Allergy/Immunology NP/PA Residency Program

As the first residency of its kind, the Allergy/Immunology Advanced Practice Clinician (A/I APC) residency was created by The Tankersley Clinic, PLLC, in 2019 for nurse practitioners (NP) and physician assistants (PA) in response to a need for improved utilization of advanced practice clinicians (APC) in the delivery of high quality, competent, cost-effective allergy, respiratory and skin care as well as a streamlined pathway to professional advancement.  The A/I APC residency is a 12 month, intense program that provides clinical, didactic, practice management and research training that parallels current allergy/immunology physician fellowship programs.  The curriculum is modeled from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Program Requirements for Graduate Medication Education in Allergy and Immunology and the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) specific goals and educational objectives for specialty training programs.   The A/I APC residency program seeks to follow the standards set forth by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).

 From 2009-2012, Dr. Tankersley served as the Program Director for one of the nation's top Allergy and Immunology Fellowship Programs in San Antonio, Texas at Wilford Hall Medical Center.  Dr. Tankersley oversaw the training for the Air Force's only Allergy and Immunology training program with ACGME-accreditation for 9 fellows and directed the management of specialty training and allergy care for 17 bases across 4 states providing oversight to 17 physicians and 30 technicians. In addition, he controlled the Air Force's largest allergy immunotherapy mixing lab.

The mission of the A/I APC residency is to provide a post-graduate specialty training program for nurse practitioners and physician assistants in a dynamic environment that promotes excellence in allergy, respiratory and skin care in patients with these conditions.  The intensive clinical, didactic and research training will prepare the APC to be a skilled partner in the delivery of quality and competent allergy, respiratory and skin care.

Dr. Mike Tankersley, the A/I APC Program Director and Medical Director, served as the Program Director for one of the nation's top Allergy and Immunology Fellowship Programs in San Antonio, Texas at Wilford Hall Medical Center from 2009-2012.  He was then promoted to the highest academic medical position in the Air Force and served from 2012-2015 as the Chief of Graduate Medical Education for the US Air Force (USAF).  He directed and administered Air Force Medical Service (AFMS) undergraduate medical education and graduate medical education (GME) programs for more than 2,500 medical students and physicians and over 100 USAF GME programs around the nation.  He conferred with accrediting organizations, specialty boards, medical schools and all Armed Services Surgeons General on matters related to physician education.  In addition, he oversaw the USAF’s ACCME-accredited Continuing Medical Education Program annually approving over 100 CME activities and over 4000 category I CME credits.  He managed the Air Force’s Health Professions Education Requirements Board (HPERB) and Joint Services Graduate Medical Education Selection Board (JSGMESB) processes, identifying AFMS GME training requirements and selecting Air Force physician trainees for residency and fellowship positions.  During this time he continued to serve on the teaching faculty for the Air Force’s Allergy/Immunology fellowship program at Wilford Hall in San Antonio.  

Didactic

The A/I APC residents will participate in weekly lectures and will include topics specific to A/I APC practice.  A monthly Grand Rounds Conference enlists A/I APC residents to present interesting cases including a lecture of the differential, disease process identified and treatment rendered.  Curriculum will be based from the textbooks Middleton's Allergy Principles and Practice, and Abbas' Cellular and Molecular Immunology; AAAAI/ACAAI Allergy Practice Parameters https://www.allergyparameters.org and selected articles from peer-reviewed journals

Clinical

A/I APC residents will have the majority of their training in The Tankersley Clinic, the private practice of the Program Director, Mike Tankersley, MD, MBA, in Collierville, TN, under the supervision of Dr. Tankersley with his one-on-one instruction.  The resident will work 4 full clinic days weekly in The Tankersley Clinic treating patients with allergy, respiratory and skin conditions under the supervision of a BC allergy/immunology physician. One day per week will be non-clinical and reserved for academic and practice management training.  Additional rotations may also be provided in dermatology, dietetics, otolaryngology and rheumatology.  The resident will be instructed and supervised by a BC/BE allergy/immunology physician or APC in all aspects of skills related to the performance of allergy, respiratory and skin care procedures.  Procedure, reading and patient logs are to be maintained by the resident.  

Compensations and benefits provided by The Tankersley Clinic, PLLC:

• $50,000 stipend annually
• 10 days vacation
• 2 monogrammed white coats
• Malpractice insurance
• Up-To-Date online subscription 
• 60 hours CME provided in paid course attendance at either the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology or the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
• Reimbursement for Asthma Educator Certification (AE-C) Examination Fee

Required out of pocket expenses:

1. Stethoscope and otoscope
2. Transportation to and from clinical sites, didactics, journal club
3. Room and board

 Upon successful completion of the program, A/I APC residents will be awarded a Certificate of Completion of the Allergy/Immunology Advanced Practice Clinician Post-Graduate Residency by The Tankersley Clinic, PLLC.

Contact Information

Jessie Tankersley, B.S. questions@thetankersleyclinic.com Phone: (901) 335-8966 Fax: (901) 244-2021

Residency Program Director and Medical Director:

 Mike Tankersley, MD, MBA

Name of program: The Tankersley Clinic A/I APC Residency

Start date: rolling

Duration: 12 months

Class size: 1

Application due date: rolling

 Application Requirements

ALL residents must be licensed and boarded prior to program entry.

1. Graduate of APC-PA accredited PA or CCNE program covering ALL ages prior to matriculation into the residency
2. Official graduate program transcripts
3. NCCPA certification or PANCE eligible/APRN certification or eligibility
4. Official copy of PANCE or AANPCB scores
5. Tennessee state licensure or eligibility
6. Tennessee DEA licensure or eligibility
7. Three professional letters of recommendation  (If employed, one letter from attending physician; if new graduate, one letter from program faculty)
8. Current Curriculum Vitae
9. Personal statement (<2 pages stating personal/ professional goals, reasons for pursuing A/I residency)
10. Personal interview

Send completed application, CV, and personal statement to:

The Tankersley Clinic, PLLC

ATTN: Jessie Tankersley, B.S.
1458 W Poplar Ave
Suite 205
Collierville, TN 38017

Board-certified, Asthma Educator

Kristi Barnes, FNP, AE-C 

Barnes K and Tankersley M. Anaphylaxis Manifesting As Refractory Uterine Cramping.  Poster presentation at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Meeting, Nov 2021, New Orleans, LA (abstract published in Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2021;127:S65.)

Martinez D and Tankersley M. Friends Don't Let Friends Mix Alone: Anaphylaxis in the Mixing Lab. Oral presentation at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Meeting, Nov 2020, virtual meeting (abstract published in Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2020:125:S13)