Residency Program

Pharmacy

Residency Program

PGY2 Pediatrics

The pharmacy residency in pediatrics 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 pediatrics pharmacy. This 12-month program at NewYork Presbyterian Hospital (with experiences at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York (MSCHONY), Komansky Children’s Hospital, and Brooklyn Methodist Hospital) offers training opportunities through a variety of clinical rotations and interactions with the 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. Residents will participate in activities to develop the knowledge and skills required to provide evidence-based, patient-centered medication therapy as an integral part of the interdisciplinary team. Activities are designed to refine the resident’s abilities to educate health care professionals, patients, and the community on drug therapy. Residents will develop acumen in conducting research and demonstrating administrative skills in pediatric pharmacy practice.

Required Rotations (4-5 weeks)

  • General Pediatric Medicine - NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children's Hospital (Cornell Campus) or NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital
  • Neonatal Intensive Critical Care (NICU)
  • Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (PCICU)
  • Pediatric Oncology
  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases/Antimicrobial Stewardship
  • Pediatric Intensive Critical Care (PICU)
  • Pediatric Pharmacy Administration (2 weeks)
  • Pediatric Solid Organ Transplant (kidney, liver, small bowel)
  • Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis Ambulatory Care Clinic (Longitudinal)
  • Pediatric Code Response (Longitudinal)

Elective Rotations (4-5 weeks; 2 electives)

  • Heart Failure/Heart Transplant/Mechanical Circulatory Support
  • NICU II (General or Infant Cardiac Intensive Care Unit focus)
  • Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplantation
  • Pediatric Solid Organ Transplat II ICU Focus
  • Pediatric Palliative Care Medicine
  • PICU II (PICU, PCICU, Pediatric Neurosciences ICU)
  • Pediatric Emergency Medicine

Longitudinal Experiences (52 weeks)

  • MUE project (4 dedicated project weeks)
  • Research project (4 dedicated project weeks)
  • Pediatric Code Response Pager (Every other week)
  • Pediatric Pharmacy Administration/Committees (attending/performing secretarial duties monthly)
  • Ambulatory Care – Two options: Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis Clinic (14 sessions per year) or Pediatric Heart Transplant/Heart Failure Ambulatory Care
  • Weekend/pediatric on-call activities (Sat/Sun every 3rd weekend and on-call 7-day coverage once every 9 weeks)

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 $60,000. 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 accredited by ASHP.

Staffing Coverage

PGY2 pediatrics pharmacy residents work on-site every third weekend in two phases. The first phase (~5 months) focuses on operational and distribution functions at NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children's Hospital. In the second phase, (~7 months) the resident will serve as the pediatric clinical-on-call pharmacist for any questions concerning pediatrics patients, with focused review of signed out critical care (NICU/PICU) patients and pharmacokinetic monitoring at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital.

To Apply

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

Our Team

Pediatrics


Densley Perez

Densley E. Perez, PharmD, BCPS, BCPPS

Specialty - Pediatric Critical Care

Residency Program Director, PGY2 Pediatrics

Primary Campus: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital / Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital
Pharmacy Education: Jefferson College of Pharmacy
Post Graduate Training:
PGY1: SUNY Upstate University Hospital
PGY2 Pediatrics: Golisano Children's Hospital/Upstate University Hospital
Research/Professional Interests: Neonatal/pediatric pharmacotherapy/ critical care,  pediatric infectious diseases, infant/pediatric cardiac critical care, pharmacokinetics
[email protected]

Elaine Augustine, PharmD

Elaine Augustine, PharmD

Specialty – Pediatric Oncology / Bone Marrow Transplantation

Primary Campus: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital / Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital
Pharmacy Education:  St. John's University
Post Graduate Training:
PGY1: NorthShore University Health System
PGY2 Pediatrics: Yale New Haven Children's Hospital  
Research/Professional Interests: pediatric oncology supportive care measures, pediatric ALL management, pediatric oncologic emergency management, pediatric bone marrow transplant, pediatric targeted oncologic therapy 
[email protected]

Meghna Basnet, MSc, PharmD

Meghna Basnet, MSc, PharmD

Specialty - Neonatal / Pediatric Critical Care

Primary Campus: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital / Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital
Pharmacy Education: University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Post Graduate Training:
PPGY1: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
PGY2 Pediatrics: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital 
Research/Professional Interests:Pediatric/neonatal pain, sedation & delirium, critical care pharmacokinetics, medication safety [email protected] 
[email protected]

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Jennifer Cheng, PharmD, BCIDP

Specialty – Infectious Diseases/Antimicrobial Stewardship

Primary Campus: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital / Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital
Pharmacy Education: Rutgers University Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy
Post Graduate Training:
PGY1: Hackensack University Medical Center
PGY2 Infectious Diseases: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Research/Professional Interests: Pediatric infectious diseases, antimicrobial stewardship, infections in immunocompromised hosts, HIV management
[email protected]

