University of Texas - College of Pharmacy - Experiential Program Regions

Experiential Programs

Galveston / Houston Regional Internship Program

Regional Director
Regional Coordinators
Cities Encompassed by the Region
Interesting Facts about the Region
Types of Internship Experiences Available in the Region
Internship Facilities
Things to Consider When Choosing Where to Live
Base Campus/Where Studends will Gather for Meetings
Availability of Services on Affiliated Campus
General Facts
Summary

REGIONAL COORDINATORS

Regional Director:
Sharla Tajchman, Pharm.D.

Sharla Tajchman serves as a Critical Care / Nutrition Support Clinical Pharmacy Specialist for the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. She received her BS in Biology from Texas Tech University and her PharmD from Rutgers University Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy. She completed an ASHP-accredited PGY1 residency at The Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas and an ASHP-accredited PGY2 residency in Critical Care / Nutrition Support at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. She is board certified in both pharmacotherapy and nutrition support.

Sharla's current responsibilities include providing direct patient care in the intensive care unit and on the nutrition support service at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She serves as the University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy Regional Internship Director for the Galveston / Houston area and is appointed as an Adjunct Assistant Professor. She also holds an appointment as an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy since MD Anderson serves as a teaching site for both colleges. Sharla's professional experience includes a variety of direct patient care, teaching and research activities.

Sharla is an active member of several professional organizations at local, state and national levels, including the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition and the American Society of Health-System Pharamcists. She has presented research at state and national conferences.

Advanced Hospital Practice Coordinator:

Todd Canada, Pharm.D., BCNSP,FASHP
tcanada@mdanderson.org

Todd W. Canada, Pharm.D., BCNSP, FASHP serves as a clinical pharmacy services manager for the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. He received his B.S. in Pharmacy from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and his Pharm.D. from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. He completed a specialized residency in Critical Care / Nutrition Support at the University of Tennessee-Memphis and is board certified in nutrition support.

His current responsibilities include providing direct patient care and serving as the director for the ASHP-accredited PGY-2 critical care/nutrition support residency at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. He serves as the University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy regional internship director for the Galveston/Houston area and is appointed as a Clinical Assistant Professor. He also holds an appointment as an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Houston College Of Pharmacy since M.D. Anderson Cancer Center serves as a teaching site for both colleges. Todd's professional experience includes a variety of direct patient care, teaching, and research activities focusing on the critically ill in several large health-systems and academic centers in Dallas, San Antonio and Houston.

Todd is currently serving on the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties -- Nutrition Support Specialty Council, the TSHP Board of Directors and the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition Board of Directors. He has held elected offices for several pharmacy- and nutrition-related societies. Currently, he serves as the President of the Gulf Coast Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Todd has presented and published in a variety of areas including parenteral drug therapies, safe practices for parenteral nutrition, critical care pharmacy practice and pharmacy mentoring.

Advanced Clinical Practice Coordinator:

Nicole Keller, Pharm.D., BCNSP
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist
Critical Care / Nutrition Support
Michael E. DeBakey VA Hospital
2002 Holcombe Blvd.
Houston, TX 77030
Phone: 713-791-1414 ext 4202

Nicole R. Keller, PharmD, BCNSP is a clinical pharmacy specialist in critical care / nutrition support at the MEDVAMC in Houston, TX. She received her BS in Biochemistry, Cellular / Molecular Biology from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and her PharmD from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, TN. Dr. Keller completed an ASHP-accredited PGY-1 pharmacy practice residency at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Memphis, Tennessee and an ASHP-accredited PGY-2 critical care / nutrition support specialty residency at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. She currently holds academic appointments as clinical instructor at U of H College of Pharmacy and Baylor College of Medicine and is the clinical coordinator for the Houston/Galveston region with UT College of Pharmacy.

Advanced Community Practice Coordinator:

Consuelo Worley, MS, R.Ph.

Consuelo Worley is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. She received her BS in pharmacy in 1988 and her masters in pharmacy administration in 2002.

Her employment experience includes Walgreens, Drug Emporium, and Randalls Pharmacies.

Consuelo has previously taught technician certification classes and has been a pharmacist preceptor since 1989 for the University of Texas and the University of Houston. Her practice includes administrating various immunizations, conducting Medication Therapy Management consultations, Outcome Measures, Medication Review Consultations and Diabetic Counseling. She has been active in the local and state pharmacy associations.

