New, free, and RELIABLE resource for residency applicants.

[OldPsychDoc]

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AADPRT :: Psychiatry Training

Guide to Applying for Psychiatry Residency

Recently released was A Roadmap to Psychiatry Residency, co-supported by the APA, AADPRT, AAP, ADMSEP, and PsychSIGN. Click the link below for key information medical students can use to navigate their psychiatric residency.

What's included:

• What to do during medical school to prepare for a career in Psychi
  
  atry
• Planning for the 4th year
• How to choose the right program
• How many programs to apply to
• Letters of recommendation
• Personal statements
• Nuts and bolts of the interview day
• Post-interview communication
• What happens if you do not match
• Special topics

View Info on AADPRT Website/Download Guide

 

[MacDonaldTriad]

Just read the whole thing. Spot on and no surprises. I liked:
You should never ask family members and should not ask resident physicians to write your letters.

and also:
If a faculty member shows any hesitation about writing a letter, you may want to rethink the request. If a faculty member volunteers a letter without being asked, you should accept. Faculty are frequently busy and may need at least 4-6 weeks to complete a letter. This means that you should aim to ask your letter writers by August 1st. Monitor when your letters are uploaded and if, after a few weeks, the letter is not uploaded, send a friendly reminder ("Thank you again for agreeing to write a letter for my application to psychiatry residency. I have attached my CV and personal statement. I am aiming to have all of my letters uploaded by September 15th and would greatly appreciate if the letter could be uploaded by this date."). After the letter is uploaded, be sure to send a thank you note.

I can't highlight this enough:
A typical personal statement is approximately one-page in length, single-spaced, in 10-12 point font.

Don't leave us wondering, we tend to assume the worst:
Some people use this space (PS) as a means of explaining complicating elements of their application, such as a failed rotation or having to take time off.

Under the category of PDs can be old fashioned;
Be aware that the quality and quantity of "lifestyle" questions (e.g. benefits, vacation time, etc.) risks portraying more focus on benefits than education/training.

This one seems obvious, but happens surprisingly often:
Finally, remember that the entire day, including any dinners, is a part of the interview.

and now I'm not the only one saying this:
some Program Directors give preference to the osteopathic medical student that takes and passes both the COMLEX and USMLE.

 

[kopftonmd]

Just read the whole thing. Spot on and no surprises. I liked:
You should never ask family members and should not ask resident physicians to write your letters.

and also:
If a faculty member shows any hesitation about writing a letter, you may want to rethink the request. If a faculty member volunteers a letter without being asked, you should accept. Faculty are frequently busy and may need at least 4-6 weeks to complete a letter. This means that you should aim to ask your letter writers by August 1st. Monitor when your letters are uploaded and if, after a few weeks, the letter is not uploaded, send a friendly reminder ("Thank you again for agreeing to write a letter for my application to psychiatry residency. I have attached my CV and personal statement. I am aiming to have all of my letters uploaded by September 15th and would greatly appreciate if the letter could be uploaded by this date."). After the letter is uploaded, be sure to send a thank you note.

I can't highlight this enough:
A typical personal statement is approximately one-page in length, single-spaced, in 10-12 point font.

Don't leave us wondering, we tend to assume the worst:
Some people use this space (PS) as a means of explaining complicating elements of their application, such as a failed rotation or having to take time off.

Under the category of PDs can be old fashioned;
Be aware that the quality and quantity of "lifestyle" questions (e.g. benefits, vacation time, etc.) risks portraying more focus on benefits than education/training.

This one seems obvious, but happens surprisingly often:
Finally, remember that the entire day, including any dinners, is a part of the interview.

and now I'm not the only one saying this:
some Program Directors give preference to the osteopathic medical student that takes and passes both the COMLEX and USMLE.

Out of interest, is there anything that you or @OldPsychDoc disagree with in the document?

 

[MacDonaldTriad]

I more or less agreed with all of it so I'll have to let OldPsychDoc answer that.

