Least stressful psychiatry residency

[navdoc47]

I'm currently a physician (DO) in the Navy practicing general medicine, and I plan to apply for psychiatry residency programs in a few years when my commitment is complete. I completed a psychiatry internship w/the Navy. I could easily enter a Navy psychiatry residency, however I'm looking to get out.

I have difficulty dealing with high levels of stress (ie call/workload), so which programs in your opinion are the least stressful? I could care less which programs are the most prestigious - I just want a program that will result in board certification with the least amount of pain as possible

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[atsai3]

I have difficulty dealing with high levels of stress (ie call/workload), so which programs in your opinion are the least stressful? I could care less which programs are the most prestigious - I just want a program that will result in board certification with the least amount of pain as possible

At the San Mateo program, your only overnight call is qweekly in the psych emergency service as a PGY1. Upper levels do not take evening or overnight call.

-AT.

 

[whopper]

Depends on the program. You need to ask about their own specific call schedules.

In general most psychiatry programs I've seen have much more laid back schedules vs other medical fields. However I have seen some in NYC where they make you work very very hard.

North General--you were on call Q3 and they were all nighter calls. They also wanted you to work 6 days a week.

My own program is pretty laid back (UMDNJ Robert Wood Johnson at Camden & Atlantic City Regional Medical Center) We work 5 days a week, you're on call about about every Q5-6 days as a first year, you have to do 1 weekend call a month.

As expected, as you go up, there's less calls. As a 3rd year, I'm only on call 2x a month. As a 4th year, no calls.

Calls are not all nighters. You can go home about 10 pm. However if anything happens on the unit or admissions need to be done they'll beep you and you can do it over the phone. About 1/3 of the nights you get no calls, 1/3 of the nights-enough calls to get you about 5 hrs of decent sleep, 1/3: enough calls where you get hardly any sleep.

 

[j802002]

Hey,

My NEW program, University of Rochester...boasts no overnight call for all of residency (latest is 12:00 midnight). I have yet to see how it pans out but from speaking to residents...they seem to be very satisfied with the lifestyle and have a lot of free time.

 

[RookieRoo]

Home call 4x per month for the first two years. No call after that. Easy-going faculty & residents.

 

[Ulquiorra]

Wow, and I thought the call schedule at my program was sweet.

 

[whopper]

Just wanted to add, you might not want to go too easy.

Sometimes you will learn more because the going gets tough. Just that you don't want to be in a situation where you're working too hard and not learning. When things get tough, you learn to prioritize and triage a heck of a lot better.

Bottom line--easy call schedules are good--but that's not the only thing to rank a program on, and don't go overboard trying to find the easiest call schedule.

 

[sarahjay]

What about least stressful program in Texas?

 

[Ulquiorra]

From my interview experiences and from what I've heard, I'd say Scott and White.

 

[MD3:16]

if you keep searching i am sure you will find some good programs. psychiatry is not that bad of a speciality.

 

[alina_s]

You might want to look at the smaller programs. Some of them don't count on their residents to cover all of the call, so they aren't impacted by someone leaving/getting sick and the call schedule is determined by how much they think you need for your education, not the amount of work that needs to be done. I seem to remember that the UCSF-Fresno program did this, as well as Maine Medical Center.

 

[ORBITAL BEBOP]

Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, IL
call is 5-6 first year
4 second year
1 third year
none fourth year

 

[sga430]

perhaps the vegas program. 0 call if i remember right.

 

[Dartos Vader]

Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, IL
call is 5-6 first year
4 second year
1 third year
none fourth year

At my interview there they told me first year was more like 4 a month. I hope you're right though b/c that's where I'm going! Still 4 a month is pretty sweet if you ask me.

 

[RookieRoo]

my friend don't believe the hype about the university of florida program. they probably are the most stringent and difficult in the country. first of the require that their residents have an annual past rate on the prite of at least 85%. also the program monitors all your progress notes looking for nit picky details to ding you on. moreover, they have an annual mock oral boards that you are required to past before proceeding to the next year. if i most be honest the most laid back psych programs are in new york like long island jewish, mount sinai, rochester, etc. who said FLORIDA should ask Holbert to start them on zyprexa or geodon, because they are obviously crazy!