CITIES ENCOMPASSED BY THE REGION

Most rotations are at the Texas Medical Center in Houston or in Galveston at UTMB. Other cities include:

Baytown
College Station
Friendswood
Humble
Huntsville
Katy
League City
Pasadena
Pearland
Sugarland
The Woodlands
Webster

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE REGION

Diverse population

4th largest city in America

Population - Houston-Galveston-Brazoria 4,669,571

Metrorail is a 7.5 mile rail line that connects downtown to the museum district, Texas Medical Center, and Reliant Park. Metro operates more than 1400 accessible buses.

Professional Sports
Houston Texans	http://www.houstontexans.com/
Houston Astros	http://www.astros.com/
Houston Rockets	http://www.rockets.com

Cultural Activities
Theater District	http://www.houstontheaterdistrict.org/
Museum District	http://www.houstonmuseumdistrict.org/
Grand 1894 Opera House	http://www.thegrand.com/
Arts Festival	http://www.bayoucityartfestival.com/
Hobby Center for the Performing Arts	http://www.hobbycenter.org

Entertainment
Space Center Houston	http://www.spacecenter.org/
Kemah Boardwalk	http://www.kemahboardwalk.com/
Moody Gardens	http://www.moodygardens.com
Schlitterbahn Waterpark Galveston Island	http://www.galveston.com/schlitterbahnwaterpark

TYPES OF INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCES AVAILABLE IN THE REGION

Adult Medicine
Ambulatory Care
Ambulatory Care- Infectious Disease
Anticoagulation
Cardiology
Clinical Pharmacy Management
Community Management
Compounding Pharmacy
Critical Care Medicine
Drug Information
Emergency Medicine
Home Healthcare
Institutional
Infectious Disease
Investigational Drugs
Medication Safety
Neonatology
Neurology
Nuclear Pharmacy
Nutritional Support
Oncology
Pediatrics
Institutional Pharmacy Management
Pharmacoeconomics
Psychiatry
Poison Control Center
Transplant
Veterinary Medicine

INTERNSHIP FACILITIES

Facts about the Texas Medical Center - the largest medical center in the world

6041 licensed beds
42 member institutions with 10 hospitals
2 Medical schools
4 Nursing Schools
Schools of pharmacy, dentistry and public health
16, 500 students in scheduled classes
Over 5 million annual patient visits
Over 60,000 employees
Major Hospitals:

UT-MD Anderson Cancer Center - 550 beds, specializing in cancer treatment and research
http://www.mdanderson.org/

St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital - 600 beds, home of the Texas Heart Institute
http://www.sleh.com/sleh/

St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital

The Methodist Hospital - 1,514 beds, teaching hospital for Baylor College of Medicine
http://www.methodisthealth.com/

The Methodist Hospital

The VA Medical Center - Houston - 360 hospital beds, a 40-bed Spinal Cord Injury Center, and a 120-bed transitional care unit for long-term care.
http://www.houston.med.va.gov/

The VA Medical Center

Facts about the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) - Texas' first medical school

809 licensed beds
6 hospitals
2,500 students
Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Alled Health Sciences (PA, PT/OT), Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
35,000 inpatient admissions
700,000+ outpatient visits
http://www.utmb.edu

University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB)

Methodist San Jacinto

Methodist San Jacinto

Texas Children's (TIRR)

Texas Children's (TIRR)

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A PLACE TO LIVE

If you will have rotations in Houston and in Galveston, you may wish to stay in a central location such as the League City, Webster, Clear Lake area. YOU WILL LIKELY HAVE ROTATIONS IN BOTH HOUSTON AND GALVESTON.
Campus Housing is also available on a first come, first serve basis. Get your applications in early.
Houston Campus Housing - http://ae.uth.tmc.edu/housing/index.html
Galveston Campus Housing - http://www.utmb.edu/auxiliaryenterprises/Housing/index.htm/

Parking Considerations

Parking can be difficult in the Medical Center as well as at UTMB. Some Medical Center hospitals have designated parking lots available for students with a shuttle bus. You can ride the campus shuttle bus if you have your medical center ID badge. Contract parking is available. Check with your preceptor for available parking options. At UTMB you will be eligible for student parking which is around $25/semester. Contract parking is available. Parking at the VA as well as the most of the other hospitals outside of the medical center and UTMB is free.

