We have many opportunities for career development in the Psychiatry Residency, so you can find the best fit for your future career in psychiatry. Each resident will have a faculty advisor who is available to support their development and offer guidance around career options. Additionally we have many programs offered to take advantage of our diversity of faculty mentors and explore potential career pathways and fellowships.
Subspecialties
The UW Psychiatry Residency Program has several options available to help residents explore or prepare for fellowship training while finishing their residency training. Opportunities to explore subspecialty training vary, from taking electives or dropping in on an interest track meeting, to formally joining one of the interest tracks described below. Residents interested in research in a subspecialty area may also join the Research Track. Research tracks are not mutually exclusive with subspecialty interest tracks
Career Enrichment Pathways
We currently have several Career Enrichment Pathways which are resident faculty-lead interest groups. Pathways have regular meetings that any resident can attend to explore a possible career direction and to meet academic and clinical faculty as well as other residents interested in that particular area of psychiatry. Some pathways (Community Leadership, Integrated Care, Research, Teaching Scholar) offer the option of focusing elective clinical rotations and/or scholarly work in a particular area of psychiatry. Residents who choose to do this, and who meet expectations of the individual pathway, are eligible to be recognized at graduation as having achieved an Area of Distinction.
- Advanced Psychotherapy Pathway
- Addictions Psychiatry Pathway
- Community Leadership Pathway and Interest Group
- Global Mental Health/Cultural Psychiatry Pathway
- Integrated Care Pathway
- Perinatal Psychiatry Pathway
- Research Pathway
- Teacher Scholar Pathway and Interest Group
We also have several areas where we provide more in depth training opportunities
Areas of Distinction
- A specified application/selection process
- Attendance at and active participation in pathway meetings, journal club sessions, and/or didactics
- Completion of clinical rotations and/or educational experiences (e.g. research, curriculum development)
- A pathway-specific group and/or individual project
Residents interested in addiction psychiatry can seek support in preparing for advanced training as part of the addictions fellowship, or as a general psychiatrist with special skill in dealing with addicted or dual-disordered patients.
Optional Addictions Training for All Residents
- Motivational Interviewing
- Dual Disorders Treatment
- Addiction Pharmacology/Buprenorphine Training
- Behavioral Interventions
Addiction Psychiatry Interest Track
- Work with an addictions-trained faculty advisor
- Attend periodic meetings to acquaint you with faculty, residents, and opportunities for clinical practice or research in the department.
- Supported attendance at Washington Society of Addiction Medicine Conference, and possible support for attendance at a national meeting.
Optional Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Training for All Residents
- Advanced electives in outpatient consultation liaison psychiatry (e.g. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Maternal Infant Care Clinic, HIV/AIDS Clinic, International Clinic, Diabetes Care Clinic)
- Junior attending rotations in inpatient consultation-liaison psychiatry
- Consultation-liaison psychiatry or health services research
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Interested residents have the opportunity for early experience with children through internship rotations in pediatrics and/or pediatric neurology, and through child psychiatry rotations as early as their PGY-2 year.
Residents may enter the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency in either their PGY-4 or PGY-5 year.
The UW Department of Psychiatry has one of the largest geriatrics divisions in the country.
The department has research opportunities in geriatric neuroscience, neuropsychiatry, genetics, treatment and health services.
Interested residents may independently pursue mentorship in research or participate in elective opportunities. Residents may also pursue the Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship following residency.
The Integrated Care Pathway provides opportunities for residents to learn about the spectrum of care integrating behavioral and physical health care, provides mentorship for residents interested in integrated care, and provides support to work on a project in an integrated care setting. Specific learning opportunities include:
- Attend regular lunchtime meetings in which a faculty member leads a discussion about an aspect of integrated care, particularly in terms of career opportunities
- For senior residents, participate in a collaborative care clinical rotation, providing caseload consultation to behavioral health care managers in primary care settings
- Gain more in depth experience by pursuing an Area of Distinction in integrated care
The goals of the Integrated Care Pathway are to:
- Increase resident exposure to the spectrum of care integrating behavioral and physical health care.
- Provide mentorship to psychiatry residents interested in exploring a career in psychiatry in medical settings.
- Enhance knowledge of the emerging field of integration of physical health programs into behavioral health settings.
- Provide support to work on a project in an integrated care setting, such as the development of an educational tool, quality improvement project or health services research.
- Provide residents the opportunity to get experience working in integrated care settings