OK, I don't know what the deal is with this guy but this stuff is false. The only true statement he made is about the mock oral boards.

Some very good programs have been named here on this thread so I think the original poster would probably be fine at any one of them. Good Luck and let me know if you have any questions on UF.

 

[RookieRoo]

.

 

[PGY2Psych]

UConn is pretty chill, as I recall from interviews.

 

[Big Lebowski]

I have difficulty dealing with high levels of stress (ie call/workload)...

I'm curious what you mean by having "difficulty". Is it more difficult for you than the average psychiatry resident? I hope you are able to balance workload/stress with opportunity to learn.

Be careful what you wish for. Though call can be stressful and a bit of a "nuisance", there is a TON to learn. Actually, there were few experiences that I had where I would say the learning curve was steeper than the call experience. Of course, at my program, we do not take call PGY-3 or 4 year, so it's easy for me to say this.....I guess I'm nostalgic about it when I think back.

 

[MD3:16]

how is your search going?

 

[GatorMedMan]

hey everyone this rookieroo person is full of it. come on rookie tell us how many people were kicked out of the program. i mean literally forced out for no reason. my God neurosurgery at mass general is more laid back than uf psych. guys avoid this place if you want good lifestyle and more importantly a good learning experience. maybe rookie you attended uf in it's hay day, but most residents seem uptight and stress to me. always worrying about prite scores. they are competitive at uf. i mean it's psych for crying out loud! it's psych...no need for the super type-A prima donna personalities.

I have to disagree with everything you have said, as have every other post on this site and scutwork.com about the UF psych program. And stating it's worse than MGH neurosurg (although I know nothing about MGH n.s., but I can imagine) and stating residents have been kicked out for no reason is hilarious. What's next, the attendings eat babies? I'm curious who you have been talking to, especially since just a few weeks ago you were inquiring on this forum about the program. In my opinion, with the exception of the medicine months during PGY1, the program is extremely laid back, maybe even a little to laid back. Psych call is from home, ave. weekly hours PGY1 & 2 are 55, 45 during PGY3 & 4, but there is plenty of opportunity to do more if you choose. Vast majority of attendings are very supportive and the residents are very happy and laid back. I always see the residents out at night. The drug rep dinners are fantastic. I'm not to sure about the details of the prite and mock orals so I won't try to discount them, but by reading the tone of your statements I can assume you might be overdoing it a bit. But even if what you say is correct, it doesn't seem to be causing a problem with the residents. Overall, I think this is a solid program. The only problem is it's in Gainesville, which is a horrible town unless you're under 22 and still enjoy kegstands. Oh yeah, and the fact that their not that great at certifying rank lists, but I'm sure that will never happen again.

 

[NUgirl]

At my interview there they told me first year was more like 4 a month. I hope you're right though b/c that's where I'm going! Still 4 a month is pretty sweet if you ask me.

It is 4/month. They're q6 first year. They have no weekend calls EVER, including during the first year. So they all have lives. They are a very friendly/laidback program. You will love it there! I'm doing a psych elective there now, and it's great! The residents are REALLY REALLY happy.

 

[emeth23]

hello,

i saw your post and wanted to ask you a few questions. i was recently accepted for the pgy-2 position at uf. however, the program i am transferring from wasn't very strong academically and not many didactics given. i was wondering as an incoming pgy-2 want would you recommend to make myself better prepared and adjust more easily to the program. i know that your second year is exclusively outpatient. however, i've been talking to the program coordinator get some inpatient experience. any advice that you can offer would be greatly appreciated and i really look forward to starting the program in july.

thanks

 

[RookieRoo]

emeth, look in your pm box

 

[Dartos Vader]

It is 4/month. They're q6 first year. They have no weekend calls EVER, including during the first year. So they all have lives. They are a very friendly/laidback program. You will love it there! I'm doing a psych elective there now, and it's great! The residents are REALLY REALLY happy.

Cool. I am really happy with my match results. The biggy reason I didn't rank it #1 is the cost of living near the hospital. I've got a 2 year old and one on the way. Not easy on a residents salary to start with! Have you been to the gym in the hospital? It's really sweet.