Residency Program

Pharmacy

Residency Program

PGY2 Oncology

The pharmacy residency in oncology builds on experiences in the PGY1 year and is designed to provide a well-rounded experience leading to the development of expert knowledge, skills, and clinical leadership in the practice of oncology pharmacy. This 12-month program offers training opportunities through a variety of clinical rotations and interactions with multidisciplinary healthcare teams. We offer a flexible program that focuses on the goals of the resident and is intended to provide clinical, research, and teaching experience. Graduates of the program should be prepared to pursue employment as a hematology/oncology pharmacotherapy clinical specialist in the acute care setting, as well as demonstrate competency in written and oral communication, and oncology research.

The program emphasizes clinical practice with required rotations in leukemia, lymphoma, stem cell transplant, solid tumors, ambulatory oncology, investigational drug services, palliative care, and chemotherapy preparation. Elective rotations may be completed in any of the required rotations for an additional five weeks. Additional elective rotations include pediatric oncology, transplant infectious diseases, and oncology pharmacy administration. Along with excellence in clinical care, NewYork-Presbyterian is committed to ongoing oncology research. Residents will have broad exposure to investigator-initiated research studies as well as ongoing Phase 1, 2, and 3 clinical trials in a wide range of malignancies.

Additional learning experiences include completion of a medication usage evaluation (MUE) and research project. Residents also participate in the Hematology/Oncology Subcommittee of Formulary and Therapeutics. The resident will develop teaching skills by providing in-service presentations to pharmacy staff and other health care providers, precepting PGY1 residents and pharmacy students, leading case-based clinical discussions, and critically evaluating literature.

Required Rotations (5 weeks)

  • Inpatient Leukemia
  • Inpatient Lymphoma
  • Inpatient Stem Cell Transplant
  • Ambulatory Oncology
  • Ambulatory Hematologic Malignancies
  • Inpatient Medical Oncology
  • Investigational Drug Services (2 weeks)
  • Inpatient Palliative Care (2 weeks)

Elective Rotations (5 weeks; 2 electives)

  • Inpatient Pediatric Oncology
  • Inpatient Infectious Disease Consult
  • Practice Administration
  • Any required rotation may be repeated as an advanced elective

Please refer to the Supplementary Information for additional learning experiences PGY2 residents participate in during the residency year.

Compensation and Benefits

Residents earn an annual stipend of $56,000. Paid time off is allotted for vacation/personal time, holidays, interviews, and professional meetings. Additional benefits include travel stipend for professional meetings, comprehensive health insurance, and subsidized housing (pending availability).
This residency program participates in the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Residency Matching Program and is fully-accredited by ASHP.

Staffing Coverage

PGY2 oncology pharmacy residents work on-site at the Weill Cornell Medical Center campus every third weekend. Responsibilities will alternate between providing clinical coverage and oncology pharmacy satellite coverage.

To Apply

For more information on the requirements for submitting an application to our program, please visit our To Apply page.

OUR TEAM

Oncology


Jennifer Santamala

Jennifer Santamala, PharmD, BCOP

Residency Program Director, PGY2 Oncology

Specialty - Lymphoma

Primary Campus: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital / Weill Cornell Medical Center
Pharmacy Education: University of the Sciences - Philadelphia College of Pharmacy
Post Graduate Training:
PGY1: Lancaster General Hospital
PGY2 Oncology: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Research/Professional Interests: CNS lymphoma/Immunotherapy/minimizing chemotherapy and optimizing targeted agents
[email protected]

Rachel Abramova

Rachel Abramova, PharmD, BCOP

Specialty - Bone Marrow Transplanation

Primary Campus: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital / Columbia Irving Medical Center
Pharmacy Education: St John's University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Post Graduate Training:
PGY1: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
PGY2 Oncology: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Research/Professional Interests: GVHD and optimization of immunosuppression, infectious complications post-transplant, novel cellular therapies, academia
[email protected]

Syed Arafath

Syed Arafath, PharmD, BCOP

Specialty - Oncology

Primary Campus: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital / Weill Cornell Medical Center
Pharmacy Education: Long Island University Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy
Post Graduate Training:
PGY1: The Johns Hopkins Hospital
PGY2 Oncology: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Research/Professional Interests: Ambulatory oncology, gene editing, patient counseling, Informatics/AI in oncology
[email protected]

Marina Barsoum, PharmD, BCOP

Marina Barsoum, PharmD, BCOP

Specialty - Oncology

Primary Campus: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital /Brooklyn Methodist Hospital
Pharmacy Education: St Johns’ University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Post Graduate Training:
PGY1: Northwell Health Long Island Jewish Medical Center
PGY2 Oncology: Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Research/Professional Interests: Oral chemotherapy, Supportive care management, Gastrointestinal cancer
[email protected]

