Psychiatry Residency Program
Our mission
Train and prepare psychiatry residents:
- To provide the best possible care for every patient, every time, and to do so with empathy, respect, and caring;
- To work effectively not only individually with each patient, but within multi-disciplinary teams, and as part of larger health care organizations and society;
- And prepare them for careers filled with ongoing inquisitiveness, learning, introspection, and self-improvement.
Program Description
The clinical and didactic experiences of the Psychiatry Residency are designed to provide a solid foundation in diagnosis and treatment planning in the first two years, then graduate into settings of greater clinical complexity in the PGY-3, and finally to expanded responsibility and elective exploration in PGY-4.
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PGY-1
2 months of neurology, 4 months of internal medicine (inpatient and outpatient), 6 months of adult inpatient. All rotations are at East Alabama Medical Center and the Internal Medicine Residency outpatient clinic.
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PGY-2
2-3 month rotations in subspecialty areas including child & adolescent, geriatric, emergency, community, substance abuse, and consultation psychiatry. Rotations are at East Alabama Medical Center, Integrea Community Mental Health Center, and the Opelika Addiction Center. Once the rotation in emergency psychiatry is completed (and the resident has appropriate medical licensure), opportunity for moonlighting is available.
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PGY-3
Twelve consecutive months of outpatient psychiatry. Time is divided between East Alabama Psychiatric Services (the outpatient clinic for EAH) and Auburn University Student Counseling Center.
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PGY-4
Return to the inpatient settings and take on responsibility for leadership, teaching, and mentoring. Lead the multidisciplinary teams on adult inpatient and consult services. The remaining months are open for electives.
Didactics
In order for didactic learning to be clearly relevant and immediately applicable to practice, many lectures are scheduled to coincide with the resident’s current clinical rotation. As examples, lectures on adult psychopathology are presented during the PGY-1 year while on the adult units, while topics related to child & adolescent psychopathology and pharmacology are presented during the PGY-2 rotation in child psychiatry. As a result, not only are presentations directly relevant to the resident’s current rotation, but learning is balanced between small and large group settings. The small group experience on clinical rotations is balanced by larger groups, such as in Journal Club and Grand Rounds, which span all the years PGY-1 through PGY-4.
The didactic schedules for the PGY 1&2 and PGY 3&4 mirror the expanding clinical experiences of those years. The PGY 1-2 curriculum focuses on diagnosis and treatment; the PGY 3-4 curriculum focuses on specialized topics, wellness, systems of care, and administrative/ governing structures within which physicians work. When PGY 3-4 topics apply to Internal Medicine residents as well (systems of care, administrative/governing structures), then interdisciplinary learning and developing working relationships is furthered by including those residents in seminars.
Beyond didactics – Field trips to several regional sites can used as stimulus for reflection and discussion. For example, topics of compassion, respect for diverse populations, and professional accountability to society are reflected at Unity Wellness, Opelika; the Equal Justice Initiative Peace & Justice Memorial and Legacy Museum, Montgomery; and the Civil Rights Museum, Birmingham. From time to time, the exhibits at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University may also provide stimulus for conversation about topics relevant to mental health and human development. Also, teaching didactics is part of professional development - PGY 4 residents are invited to co-teach some of the PGY 1-2 seminars with faculty.
Interview Dates
Virtual interview dates:
- 10/9/24
- 10/15/24
- 10/17/24
- 10/28/24
- 11/5/24
In-person interview dates:
- 10/24/24
- 11/7/24
- 11/14/24
- 11/21/24
- 12/5/24
- 12/12/24
Follow our residency program on Instagram
Stay connected with our psychiatric residency program by following @eah_psychresidency on Instagram. Discover a glimpse into the program, explore behind-the-scenes moments, and stay updated on our latest events, accomplishments, and mental health advocacy initiatives. Join our community and see how we're training the next generation of psychiatrists.