Published on April 17, 2018 by Sarah Waller  
pharmacist consulting

For more than 90 years, Samford University’s McWhorter School of Pharmacy has prepared pharmacists who transform lives, and this year, the school is proud to continue this great tradition, announcing a record number of fourth year Doctor of Pharmacy students matching with a postgraduate year one (PGY1) pharmacy residency program. 

With 33 students matching with a PGY1 residency, McWhorter School of Pharmacy achieved a 69 percent match rate, which is higher than the national average and the highest of any school of pharmacy in Alabama. 

This competitive process is facilitated by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). While graduates are not required to complete a residency before they begin practice, PGY1 pharmacy residencies are designed to provide additional pharmacy practice experience in an area of the graduates’ interest. 

“I’m incredibly proud of these students and I congratulate them for their hard work and perseverance to match with an ASHP-accredited pharmacy residency program,” said Michael Crouch, dean of McWhorter School of Pharmacy. “Also, I thank the faculty for their amazing support and helping students reach their goals.”  

Students were chosen for residency programs in 15 states across the country, and PGY1 residency opportunities can be in the community, managed care or health-system environments. Some programs offer further specialization such as pediatrics.  

Students who were matched with a PGY1 pharmacy residency program include: 

Caitlin Arnwine, Magellan Rx Management, Salt Lake City, Utah

Julia Babis, VA Medical Center, Birmingham, Alabama

Joshua Branbury, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Sara Brown, Children's Health Children's Medical Center, Dallas, Texas

Michael Bryant, VA Medical Center, Orlando, Florida

Dwight Burnham, DCH Regional Medical Center, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Kayla Chambers, Christus Santa Rosa Health Systems Children Hospital, San Antonio, Texas

Richelle Chambliss, St. Vincent's Hospital, Birmingham

Brook Crosby, Sacred Heart Health System, Pensacola, Florida

Maggie Daseler, Children's Hospitals and Clinics, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Jana Formby, Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, Knoxville, Tennessee

Keith Foster, MUSC Medical Center/College of Pharmacy, Charleston, South Carolina

Kelsey George, Carolinas HealthCare System NorthEast, Concord, North Carolina

Stephanie Gore, VCU Health System, Richmond, Virginia

Katherine Greenhill, Memorial Health University Medical Center, Savannah, Georgia

Courtney Ingram, Samford University’s McWhorter School of Pharmacy in collaboration with CVS Health, Birmingham

Blake Johnson, University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville

Charles Johnson, Norton Children's Hospital, Louisville, Kentucky

Meghan Lenn, Sacred Heart Health System, Pensacola, Florida

Manisha Modi, Saint Thomas West Hospital, Nashville, Tennessee

Jeffrey Nolen, VA Medical Center, Birmingham

Courtney Pearson, CHI Memorial in Chattanooga, Tennessee

John Riles, VA Medical Center, Birmingham

Nicholas Sanders, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson

Neil Schenk, Memorial Hospital—UCHealth, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Samantha Schutte, East Alabama Medical Center, Opelika, Alabama

Stephan Scott, UPMC Health Plan, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Emily Sochovka, Princeton Baptist Medical Center, Birmingham

Karlette Stewart, VA Medical Center, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Anne Marie Thibodeaux, Providence Health and Services, Portland, Oregon

Linh Tong, Huntsville Hospital, Huntsville, Alabama.

Aubrey Utley, Sacred Heart Health System, Pensacola, Florida

Elizabeth Wood, Princeton Baptist Medical Center, Birmingham

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.