What residency programs emphasize child psych "track"?

[GrassBladeRunner]

Hi, I'm entering my 4th year of medical school and am interested in child psych. Does anyone have input on which residency programs provide more "child" exposure throughout residency. My home institution has a child "track," but I've heard that it's not robust. Thanks for your help guys!

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[OldPsychDoc]

Having a "track" is less important than looking at the program's track record in placing residents into child fellowships, either internally or externally. All programs are required to offer 2 months FTE of child training, either inpatient or outpatient, which may or may not be "robust" based on the sites they have available to rotate through. It's probably best that you identify the programs where you want to train for general psych and then ask more about this topic on interviews, with senior residents, etc.

Many programs with affiliated fellowships make a point of identifying their "child-bound" G2s and starting the process of hooking them in by the beginning of PGY3 so that it can be a smooth transition--even if they don't call this a formal "track". Some programs that don't have their own fellowships are also very good about identifying and prepping residents, making sure they've completed all requirements by end of PGY3, etc. and supporting and facilitating that transfer when the time comes.

 

[FlowRate]

We have a child track but honestly there's not much to it other than the option of doing some time on peds instead of IM. I think they're working on making it more meaningful.

 

[UTsksk]

My program emailed the intern group to see if any of us are interested in child so we can do a peds rotation instead of an extra IM or FM rotation.

Look to see what programs are associated with a child psych fellowship and see if they have a dedicated peds hospital or at least a hospital with peds

 

[Amygdarya]

OPD has covered it. I would add that it wouldn't hurt going to a residency with a strong affiliated child fellowship and/or strong affiliated child hospitals.

Anecdotally, of the programs I interviewed at, Brown seems to be particularly strong in child, which includes a mandatory 3-month child inpatient rotation + child outpatient experience, not to mention one of the very few freestanding child psych hospitals. And that's just the regular track; they have a child track as well.

 

[GrassBladeRunner]

Thank you for your responses everyone, very helpful!

 

[MacDonaldTriad]

There are exceptions, but in general, programs with child fellowships have stronger adult child and adolescent rotations because they have child faculty and child services instead of just farming you out to some child psych services in the community. All this being said, most any psych resident can get into a C&A fellowship. They only half fill in general so it isn't that competitive. Sure, the top ones are still competitive, but as a rule, plenty of room for all of those interested.

 

[milesed]

You have to complete certain hours in various areas during the first 3 years, so most programs should be similar. If wanting to stay at the same program to complete C/A fellowship, most allow you to start the first year of it during your 4th year of residency so it takes a total of 5 instead of 6 years to complete. I'd really look at programs that allow that and are strong in general psyc.

 

[slappy]

There are some integrated programs with a pretty meaningful "track" actually. Like Yale.