How We Learn

Didactics

Our didactics run 12-5pm each Thursday for all residents and the coursework is split into four quarters of the year.

Grand Rounds is held 12-1pm from October through June, followed by a resident lunch.  During the summer quarter, when there isn’t Grand Rounds, lunch is scheduled 12-1pm.  During lunch, training directors meet with 2 resident classes for “check-ins” twice a month (in other words, each class is met with monthly).  The other lunch periods are filled with committee activities or educational events such as resident-led talks on topics ranging from implicit bias to global mental health to psychiatry in the media. Lunch is followed by an afternoon of classes.  PGY1s and 2s have process group during this time.  Courses vary by quarter as noted below. The last day of each quarter is a Community Learning Day where we share lunch together, hear about a relevant topic (e.g. safety in the workspace, mentorship) or case presentation, then breakout into our houses (see Wellness section) for deeper discussions.  The last hour of the day is focused on a community building activity within each house. 

Didactics are in-person except for those residents who have accommodations preventing them from learning in-person. Faculty teach in person as well except under extraordinary circumstances.  We value this time as a community.

The PGY1 Essentials of Psychiatry is an integrated course that runs the whole year and covers important topics pertinent to intern year, including emergency psychiatry, inpatient psychopharmacology and psychosocial treatments applicable to treating a psychiatric inpatient. This year, we are piloting a new approach to our intern support group.  We have structured it to begin with several weeks of team building followed by a more experiential didactic approach: Group Foundations.  By the time residents are ready to engage in support/process group in PGY2, they are very familiar with how groups function and their deeper purpose.

PGY2s spend 9-months learning the basics of psychodynamic psychotherapy paralleling the start of their first outpatient, dynamic therapy case early in the year. They also cover more in-depth psychopharmacologic treatments over 6 months.  Program Directors teach the Leadership, Scholarship, & Career Development and Clinical Teaching courses early in the year, preparing residents for upcoming scholarly concentration time  and medical student ward teaching. The 6-month clinically-focused neuroscience course begins at the end of PGY2 year.  

At the beginning of PGY3, residents experience a CBT bootcamp to prepare them for their work with patients engaged in CBT.  An ongoing CBT seminar occurs biweekly on Wednesday morning alternating with Child didactics for the first 6months of the year. Thursday didactics start off with a Practice of Psychiatry course which exposes residents to a variety of psychiatrists in the field (community, forensic, industry, private or group practice, and academic psychiatrists).  As PGY3s enter their outpatient training, didactics focus on outpatient treatments including psychopharmacology and more advanced psychodynamic concepts, as well as an introduction to CBT and Couples and Family Therapy.  Residents explore more systems issues through their forensics and public and global psychiatry courses.  Issues of culture & spirituality are explored through an innovative, process-oriented approach.  . We offer elective didactic classes for PGY3s and PGY4s to further personalize  learning. Residents choose one elective per quarter. Example electives  include Leadership, Equity, Advocacy and Policy series, Psychodynamics of Human Sexuality, Time-limited Dynamic Psychotherapy, and Precision Psychiatry topics. An example of a PGY3 resident’s schedule is as follows: 

During the PGY4 year, course content strives to deepen residents’ understanding of themselves, humanity, and the field in general.  The didactics also seek to prepare residents in a very practical manner for their future jobs through a Board Certification Review course and Careers 2.0.  As stated above, PGY4 residents also have the opportunity to select one didactic elective per quarter. An example of a PGY4 resident’s schedule is as follows:

Personal Psychotherapy

We strongly believe that a resident’s personal psychotherapy plays not only an important role in supporting residents throughout training and augmenting their psychotherapy education but also in developing self and interpersonal awareness that will serve the resident well in whatever endeavor they pursue, be it leadership, research, program administration or somatic treatments of patients. Stanford Housestaff health insurance covers 100% of their personal psychotherapy by any community provider.  It is well worth taking advantage of this!
 

Group Opportunities

• Resident Support/Process groups: Led by two experienced group leaders per year.  Optional, developmentally-designed process groups starting with support group in PGY 1 & semi-structured process group in PGY 2, then dynamic-based process groups in PGY 3 & 4 year. Groups are an essential part of the educational experience supporting residents through the transition from medical school, facilitating bonding among residents, and helping residents develop identities as psychiatrists. Ideally, they contribute to residents’ increased breadth and depth of awareness of individual, relational and group interpersonal processes. Weekly, 1-hour sessions throughout year.
• Inpatient groups: Co-facilitate with psychologist as part of VA and Stanford inpatient rotations including inpatient group didactics at Stanford.
• Residential care groups:  at the Palo Alto VA Foundations of Recovery (FOR) rotation,  residents co-run at FOR and at the Addiction Treatment Service (ATS). 
• Outpatient therapy groups:  Opportunities to co-lead groups in Stanford and VA outpatient settings include Dynamic Psychotherapy Group for Functional Neurologic Deficit Disorder patients, Dialectic Behavioral Therapy, Addictions and Bipolar Disorder groups
• Medical Student Support Groups: Opportunity to co-facilitate resident-run, med student support groups and attend group training sessions and supervision
• Women in Science and Engineering Support Group: Opportunity to facilitate WISE group with supervision
   

