Psychiatry Residency Interviews in Missouri

[medflava]

Hi guys,

Can you tell me if you had any Psychiatry residency interviews in Missouri? If so can you let me know how it went?

These are the programs I can think of?

1. Washington University/B-JH/SLCH Consortium Program
2. St Louis University School of Medicine Program
3. Kansas City University of Medicine & Biosciences-GME Consortium (KCU-GME Consortium)/Ozark Center Program
4. University of Missouri-Columbia Program
5. University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine Program

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[wolfvgang22]

I did 10 years ago.

 

[medflava]

I did 10 years ago.

Which program did you interview at? And how did it go?

 

[wolfvgang22]

Interviewed for residency at these all in 2009:

1. Washington University/B-JH/SLCH Consortium Program - senior residents there basically warned me off this program because they felt overworked, and because they were not being taught psychotherapy skills because Wash U was very "neuropsychiatry" focused. They bitterly complained attendings were more interested in their own research than teaching. Seemed at the time to be the most competitive program in your list. Smelled strongly of beer hops outside when I interviewed (not good or bad, just a fact.) Felt more urban than either of the other two programs. Big campus.
2. Kansas City University of Medicine & Biosciences-GME Consortium (KCU-GME Consortium)/Ozark Center Program - was a fairly easy place to match. Seems to be a balanced program. Nicer people than UMKC in 2009. Welcoming to DO's, IMGs, U.S. MD's alike, which to me is a good thing. Good education. I did a pscyhiatry rotation there. I ranked this program fairly high due to location and familiarity.
3. I chose not to interview at UMKC because UMKC in general were "snobby" to me in med school in non-psych rotations as an IMG and hazed me a lot as a student, much more compared to other places I rotated. It is kind of like naming your son "Sue." It made me tough and sharp but pissed me off. Maybe I shouldn't have held that against the psychiatry department, but I was soured on the overall UMKC culture at the time. Maybe it's improved, I don't know.
4. University of Missouri-Columbia Program - I really liked this program, also seemed like a balanced educational program, the residents seemed happy. The facilities were nice at the time. Fun little city, nice campus. I like the football team but it makes parking a pain.
5. St. Louis didn't grant me an interview, but I wish they had as they have a great reputation for teaching therapy.

Those are my thoughts, but I encourage you to take these opinions for what they are worth and also interview at these places on your own and form your own impressions. Places sometimes change over the years as people come and go. I interviewed very broadly as a U.S. IMG. Ended up getting my first choice at another program after ranking over 20 programs.
Good luck!

 

[Stagg737]

I interviewed at UMKC and Mizzou (Columbia) in 2017. Happy to answer questions but did not end up at either program.

 

[whopper]

Washington University/B-JH/SLCH Consortium Program - senior residents there basically warned me off this program because they felt overworked, and because they were not being taught psychotherapy skills because Wash U was very "neuropsychiatry" focused. They bitterly complained attendings were more interested in their own research than teaching. Seemed at the time to be the most competitive program in your list. Smelled strongly of beer hops outside when I interviewed (not good or bad, just a fact.) Felt more urban than either of the other two programs. Big campus.

I live in St. Louis.

While I never worked in BJC/Washington U I heard echoing comments made by several. The beer hops? St Louis is a major beer city being the home of Anheuiser-Busch with several craft beer places right outside the hospital. Likely where the smell was from. I can tell you that I know several of the researchers and they are top people in the field but among those I know, yes they are very much into research and not so much enthusiastic about the teaching. That all said it's not fair to judge a program by such a limited means, I haven't worked there, and the sample size I had was small.

St. Louis U? I used to work there. I left. I'd rather residents talk about their experiences about that program. Sometime in the future I may talk about it but write about it as a fictional setting where the same exact darned things happened, but won't attach the SLU name to it.

The "therapy" thing with SLU I wouldn't say applies anymore. I never met any therapy expert there that was superior to any other I've seen anywhere else. I've never seen any emphasis on therapy that was superior to other programs. Their program, the majority of attendings would only stay a short while (often times about 1-2 years) and leave so the make-up of the program highly changes. It may be at one time it was some type of incredibly excellent therapy lyceum but when I was there I didn't see it happening.

 

[reca]

I went to med school at Mizzou and interviewed at most of the Missouri programs.


