PGY-1/PGY-2 Health System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership (HSPAL) Pharmacy Residency
Purpose
PGY2 residency programs build upon Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) 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.
The specialized residency in Health System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership (HSPAL) with Masters is defined as an organized, directed postgraduate program of practical experience in pharmacy practice leadership. The residency is organized and conducted to develop expert skills and competency in pharmacy practice leadership. The program is designed as a two-year experience and combined with a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) program with a specialization in Health Care Management from The University of Texas at Dallas Naveen Jindal School of Management or Master of Science in Health Informatics (M.S.H.I.) from UT Southwestern School of Health Professions. Most classes are online with periodic weekend attendance required. The resident’s second-year research project will count towards completion of the master's capstone course.
Program Structure
For the first-year of the program, please see the PGY1 Pharmacy Residency website. The residents will be taught and evaluated based on the Required Competency Areas, Goals, and Objectives for Postgraduate Year Two (PGY2) Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Residencies.
Required Rotations
- Orientation (2 weeks)
- Inpatient Operations II/Medication Use Systems (4 weeks)
- Clinical Services Management (4 weeks)
- Ambulatory Services Management (4 weeks)
- Hematology/Oncology Operations (4 weeks)
- Pharmacy Informatics & Data Management (4 weeks)
- Quality & Medication Safety Management (4 weeks)
- Executive Pharmacy Leadership (4 weeks)
- Finance/Budgeting II (4 weeks)
- Three Elective Rotations (4 weeks each). Options include:
- ASHP Association Management
- Pediatric Pharmacy Leadership (Children’s Medical Center of Dallas)
- Apexus 340B Operations
- Community Hospital Operations (Texas Health Resources)
- Investigational Drugs & Research Management (UTSW)
Longitudinal Requirements
- Strategic Planning (50 weeks)
- Human Resource Management & Leadership (50 weeks, including a minimum of 10 on-call weeks)
- Advanced Clinical Practice (50 weeks, staffing consisting of every third weekend for a minimum of 208 staffing hours)
- Success Completion of the UT Dallas Master of Business Administration Degree or UT Southwestern Master of Healthcare Informatics (90 weeks, including PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Year)
UTSW-Sponsored/Paid Conferences
- ASHP Leaders Conference
- ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting
- Alcalde Southwestern Leadership Conference & TSHP Annual Seminar
All other requirements and information can be found on the UTSW Pharmacy Residency Manual.
Current Residents
Brittney Darden, Pharm.D., M.B.A.c.
Dr. Brittney Darden is the PGY-1 Health System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership (HSPAL) resident at UT Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW). Born and raised in Fort Worth, TX, Brittney is very familiar with the Dallas-Fort Worth area. She left briefly to pursue an undergraduate degree in Biology at Texas Tech University, and later returned to obtain her Doctorate in Pharmacy from the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth.
Brittney pursued UTSW as she valued the investments made by the pharmacy staff and administration into the pharmacy residents. She also valued the culture of fostering education and emphasis on excellence in health care, which is shown by their consistent ranking of #1 hospital in DFW.
Some of Brittney’s career interests include pharmacy advocacy, emergency preparedness and ambulatory and inpatient pharmacy operations. She is a member of American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) serving as a member of the ASHP Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Residents’ Collaborative.
Outside of pharmacy, she primarily enjoys spending time with her friends and family, especially her new daughter! Brittney also enjoys spending time outside on walks and trying new recipes in the kitchen with her husband.
Nareg Kaltakdjian, Pharm.D., M.B.A.c.
Nareg.Kaltakdjian@UTSouthwestern.edu
Dr. Nareg Kaltakdjian is a PGY-1 Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership (HSPAL) resident at UT Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW). Originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Nareg completed his undergraduate degree in biochemistry at Louisiana State University before earning his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Georgia.
Drawn to UTSW’s strong culture of excellence and support for resident development, Nareg was excited to join a program where collaboration and leadership are at the forefront. He values the organization’s commitment to advancing pharmacy practice and the opportunity to contribute to meaningful system-level improvements in patient care.
His professional interests include pharmacy informatics, pharmacy advocacy, inpatient operations, and ambulatory care management. Nareg is an active member of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and currently serves on the Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Residents’ Collaborative (PALRC) Resources Work Group.
Nareg recently got married and enjoys traveling, cooking, and playing pickleball with his wife. As a lifelong sports fan, he proudly cheers on the LSU Tigers whenever he gets the chance.