Academically-oriented psychotherapy opportunities

• Psychotherapy Pathway
• Psychotherapy Related Scholarly Projects
• Psychotherapy Dinners with faculty
• Psychotherapy Workgroup
   

Additional therapeutic training resources in the area

• San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis
• Peninsula Psychoanalytic Student Seminars
• Palo Alto Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Training Program
• Feeling Good Institute - TEAM Therapy CBT Training Groups (David Burns)

Summary of Pathway Requirements

• Clinical: Complete 2 clinical rotations relevant to the pathway above and beyond any required rotation
• Scholarship: Complete a scholarly project relevant to the pathway due by end of PGY IV
• Teaching:        
  • Engage in teaching relevant to the pathway
  • Engage in curriculum development for relevant rotation
  • Maintain Wiki site for relevant rotations
• Leadership: Participate in local (residency/hospital or institution) and/or regional committee work and/or apply to a national fellowship/award opportunity relevant to pathway
• Education: Participate in at least one extra-curricular educational activity during 4-years
• Mentorship: Identify and work with at least one mentor throughout your pathway experience
   

The following is an example of a pathway requirement for Psychotherapy Psychiatry (*indicates what a particular resident did). The pathway resident must engage in an activity in each focus area (2 for clinical):

The Public and Community Psychiatry Track (affectionately called PoCo) emphasizes training and education in the public sector focusing on community-driven principles of psychiatric practice and leadership development. Residents in the Public and Community Psychiatry Track complete all the same ACGME requirements as Categorical Track residents but have additional time and training requirements related to community psychiatry. It is intended to prepare residents who are dedicated to careers in public and community mental health through extended clinical experiences in the public sector, hands-on mentorship, community building, and funding for public psychiatry-focused scholarly projects.

Through these experiences, residents gain a rich perspective on the challenges and strengths of the communities they serve.

We prioritize mentorship and support for our residents' wellness and professional growth. Recognizing the unique challenges faced by providers in public sector and resource-limited settings, each incoming intern receives guidance from the public psych track director and chief resident to help identify faculty and near-peer mentors that share their areas of interest. They also facilitate connections with other faculty and community partners for project-specific mentorship. Residents in the Public and Community Psychiatry Track receive small education funds from the department and are eligible for internal grants and other funding opportunities.

Residents interested in the Public and Community Psychiatry Track must apply under a separate ERAS NRMP number and indicate their interest in their application. There are two spots in the Public and Community Psychiatry track available each year.

There are only two official Public and Community Psychiatry Track spots available each year. However, all interested residents are encouraged to participate in Public and Community Psychiatry programming to the maximum extent possible. Residents interested in public and community psychiatry but not in the official track are also encouraged to engage in public and community psychiatry through our affinity group and public psychiatry pathway.

The Stanford Psychiatry Residency Research Track program offers a unique opportunity for residents interested in developing independent research careers in academic psychiatry.  The research track is designed for residents with extensive research background to continue to engage in basic science, translational, and clinical research throughout residency.  Stanford Psychiatry has a long-standing history of research excellence, cultivating generations of leaders in the field of neuroscience and psychiatry. We pride ourselves on interdisciplinary scholarship, dedicated mentorship and a culture of innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration. With easy access to world-class faculty and research laboratories, research track residents are encouraged to engage across disciplines and work with program directors to customize their training.

Specialization in Social Medicine and the Humanities

We now have a new area of focus within the research track for those with research interests that fall broadly within social medicine and the humanities. To encourage applications from and provide support for those with advanced training in the social sciences, public health and the humanities we have developed a sub-track within the research track. Each year we will accept one person onto the Social Medicine and Humanities track who will have the same protected time for research and access to research funds as described below. In the fourth year, research track protected time will be through our T-32 funding mechanism if the research falls within its scope; if it is not within the scope of the T-32, we will provide 50% to 75% protected time for research and scholarship.

Application Process

Residents are admitted to the research track under a separate ERAS NRMP number. Residents interested in applying to the research track should indicate this in their ERAS application. Interviews for the research track include the interview process for the categorical track as well as additional interviews with research faculty. Research track candidates that receive an invitation to interview will be asked to complete a supplementary form, wherein they may request to interview with potential research mentors. Research track applicants may be asked to give brief presentations about their research plans.

Protected Research Time

Research fellows will be mentored on writing grant proposals to obtain independent sources of funding and will be encouraged to apply for academic faculty positions upon completion of their fellowship.

As an alternative, residents may also apply into the child and adolescent psychiatry integrated research/clinical fellowship. 

Faculty

Stanford’s internationally-renowned research faculty welcome residents in their labs. There are world-class neuroimaging and basic science labs, an array of clinical research labs both at Stanford and at the Palo Alto VA Hospital, as well as opportunities to participate in translational research in engineering, epidemiology and population health, and the interface between psychiatry and other fields including the humanities.

Mentorship and Funding

The Stanford Department of Psychiatry has a strong history of research training and we take pride in mentoring our research track residents. Research track residents have the opportunity to identify prospective mentors during the application process as well as during the first couple of years in residency. Research track residents are also provided with start-up funds by the department and are eligible to apply for internal departmental research grants as well as other federal and private research funding opportunities.

