Good residency programs

[SmallBird]

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It seems an obvious enough question, but as an IMG I am struggling to come up with a balanced list of programs to apply to. The top programs (like Emory, Cornell, etc.) are obvious enough, but in order to maximize my chances I intend applying to around 20 programs, and want to include enough good, but not excessively competitive programs.

What I am looking for in a program is a balance between psychotherapy and psychopharmacology and good research opportunities. Otherwise I have no fixed prerequisites! Any thoughts greatly appreciated. Apologies if my question seems obvious to most of you.

 

[peppy]

Check out the programs in Syracuse, NY and Rochester, NY. They both offer very good training yet are not as competitive as many programs of similar quality because most people hate upstate NY winters. Rochester NY also has a remarkably humane internship schedule (no overnight call, just short call) though I don't know how much of a factor that will be in the future with the new duty hour regulations coming. Might be nice to go to a program that has already worked out how to do such a schedule rather than one just trying to figure it out.

 

[HMSPSYCH]

What I am looking for in a program is a balance between psychotherapy and psychopharmacology and good research opportunities.

Good therapy and medication management are generally the standard at most programs these days. To separate ourselves from the legions of non physician mental health providers out there, you will want more. Look for programs with more intense internal medicine along with neurology and ED rotations in the first year. You will need strong medical fundamental knowledge after residency. Also look for programs that will offer you training or research opportunities in neuroimaging, ect and tms. Good 1-2 years of live therapy(MET, CBT, supportive, psychodynamic, or mindfullness/DBT) supervision is important. Interventional neuropsychiatry seems like the future for us but a strong foundation in therapy will serve you well.

To answer your questions, stick with the university programs such as Duke, MUSC, UNC, mayo, Ucinn, Sheppard Pratt, Hopkins, UCDavis, Michigan, wisconsin etc.. I hear Uof Miami has improved since Nemeroff (sp) arrival from Emory. I am sure there are more you can consider.

 

[SmallBird]

Also look for programs that will offer you training or research opportunities in neuroimaging, ect and tms. Good 1-2 years of live therapy(MET, CBT, supportive, psychodynamic, or mindfullness/DBT) supervision is important. Interventional neuropsychiatry seems like the future for us

Thank you, an excellent insight. Having primarily been exposed to psychiatry in South Africa and the UK, I was unaware of that prominence of that trend, although it makes absolute sense. Presumably, the programs you listed will provide some of these opportunities?

Although I anticipate having a strong application (scores 240+; good research; honors for course) I want to make sure I also include a few more, less competitive programs, as is often suggested for applicants in other specialities. Is this less of an issue for psychiatry? I have heard it is less competitive, but looking at lists of current residents at these programs would suggest otherwise!

 

[peppy]

To answer your questions, stick with the university programs such as Duke, MUSC, UNC, mayo, Ucinn, Sheppard Pratt, Hopkins, UCDavis, Michigan, wisconsin etc.. I hear Uof Miami has improved since Nemeroff (sp) arrival from Emory. I am sure there are more you can consider.

I would agree those are good programs, but I wouldn't consider them to be non-competitive. I know of American grads who failed to get interviews or match at many of those places, so I would consider them to be "reach" choices for someone from overseas or the Carribean (possibly obtainable but I'd recommend some other places for safety options).

 

[notdeadyet]

I would agree those are good programs, but I wouldn't consider them to be non-competitive. I know of American grads who failed to get interviews or match at many of those places, so I would consider them to be "reach" choices for someone from overseas or the Carribean (possibly obtainable but I'd recommend some other places for safety options).

Ditto this. Most of the schools he mentioned would be gutsy as "safeties" for U.S. allopaths from good schools with good LORs.

 

[HMSPSYCH]

Although I anticipate having a strong application (scores 240+; good research; honors for course) I want to make sure I also include a few more, less competitive programs, as is often suggested for applicants in other specialities. Is this less of an issue for psychiatry? I have heard it is less competitive, but looking at lists of current residents at these programs would suggest otherwise!

No worries. Given your desire to train at a high quality program with good, balanced training and your excellent stats; I will stand by my prior recommendations as many of them are not in the top 10. Provided that you are not a disaster on interviews, I believe you will be a competetive applicant at most of them. The safeties programs such as stony brook, buffalo, bakersfield, kansas, mehary, LICH, morehouse may suffice but will provide only adequate training. I could be wrong as I did not interviewed or trained at any of these places.
Psychiatry has become more competitive but it is not a ROAD specialty. Top 20 programs tend to select allop grads from good us/canada schools with good stats instead of IMGs or DOs, which I think is unfair, but it is what it is. thereby, I suggest considering applying to maybe 30 programs.

 

[maranatha]

Interventional neuropsychiatry seems like the future for us but a strong foundation in therapy will serve you well.
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Excuse my ignorance, but what is interventional neuropsychiatry?

 

[SmallBird]

The safeties programs such as stony brook, buffalo, bakersfield, kansas, mehary, LICH, morehouse may suffice but will provide only adequate training.

Thanks for those, I hadn't looked into any of them, although I suspect I would reconsider specializing in the USA if I only got interviews there (not that I am saying the training is bad, just that it might not justify the enormous upheaval of immigrating!).

I will apply for 30 programs, probably with four or five excellent programs (Emory, Cornell, etc), a lot of good programs (MUSC, Rochester, George Washington, UCSD) and a couple of "safeties" as you listed. I hope this proves to be a good strategy!