McKenna Butler, PharmD

McKenna Butler, PharmD

Specialty - Oncology

Primary Campus:  NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital / Columbia Irving Medical Center
Pharmacy Education: University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Post Graduate Training:
PGY1: NYU Langone Hospital - Long Island
PGY2 Oncology: Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Research/Professional Interests: Thoracic Oncology, Oral Chemotherapy, Supportive Care, Patient Education 
[email protected]

Peter Campbell, PharmD, MBA, BCOP

Peter Campbell, PharmD, MBA, BCOP

Clinical Pharmacy Manager Lead

Primary Campus: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital / Columbia Irving Medical Center
Pharmacy Education: St John's University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Post Graduate Training:
PGY1: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
PGY2 Oncology: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Research/Professional Interests: Venous thromboembolism in oncology patients, Treatment and prevention of infections in neutropenic patients
[email protected]

Jessica El-Miniawi, PharmD

Jessica El-Miniawi, PharmD

Speciality - Oncology

Primary Campus: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital / Columbia Irving Medical Center
Pharmacy Education: St John's University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Post Graduate Training:
PGY1: St. Francis Hospital and Heart Center
PGY2 Medication-Use Safety and Policy: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Research/Professional Interests: Chemotherapy medication safety, breast/gyn-oncology, solid tumor targeted therapies, academia/preceptorship
[email protected]

Catherine Johnson, PharmD, BCOP

Catherine Johnson, PharmD, BCOP

Specialty - Leukemia

Primary Campus: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital / Weill Cornell Medical Center
Pharmacy Education: Rutgers University Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy
Post Graduate Training:
PGY1: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
PGY2 Oncology: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Research/Professional Interests: Adult leukemia, targeted therapy, febrile neutropenia, chemotherapy medication safety
[email protected]

Michelle Pasciolla

Michelle Pasciolla, PharmD, BCOP

Specialty - Bone Marrow Transplantation

Primary Campus: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital / Weill Cornell Medical Center
Pharmacy Education: South Carolina College of Pharmacy
Post Graduate Training:
PGY1: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
PGY2 Oncology: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Research/Professional Interests: Prevention of post-transplant complications and infections, immunosuppression, academia/preceptorship
[email protected]

David Sabatino, PharmD

David Sabatino, PharmD

Specialty - Bone Marrow Transplantation/Multiple Myeloma

Primary Campus: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital / Columbia Irving Medical Center
Pharmacy Education: The University of Rhode Island, College of Pharmacy 
Post Graduate Training:
PGY1: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
PGY2 Oncology: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Research/Professional Interests:  GVHD, infectious disease post-transplant, cellular therapies, CRS/ICANS management
[email protected]

Marina Reed, PharmD, BCOP

Marina Reed, PharmD, BCOP

Specialty - Oncology

Primary Campus: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital /Brooklyn Methodist Hospital
Pharmacy Education: University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Pharmacy
Post Graduate Training:
PGY1: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital /Brooklyn Methodist Hospital
PGY2 Oncology: Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Research/Professional Interests: Oral chemotherapy, Supportive care management, Gastrointestinal cancer
[email protected]

Drew Seidel

Drew Seidel, PharmD

Specialty - Pediatric Oncology/Stem Cell Transplantation

Primary Campus: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital / Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital
Pharmacy Education: St. John Fisher College, Wegmans School of Pharmacy
Post Graduate Training:
PGY1: University of Rochester Medical Center
PGY2 Pediatrics: University of Maryland School of Pharmacy/ University of Maryland Children’s Hospital
Research/Professional Interests: Risk stratification and treatment of pediatric ALL,  AML, targeted and cellular therapies, antimicrobial prophylaxis and management of infections in immunocomprimised patients, GVHD, CINV, medication safety, academia/precepting
[email protected]

Alina Varabyeva, PharmD, BCOP

Alina Varabyeva, PharmD, BCOP

Specialty - Leukemia

Primary Campus: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital / Columbia Irving Medical Center
Pharmacy Education: UIC College of Pharmacy
Post Graduate Training:
PGY1: University of Michigan
PGY2 Oncology: Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Research/Professional Interests: Acute Leukemia, Aplastic Anemia, CART therapy, CML
[email protected]

Contact us


NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

Department of Pharmacy

Jennifer Santamala, PharmD, BCOP
Program Director, PGY2 Hematology/Oncology