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I wanted a training program in which I'd have a great balance of didactic and hands-on learning, with a diverse patient population, specialized psychiatric treatment programs (e.g. personality disorders unit, eating disorders unit, partial hospital program), and opportunities for advanced psychotherapy training with experts in the field.
I split my time between work as an admitting psychiatrist at Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, CT and solo practice in Darien, CT where I see a mix of children, adolescents, and adults.
What I love most about the City is the ability to jump on the train or go on a short walk to explore different cultures, neighborhoods, and cuisines with friends, family, pets, or on your own!
On each rotation, try to imagine yourself as the sole psychiatrist on the team; you'll learn more actively about diagnosis and treatment, the aspects of psychiatry that you're most drawn to and gain clarity on whether you prefer working on teams, independently, or at specific levels of care. For didactics, I highly recommend buying a tablet and taking class notes in electronic formats that you can save for easy reference during training and beyond.
Getting to work at an incredible program that provides unforgettable experiences in multiple settings and at different levels of care— all while receiving support from world-renowned faculty!
Chief Resident at NYP-Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Training Program
There's nothing you can't find in this city!
All faculty are knowledgeable, approachable, and genuinely interested in helping. Don't be afraid to ask!
The lifelong connections with faculty, staff, and fellow residents. At Cornell you get to work closely with a core group of faculty over the four years, so they see you grow over that time. Not to mention there is a lot of laughter and fun moments with faculty and staff. I love the residents from my class and the other classes and miss seeing everyone now that I've graduated!
I am currently an addiction psychiatry fellow at NYU, splitting my time between Bellevue Hospital and the VA.
This is so hard, but I think I will say the Jackson Heights neighborhood in Queens. It's such a microcosm of what makes New York City great. You get off the train surrounded by South Asian restaurants and shops, and if you walk two blocks in one direction the signs and restaurants welcome you to a little slice of the Philippines here in NYC. Walk a couple blocks in the other direction and the neighborhood becomes more Venezuelan and Colombian, with many, many more languages and cultures represented in just a tiny area. The neighborhood also hosts a huge Pride parade every year. Best of all, it's only a 20 minute subway ride from Weill Cornell.
If you don't really know much about psychodynamic psychotherapy as an applicant that is totally ok— but come to WCM and you will come to love it and it will help you understand so much about your patients.
Collaborate as much as possible with the broader clinical team (social work, OT, recreational therapy, nursing, administrative staff, etc.). At WCM we are lucky to have some very experienced and kind professionals who have been working with patients longer than we have and are a great source of information and guidance.
Be sure to take coffee breaks outside with your co-residents when you are at Westchester in the fall— it's gorgeous (and yes there's time).
My favorite part of WCM residency has been the community. My co-residents were my lifelines throughout residency, and many of them continue to be my closest friends. My attending mentors/supervisors were not only extremely knowledgeable and indispensable for my professional training, but they were also supportive of my general life goals as it relates to my career decisions. Last but not least, the nurses, social workers, and admin staff within our department have often been the unsung heroes of my clinical day-to-day life. The work can be exhausting at times, but when you have a supportive community around you, it makes the work easier and more meaningful.
I'm a psychiatry fellow in our department doing basic neuroscience research, specifically focusing on preclinical models for perseverative, compulsive behaviors. I am also one of the PGY2 off-unit clinical supervisors.
As a foodie, my absolute favorite thing about NYC is the ridiculously amazing diversity and quality of food here.
My general advice to residency applicants is to find a place you can call home, where you know you will grow as a clinician and as a person. A diverse, rigorous program can be challenging, but this is the time in your clinical life to have that experience. See and experience everything you possibly can as a resident. Be an active participant in your clinical teams and take the leadership role when it's appropriate, with the right supervision. Lastly, enjoy the small things in the day-to-day – our job as psychiatrists can be heavy at times, but sharing those difficult moments with peers and work colleagues is really the key to lasting in our field. Good luck!
