Bio-focus: Naming Names

[mistafab]

Hey Y’all,

I’d like to have people list off excellent, bio-leaning psychiatry programs. I’ve read many of the program reviews and other threads, but want to make sure I don’t miss out on applying to great programs that may not be on my radar. Geography is not an issue.

I had a wonderful conversation the other day with an attending that ran the gamut of viruses, endothelial disruption, and the like - these are the conversations I want to have during training. This is not to say that the social determinants of health or the psyche-focused, therapy-based perspectives are not valuable. However, the career in psychiatry that I see for myself will definitely be bio-leaning. A program that fosters that sort of environment and gets me exposed to thinkers from that area would be very valuable to me and likely a good ‘fit.’ I’d love to hear if your program is that hidden, bio-gem!

Thanks!

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[clausewitz2]

I don't think it's really hidden at all but UPMC/WPH is as bio-leaning as anyone could ask for.

 

[wolfvgang22]

Washington University in St. Louis has been historically notorious for this.

 

[Evidence Based]

UPMC Wash U and Hopkins are all well known for their biologic focus. BWH in Boston has some really top notch C/L and biologically focused docs and should be able to scratch that itch. UMASS has a really excellent neuropsychiatry program and could be a great fit (and is definitely more a hidden gem, as it gets the short shrift for being in a smaller city)

Really most programs at tertiary care hospitals will have the faculty to mentor you if that's what you're looking for. I would just look at programs' websites and look at how they're selling themselves.

 

[Amygdarya]

To add another steongly biological program to the above list: UCSD.

In general, stay away from the Northeast and you won't catch the psychodynamics bug

 

[ridethecliche]

Doesn't Tufts also have some pretty hot shot psychopharm folks?

 

[splik]

Doesn't Tufts also have some pretty hot shot psychopharm folks?

very psychodynamically oriented, it is boston after all and the PD is an analyst

 

[ridethecliche]

very psychodynamically oriented, it is boston after all and the PD is an analyst

Hmm I was thinking of Dr. Ghaemi

 

[Taddy Mason]

Iowa is a pretty solid program that is very bio-oriented.

 

[PSYCH2019]

What is the therapy training like at some of the more biological programs in the Midwest like WashU, Iowa, Michigan, and UPMC? I was initially very interested in the east coast psychotherapy programs but I’m hoping to make the move back to the Midwest and do find biological psychiatry fascintating as well. I imagine therapy training is something people pursue post-residency. I’m trying to be more open minded to those places as I look to finalize my rank list in the next few days.

 

[clausewitz2]

What is the therapy training like at some of the more biological programs in the Midwest like WashU, Iowa, Michigan, and UPMC? I was initially very interested in the east coast psychotherapy programs but I’m hoping to make the move back to the Midwest and do find biological psychiatry fascintating as well. I imagine therapy training is something people pursue post-residency. I’m trying to be more open minded to those places as I look to finalize my rank list in the next few days.

Can speak to UPMC. Probably modal for residents to pick up a dynamic case early-mid second year, a number of people have 2-3 ongoing dynamic cases by the time they finish up. Supervision is relatively easy to get for these cases. There are some formal didactics that are alright as an introduction early in 2nd year. You can of course take classes at the local psychoanalytic institute which is all of a ten minute drive away; they offer evening classes as well that are discounted for residents. A fairly well-subscribed elective is available starting third year that functions as a more advanced dynamic reading group and group supervision. At the same no one is going to push very hard for you to get any kind of dynamic training and there's not a super robust referral stream.

Program devotes a good chunk of didactics 2nd year to teaching IPT because Myrna Weissman was here and Holly Swartz still is. You are required to do an IPT case. There is an elective available starting third year where you could get a whole lot more IPT cases and/or learn IPSRT because we invented it. I hate IPT so I did not go down this route. Easy to get cases, many come from Pitt Counseling Center which has tremendous waiting lists

CBT didactics are fairly solid but don't start until 3rd year. Pretty easy to get cases. The initial training is very focused on garden-variety depression and anxiety cases. It's fine. CBT makes me feel like a therapy robot and I have trouble not falling asleep but I recognize the utility.

Beyond that, there are a huge number of elective experiences that are in principle available, you just sort of have to identify what you want to learn and who in the institution knows it and go for it. I have gotten most of my therapy experience this way. I am piloting an inpatient ACT for psychosis group which came about because I heard someone mention that one of our psychologists was interested in this and so I talked to her and it turned out she trained with the group that really made ACT for psychosis more than a notional reality, so here we are. We have a medium-high fidelity DBT program structured as an IOP which is another option I will be pursuing.

So what I'd say is UPMC is not really set up to make you a competent therapist by default; doing just one case in a modality is less training in modality and more training in doing therapy with that one person. The expertise is there if you are interested in cognitive or behavioral approaches but you have to have some initiative. that said, once I identified what I wanted to do, I had zero pushback carving out time to do it.