Einstein in Philly: center for psychoanalysis (?)

[JamesPhilly]

Hi There,

I've been a 'lurker' on this forum for many years. I know it is not considered polite to merely blurt out "what do you think of xxx's residency? Comments?", so allow me to add a little twist to the typical question...the program I am curious about has Center for Psychoanalysis and I'm unsure what to think about it.

There is a residency in Philadelphia in a non-university based system called Albert Einstein. I have some Jewish ancestry so I am familiar with the school back in Israel (and NYC I think), but they are not related. I hear it's mostly composed of IMGs (I am a US grad), and I know that turns most people off, but I don't really care about that. The thing is, the program director, Dr. Best, runs the Center for Psychoanalysis. So, no guessing about their position on the biological model.

I looked far and wide on SDN and found no mention of Einstein's psychiatry residency. If anyone has experience with the institution at all, I'd love to hear it. Years ago, I remember a thread from DrStillLover or something like that which talked about psychoanalysis, and there seemed to be a difference of opinion on its effectiveness. I'm not trying to revive that discussion, but rather I'd like to know: does the existence of a psychoanalysis center imply too much of a specific focus on that particular tool? I've nver heard of a program having something like this, is it common? I'm an MS3 so my experience is limited to say the least.

For anyone that does have experience at Einstein, does this program teach you enough about CBT, for example? Not that psychiatrists use it much as others can do it for cheaper (and arguably better), but it'd be nice to have that tool.

Thank you so much for your replies.

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[9point75]

Aaron Beck and his daughter Judy run the Cognitive Therapy Center down there in Philly... I think it is associated with UPenn. You can definitely get your CBT exposure from there.

 

[nitemagi]

Psychoanalytic centers have historically been independent of academic institutions, a choice that sociologists that study the history of psychiatry theorize led to the fall in independence and prestige of psychoanalysis and the rise of CBT (heavily researched and supported in evidence within academic centers, more open to psychologists who're trained specifically in research methods and getting grants). The culture has shifted a bit and psychoanalysts commonly are voluntary faculty at medical centers and residencies. So in current day I'd say it's more common - where analytic institutes exist, they usually have some academic affiliation these days. Especially since residencies require some teaching in at least psychodynamic therapy.

There's 2 separate (but not mutually exclusive) centers for CBT in Philly -- the Beck Institute and the Center for Cognitive therapy (CCT/Upenn).

 

[JamesPhilly]

It sounds like then it's not an unusual thing. Thank you for the replies.