Eileen Chung, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP, BCPPS

Eileen Chung, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP, BCPPS

Specialty – Pediatrics

Primary Campus: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital /Brooklyn Methodist Hospital
Pharmacy Education: St Johns’ University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
PGY1: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital /Brooklyn Methodist Hospital
PGY2 Critical Care: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital /Brooklyn Methodist Hospital
Research/Professional Interests: Neonatal and pediatric pharmacotherapy, critical care, medication safety
[email protected]

Belyin Gutierrez, PharmD

Belyin Gutierrez, PharmD

Specialty – Pediatric Solid Organ Transplant

Primary Campus: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital / Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital 
Pharmacy Education: University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill Eshelman School of Pharmacy
PGY1: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital 
PGY2 Pediatrics: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital 
Research/Professional Interests: Pediatric transplantation, heart failure, anticoagulation, immunosuppression 
[email protected] 

Cindy Kantaris, PharmD

Cindy Kantaris, PharmD

Specialty – Pediatric Emergency Medicine

Primary Campus: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital / Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital 
Pharmacy Education: Long Island University
PGY1: The Mount Sinai Hospital 
PGY2 Emergency Medicine: Maimonides Medical Center 
Research/Professional Interests: Toxicology; Pain & sedation; Trauma; Medication Safety  
[email protected]

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Elena Mendez-Rico, PharmD

Specialty – Pediatric Critical Care

Primary Campus: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital / Komansky Children's Hospital
Pharmacy Education: University of Florida College of Pharmacy
Post Graduate Training:
PGY1: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Research/Professional Interests: Pediatric Adverse Drug Events; Medication Safety; Pediatric ICU pain, sedation & delirium
[email protected]

Caitlin Murtagh, PharmD, BCPPS

Caitlin Murtagh, PharmD, BCPPS

Specialty - Neonatal Intensive Care

Primary Campus: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital / Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital
Pharmacy Education: University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy
Post Graduate Training:
PGY1: Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center
PGY2 Pediatrics: Northwell Health Cohen Children's Medical Center
Research/Professional Interests: Neonatal PK&PD, NAS, peds ID, med safety in NICU, peds respiratory disorders
[email protected]

Olga Popova, PharmD

Olga Popova, PharmD

Specialty – Ambulatory Care

Primary Campus: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center
Pharmacy Education:  Long Island University Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Post Graduate Training:
PGY1: Texas Children's Hospital
PGY2 Pediatrics: Texas Children's Hospital
Research/Professional Interests: Cystic fibrosis, solid organ transplant, transitions of care, telehealth
[email protected]

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Sara Rostas, PharmD, BCPPS

Specialty - Neonatal Intensive Care

Primary Campus: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital / Komansky Children's Hospital
Pharmacy Education: Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS)
Post Graduate Training:
PGY1: Brigham and Women's Hospital
Neonatology Pharmacy Fellowship (Non-accredited): Brigham and Women's Hospital
Research/Professional Interests: Neonatal analgesia & sedation; PDA; NAS; medication safety in the NICU
[email protected]

Dimitrios-Savva.jpg

Dimitrios A. Savva, PharmD, MHA,BCPPS

Specialty – Pediatric Critical Care

Program Director, PGY1 Pharmacy Residency

Primary Campus: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital
Pharmacy Education: St Johns’ University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Post Graduate Training:
PGY1: Children’s National Health System
PGY2 Pediatrics: University of Maryland School of Pharmacy/University of Maryland Children’s Hospital
Research/Professional Interests: Pediatric critical care & infant/pediatric cardiac critical care pharmacokinetics, ECMO, PICU Pain/Sedation; Medication Safety in Children, academia/preceptorship
[email protected]

Maria Sedky Saad, PharmD

Maria Sedky Saad, PharmD

Specialty – Pediatric Solid Organ Transplant

Primary Campus: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital
Pharmacy Education: St Johns’ University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Post Graduate Training:
PGY1: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
PGY2 Pediatrics: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Research/Professional Interests:  Pediatric transplantation, heart failure, anticoagulation, immunosuppression, mechanical circulatory support
[email protected]

Leanne-Svoboda.jpg

Leanne Svoboda, PharmD, MBA, BCPPS

Lead Clinical Pharmacy Manager, Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital

Primary Campus: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital
Pharmacy Education: Oregon State University/Oregon Health & Science University
Post Graduate Training:
PGY1: Oregon Health & Science University
Research/Professional Interests: Pediatric pharmacy operations, pediatric critical care, pediatric pain, patient safety
[email protected]

Contact us


NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

Department of Pharmacy

Densley E. Perez, PharmD, BCPS, BCPPS
Program Director PGY2 Pediatrics