Research for Non-Research Track Residents

Residents interested in research but not wanting to have research as a primary career goal are also encouraged to engage in research under our scholarly concentration program. There are also opportunities to obtain advanced degrees during residency training including doctoral training as well as master’s level training.

Research Track Members + Recent Graduates

Neal Amin, Class of 2021
Ryan Ash, Class of 2022
Frederick (Chris) Bennett, 2015
Brandon Bentzley, Class of 2020
David Carreon, Class of 2018
Cordelia Erickson-Davis, Class of 2024
Neir Eshel, Class of 2020
Lief Fenno, Class of 2020
Adina Fischer, Class of 2019
Mark Freeman, Class of 2017
Carrie Holmberg, Class of 2015
Agnes Kalinowski, Class of 2017
Corey Keller, Class of 2019
Kevin Kelley, Class of 2023
Anish Mitra, Class of 2023
Julio Monterrey, Class of 2018
Tyler Prestwood, Class of 2023
Jason Tucciarone, Class of 2021

Research track residents have gone on to work in diverse settings including academic tenure track positions in the basic sciences and clinical/translational research (here at Stanford as well as other locations around the country), industry positions at the intersection of technology and psychiatry (e.g. Google's Verily), and inpatient and outpatient practice (in the Bay Area and nationwide).

Research Track Residency Lead Faculty

Michael J. Ostacher, MD, MPH, MMSc
Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Stanford University School of Medicine
Director, Bipolar Disorder & Depression Research Program,VA Palo Alto HCS
Director, MIRECC MD Fellowship Program,VAPAHCS
ostacher@stanford.edu

Program Manager, Core Training and Education

Mario Mercurio
mario.mercurio@stanford.edu

The Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Track is designed for Stanford Psychiatry residents who are committed to early, sustained experience in child and adolescent psychiatry. The track integrates child-focused clinical training, mentorship, and scholarship across the three years of general psychiatry residency while maintaining ACGME requirements and preparing residents for child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship and child-oriented careers. Though there is not a separate NRMP number, an application for this track will be available after the Match is completed.

• Early and longitudinal child-focused clinical exposure, including the option to substitute certain adult medicine/neurology rotations with pediatric equivalents when possible
• Protected time and structured support to engage with AACAP (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) each year
• Matched mentorship with child psychiatry faculty and support for scholarly projects
• Priority for child and transitional-aged-youth elective assignments and rotations in PGY-3
• Possible early exposure to child psychiatry and option to complete child psychiatry requirements for psychiatry residency in PGY-2 (rather than PGY-3) year
• Flexible use of scholarly concentration time to deepen inpatient or outpatient child psychiatry experience

• PGY-1: Pediatric equivalents of inpatient/outpatient medicine/neurology blocks will be prioritized when available.  Substitutions are subject to residency coverage needs and GME requirements.
• PGY-2: Opportunity to use scholarly concentration time for earlier child exposure and to fulfill clinical child psychiatry requirements for residency.
• PGY-3 and 4: Priority selection for child and transitional-aged-youth outpatient clinics, including Stanford’s Vaden Health Center (college/student mental health). Possible additional elective time to support additional exploration and application to child and adolescent fellowship.

The track promotes annual participation at the AACAP Annual Meeting across PGY-1, PGY-2, and PGY-3/4.

• Required professional activities: Residents in the track will apply for an AACAP travel grant, submit a poster to AACAP, and participate in AACAP’s mentorship and monitoring programs yearly.
• Program support: Educational allowance for conference attendance and faculty guidance to strengthen travel grant/fellowship applications and conference engagement.
• Schedule considerations: PGY-1 and 2 schedules will be mindfully created to avoid blocks requiring jeopardy coverage during AACAP when possible.

• Assigned mentor: Each track resident is matched with a child & adolescent psychiatry faculty mentor who supports clinical development, AACAP involvement, and scholarly projects according to resident interests.
• Scholarly concentration options: Residents may use one month of scholarly concentration in PGY-2 to complete an inpatient child psychiatry rotation. This will fulfill child requirements within adult residency and provides flexibility to focus on child electives or child-focused research in PGY-3.
• Additional elective time: The program is exploring the feasibility of offering an additional elective block devoted to a child clinical rotation in PGY-2 year (availability dependent on clinical coverage needs of services)

• Pilot format: The track is anticipated to begin as a pilot with 1 spot and no separate NRMP number in the 2025-2026 academic year.
• Application: Information will be sent via Thalamus to all current applicants. The selection process will occur internally post-match and will consider demonstrated child psychiatry interest and intention to pursue child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship.

Residents completing the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Track will graduate with robust pediatrics and child psychiatry clinical experience, active engagement in the national child psychiatry community, mentorship from child psychiatry faculty, and evidence of scholarly productivity, positioning them strongly for child & adolescent psychiatry fellowship and child-focused careers.

To learn more or to indicate interest, please contact the Stanford Psychiatry Residency Program office at psychresidency@stanford.edu