 

[deleted736562]

Under the category of PDs can be old fashioned;
Be aware that the quality and quantity of "lifestyle" questions (e.g. benefits, vacation time, etc.) risks portraying more focus on benefits than education/training.

LOL!

And no comment.

Frankly vacation/benefits (i.e "lifestyle") can tell you a ton about the culture of a program. Below 4 week vacation time and I would seriously question a program. Programs which do not allow more than a few days vacation at a time (yes, they exist) -- I would avoid as the plague. Policies for time off for pregnancy, health insurance, residency unions are some of the most useful and most underrated topics when it comes to residency applications.

This is a job, not free service. Exactly the kind of culture we're trying to stray away from.... (I did try with the no comment part).

 

[EarlyCareerAcademicPsych]

I respectfully disagree with fpsychdoc (while acknowledging a dialectic here).

1) It is much more difficult to assess a work culture than by simply looking at vacation days or the call schedule. Instead, talk to the RESIDENTS who are at that program. Do you want to hang around them? Are those residents the kind of people who you want to be around for four years? Ask the residents about something that happens at their program that they think wouldn't happen elsewhere (stealing this from organizational psychologist Adam Grant because I think that it is a really great strategy).

2) The best strategy to prevent burnout is not to decrease the amount of work but to engage in meaningful work. Of course, we all need to rest and recover from our efforts. But most aspiring doctors - who want to help people - get energized by providing effective clinical care. Find out whether the program has social work support in the emergency room to help with dispositions. Find out what residents get excited about. Find out how responsive the program is to concerns.

3) It is simply not the case that all trainees are seeking the same thing from a residency training program. Some trainees are seeking a career in academic medicine; some are looking to move into healthcare leadership; some are hoping to build or continue research careers; some are looking to do clinical work full-time; some are hoping to do part-time private practice; some don't know WTF they want to do and these folks are trying to keep options open. Get confident enough in what you want to find the program that fits you well.

Fortunately, there is a lot of need in psychiatry, so there are many options in most parts of the country to do what you want.

IMO, residency is a formative experience and you want to be at a place where you are working hard in a way that helps your development. Psychiatry is a rigorous field, both intellectually and emotionally, and it takes a lot of effort to learn to do well. You will be grateful - at the end of training - if you have completed a program which will prepare you well for your work. It is not wise, IMO, to count vacation days and think that it tells you a ton about a program.

 

[deleted736562]

I respectfully disagree with fpsychdoc (while acknowledging a dialectic here).

1) It is much more difficult to assess a work culture than by simply looking at vacation days or the call schedule. Instead, talk to the RESIDENTS who are at that program. Do you want to hang around them? Are those residents the kind of people who you want to be around for four years? Ask the residents about something that happens at their program that they think wouldn't happen elsewhere (stealing this from organizational psychologist Adam Grant because I think that it is a really great strategy).

Yeah, let's pretend vacation has no bearing on wellness. Have to say, that's a new one. As an attending, would you take a job with no attention to vacation or benefits? If not, why do you think residents should?

Frankly I find it outrageous that questions about salary or benefits would somehow put in question interest in education. If anything, could be a sign of maturity that one is invested in their wellness, which according to every study out there is key to happy and productive workers. Will you be able to afford to live on 60k in nyc? Is insurance gonna cover your kid and your unemployed spouse? Will you be able to visit your family across the world if you can't leave more than 3 days at a time? How much will you get off if God forbid you decide to have a kid? The reality is that programs don't want to talk about their meagerly one week maternity leaves if they are generous or their crappy vacation policy, and instead stigmatize the topic as "lifestyle" (seriously??). Programs that do not value time off most certainly to be avoided like the plague, because it does speak a lot about work culture.

I usually make it a point to talk about benefits when I meet applicants, and the flood of questions very appropriately comes in. Many programs have outdated or outright wrong info on their websites. Anyways done beating a dead horse I guess.