BASE CAMPUS/WHERE STUDENTS WILL GATHER FOR MEETINGS

Students will meet primarily at MD Anderson on the Texas Medical Center Campus or at UTMB in Galveston. Be prepared to travel to any of these facilities at any time.

AVAILABILITY OF SERVICES ON AFFILIATED CAMPUSES

Student Services
Houston

Library:
University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center - Research Medical Library http://www3.mdanderson.org/library/index.html
Texas Medical Center Library http://www.library.tmc.edu/

Student Health: The University of Texas Health Services - Houston

Student and Employee Health
Phone: (713)500-5171
Athletics Facility: http://ae.uth.tmc.edu/recreat/index.html

Galveston - UTMB

General Facts

Houston, at approximately 596 square miles with 2.14 million residents in mid-2006, is the fourth most populous city in the United States, trailing only New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. The 10-county Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) has a population of 5.54 million, ranking sixth nationally.
Diverse population - 37.4 percent Hispanic, 49.3 percent Caucasian, 29.3 percent African-American and 5.3 percent Asian.
Houston provides the opportunities and conveniences found in large cities, but is more affordable than many small cities. Bargain housing prices and a low tax burden keep living expenses in Houston below those in most other major metropolitan areas.
The ACCRA Cost of Living Index shows that Houston's living costs are 24 percent below the average for 24 metro areas with populations of more than 2 million.
Texas Medical Center (TMC) with 46 member institutions is the largest medical complex in the world. The complex includes 13 renowned hospitals and two specialty institutions, two medical schools, four nursing schools and schools of dentistry, public health, pharmacy and virtually all health-related careers.
Among the renowned institutions that are a part of the TMC are the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, one of the world's leading cancer treatment and research centers; Texas Children's Hospital, an international leader in pediatric medicine; and Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, a leader in heart treatment.
Located 23 miles south of Houston, NASA/Johnson Space Center (named for Lyndon B. Johnson) is the training facility for all of America’s astronauts.
Johnson Space Center employs approximately 17,000 engineers, scientists and administrative personnel. Mission Control Houston teams have been vital to every U.S. human space flight since 1965, including the Apollo mission and more than 100 Space Shuttle flights.
Houston averages only 18 days per year with temperatures of 32oF or less and 100 days with high temperatures of 90oF or more. Temperatures rarely reach 100oF.
A statistically average year contains 90 “clear” days, concentrated in October and November; 115 “partly cloudy” days, typical of June through September; and 160 “cloudy” days, common in December through May.

Transportation

Two major airports: Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport with 22 airlines serving these airports.
Houston is the crossroads for Interstates 10 and 45. Other major highways serving Houston are Loop 610, U.S. 59, U.S. 290, U.S. 90, Texas 288, Texas 225, Hardy Toll Road, Sam Houston Tollway and the Grand Parkway (Texas 99).
METRORail is a 7.5-mile rail line that connects the University of Houston-Downtown, the Central Business District, Midtown, the Museum District, Rice University, the Texas Medical Center and Reliant Park.
The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) is recognized by transit authorities as one of the best and safest in the nation.
METRO operates more than 1,400 accessible buses.
Galveston's greatest attraction in recent years has been the advent of cruising with Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Princess Cruise Lines all finding a home at the Port of Galveston.

Cultural Activities

One of only five cities in the U.S. with resident companies in the four disciplines of the performing arts: Alley Theatre, Houston Ballet, Houston Symphony and Houston Grand Opera.
The Houston Zoo is home to more than 4,500 exotic animals representing more than 800 species, set in a 55-acre lush tropical landscape.
Early at the beginning of each year, the streets of Historic Downtown Galveston are transformed into a sea of green, purple, and gold for Mardi Gras! Galveston.

Museum District

The Houston Museum District is one of the largest in the country, with 18 world-class institutions within walking distance of one another including The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the sixth largest museum in the country, and Houston Museum of Natural Science.

Theme Parks

Space Center Houston is the Official Visitors Center for NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
Others include SplashTown water park, Moody Gardens on Galveston Island, Kemah Boardwalk and Downtown Aquarium.
Schlitterbahn Galveston is the first convertible waterpark with an entire area that can be opened or closed for indoor / outdoor year-round operation.

SUMMARY

The Galveston/Houston region offers a variety of internship opportunities for students. The region is also rich in cultural and recreational activities. All of these factors combined make the Galveston/Houston area an excellent experiential region.

Last Reviewed: May 9, 2011