the resident successfully completing this program will be proficient in providing pharmaceutical care in a multidisciplinary environment across the continuum of care. They will be required to demonstrate professional maturity by exhibiting commitment to the profession and lifelong learning, monitoring their own performance, and exercising leadership in improving the safety of the medication-use system.

Learning Experiences Offered include:

• Cardiac/Medical Critical Care
• Clinical Research
• Emergency Medicine
• Hematology/Oncology
• Infectious Diseases
• Internal Medicine/Pharmacokinetics
• Pediatrics
• Practice Management/Medication Safety
• Surgical Critical Care/Nutrition
• Ambulatory Care experiences are available longitudinally in the Infectious Disease Clinic.

The resident will receive comprehensive orientation and training, as well as a dedicated time to work on his/her residency project. Residents are required to obtain licensure in the State of New Jersey in order to fulfill staffing responsibilities.

Residents in the program receive a benefits package, sick leave, two weeks paid vacation, discount meals, professional travel reimbursement, and free parking.

Preceptors

Preceptors for PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program are:

Clinical Research

Marie-Therese A. Estanbouli, Pharm.D.
General Pharmacy Practice Clinical Research Pharmacist, Hackensack University Medical Center. Doctor of Pharmacy Practice, St. Joseph University (Lyons, France) at Beirut, Lebanon. PharmD, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University. Practice Area: Clinical Research Support across continuum of care.

Richard Maciag, B.S.
Oncology Research Pharmacist, The Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center. BS Pharmacy, Rutgers University College of Pharmacy. Practice Area: Adult Oncology.

Critical Care

Keri Bicking, Pharm.D., BCPS, BCNSP
Surgical Critical Care/Nutrition Support Pharmacy Specialist, Hackensack University Medical Center; Clinical Adjunct Professor, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University. BS Pharmacy, Duquesne University; PharmD., Rutgers University College of Pharmacy; Critical Care Residency, Mayo Clinic; BCPS; BCNSP. Practice Areas: Surgical Intensive Care, Nutrition Support Service Consult, Clinical Research Support.

Ruchi Patel, Pharm.D., BCPS
Critical Care Pharmacy Specialist, Hackensack University Medical Center. Pharm.D.,University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy; Pharmacy Practice Residency, Temple University Hospital; Critical Care Residency, The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Practice Area: Critical Care.

Zachariah Thomas, Pharm.D., BCPS
Surgical Critical Care Pharmacy Specialist, Hackensack University Medical Center;Clinical Assistant Professor; Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University. PharmD, State University of N.Y. at Buffalo School of Pharmacy; Pharmacy Practice Residency, Hackensack University Medical Center; Critical Care Specialty Residency, University of the Sciences at Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. Practice area: Surgery/Trauma Intensive Care

Emergency Medicine

Brian Faley, Pharm.D., BCPS
Emergency Medicine Pharmacy Specialist, Hackensack University Medical Center; Clinical Assistant Professor, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University. PharmD, Philadelphia College of Pharmacy of the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. Emergency Medicine Residency, Rutgers University and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. Practice Areas: Emergency Medicine.

Hematology/Oncology

Maribel A. Pereiras, Pharm.D., BCPS, BCOP
Clinical Assistant Professor, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University; Clinical Specialist, Hackensack University Medical Center. Pharm.D., Rutgers, State University of New Jersey; Pharmacy Practice Residency, Hackensack University Medical Center; Oncology Specialty Residency, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Practice Areas: Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, Hematologic Malignancies.

Christina Howlett, Pharm.D., 
Clinical Assistant Professor, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy of Rutgers University; Clinical Specialist, Hackensack University Medical Center, Pharm.D., Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy of Rutgers University; PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency and PGY-2 Oncology Pharmacy Specialty Residency, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Practice Area: Hematologic Malignancies. 

Infectious Diseases

Arpi Kuyumjian, Pharm.D.
Clinical Coordinator and Infectious Disease Pharmacy Specialist, PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program Director Hackensack University Medical Center; Clinical Adjunct Professor, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy of Rutgers University; Assistant Professor, Touro University College of Medicine; PharmD, University of Southern California School of Pharmacy. Practice Areas: Infectious Diseases Consult Rounds, Infectious Diseases Clinic, Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, Clinical Research Support.

Dorothy McCoy, Pharm.D., BCPS
Clinical Assistant Professor, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy of Rutgers University. Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Specialist, Hackensack University Medical Center. Pharm.D., Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy of Rutgers University; Pharmacy Practice Residency, Hackensack University Medical Center; Infectious Diseases Specialty Residency, University of Michigan Health System. Practice area: Infectious Diseases.

Internal Medicine / Pharmacokinetics

Michael A. Wynd, Pharm.D., BCPS
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist,PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program Coordinator Hackensack University Medical Center; Clinical Associate Professor, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University. BS Pharmacy, Temple University; PharmD, Rutgers University College of Pharmacy; Fellowship: Infectious Diseases/ Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacoeconomics, Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital; BCPS. Practice Areas: Infectious Diseases, Clinical Pharmacokinetics, Internal Medicine, Clinical Research Support.

Medication Safety/Practice Management

Robert Fakelmann, B.S., M.B.A.
Administrator, Clinical Services, Hackensack University Medical Center. BS Pharmacy, Rutgers University College of Pharmacy; MBA, Fairleigh Dickinson University. Practice Areas: Medication & Patient Safety, Practice Management.

Nilesh Desai, B.S., M.B.A.
Director of Pharmacy and Clinical Services, Hackensack University Medical Center: Clinical Adjunct Professor, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University. BS Pharmacy Madras University. Practice Areas: Delivery of Services, Budgetary Considerations, Regulatory Requirements, Planning, Staffing, Policy and Procedure Development, Formulary Management, Performance Improvement, Staff Development and Information Technology.

Pediatrics

Lisa A. Degnan, Pharm.D., BCPS
Pediatric Pharmacy Specialist, Hackensack University Medical Center; Clinical Assistant Professor, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy of Rutgers University. Pharm.D., Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy of Rutgers University; Pharmacy Practice Residency, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center; Pediatric Specialty Residency, The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Practice Areas: Pediatric Critical Care, Pediatric Oncology.

Pooja Shah, PharmD
Clinical Assistant Professor, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy of Rutgers University; Pediatric Pharmacy Specialist, Hackensack University Medical Center. Pharm.D., Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy of Rutgers University; PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency, HackensackUMC; PGY-2 Pediatric Pharmacy Residency, The University of Chicago Medicine. Practice Areas: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, General Pediatrics.

Pharmacy Services

MaryAnn Tawadros, Pharm.D, M.B.A.
Pharmacy Supervisor, Hackensack University Medical Center; Howard University College of Pharmacy. Orientation and training (new staff members), Narcotic Inventory Control, Operations for Main Pharmacy and Satellites.

Application

Application is available via PhORCAS (Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service)