1. Washington University/B-JH/SLCH Consortium Program.

Echoing what others have said over here. Very research oriented to the extent that other aspects are neglected. Was told by an attending who had previously worked there, "If you're into exciting research, people will be all over you. If you're not, no one will give you a second glance." Next to nothing in terms of psychotherapy training. Attendings are not interested in teaching so very much self-directed learning.

2. St Louis University School of Medicine Program

Didn't interview here.


4. University of Missouri-Columbia Program

This was my home program and honestly, if the med school itself hadn't been so malignant (google "Mizzou student mistreatment"), I would probably have ranked this a lot higher. Facilities are very nice compared to most psych facilities, there's a fantastic psych ER, good work-life balance. All the residents I knew were really happy at the program. Attendings are really interested in teaching. Honestly, I'd say overall it's probably the best psych program in Missouri.

5. University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine Program

I didn't interview here after hearing really bad reviews from UMKC med students that I knew.

6. And you didn't mention it, but University of Kansas has a program that's pretty much in Missouri (Kansas City).

Interviewed here, ranked it dead last on my list. One interviewer forgot to show up (apparently this has happened to more than one applicant) and my second interviewer spent his time telling me how doctors suck, nurses are awesome, and surgeons are the only doctors who do anything. Turns out he was a surgery resident initially and then transferred to psychiatry halfway through. They have an IM/psych combined program and spent a lot of time telling us about that even though all the applicants that day were categorical psych. Facilities looked really run down but I think they said they were getting new ones soon. It was a half day interview and as a final insult, the resident laughingly told us that they do that so they don't have to pay for lunch. I thought she was joking until they literally finished the day at noon and gave us recommendations for where we could buy lunch on our own. Oh, and we had to fill out a questionnaire with pseudo-psychological questions like, "If you were a car, what model of car would you be and why?"

 

[medflava]

Thank you all for the replies. This helps a lot.

 

[Stagg737]

I’d say to take interview experiences with a grain of salt. Look at the facilities, talk to the residents, ask about support staff. There’s a few pieces of info above that are either inaccurate or outdated. If you really want to know about a program talk to the current residents or recent grads.

 

[medflava]

I’d say to take interview experiences with a grain of salt. Look at the facilities, talk to the residents, ask about support staff. There’s a few pieces of info above that are either inaccurate or outdated. If you really want to know about a program talk to the current residents or recent grads.

Thank you and I do have that in mind. I sent you specific questions.

 

[FatherPsychiatry]

Interviewed at SLU and WashU 3-4 years ago.

WashU: Echo what others said above. Big name, cool and interesting research opportunities, very scientific and not much therapy (for better or for worse). Just wasn't my cup of tea, so I didn't really ask more questions to residents after interview day.

SLU: A lot of big names here like Nasrallah, Felthaus (for the forensically inclined). I didn't feel too great about it on interview day, think I just didn't mesh with the residents and they didn't seem too excited about the work. I was friends with some med students at SLU (we went to undergrad together outside of Missouri) and they had some very negative things to say about the quality of residents and teaching. This was consistent among several people who rotated at different times and I imagine they had different residents.

 

[reca]

Interviewed at SLU and WashU 3-4 years ago.

WashU: Echo what others said above. Big name, cool and interesting research opportunities, very scientific and not much therapy (for better or for worse). Just wasn't my cup of tea, so I didn't really ask more questions to residents after interview day.

SLU: A lot of big names here like Nasrallah, Felthaus (for the forensically inclined). I didn't feel too great about it on interview day, think I just didn't mesh with the residents and they didn't seem too excited about the work. I was friends with some med students at SLU (we went to undergrad together outside of Missouri) and they had some very negative things to say about the quality of residents and teaching. This was consistent among several people who rotated at different times and I imagine they had different residents.

Nasrallah is back at Cincinnati now

 

[jpmiz]

I interviewed at SLU, Mizzou, and UMKC this year and I can try and answer any questions you have!

 

[medflava]

I interviewed at SLU, Mizzou, and UMKC this year and I can try and answer any questions you have!

Thanks. Which program did you like the most? How were the attendings? Did any of the programs seem malignant to you?

 

[Psychferlyfe3000]

I interviewed at UMKC this season. I didn't see any signs of malignancy. The PD is odd, but seems fair and kind. I liked him in the end. The residents all endorsed being content with training. I also know a med student there and she said she wasnt head over heels for the place, but it is decent training with good work-life balance. It has supposedly come a long way from when it was considered malignant several years ago.