Clinical work during the PGY-II year focuses on evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric patients in acute care settings.
Rotations
PGY-II residents rotate through the Personality Disorders Inpatient Service at the NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health Center, the General Psychiatry Inpatient Service Greenberg 11N, and the Partial Hospital Program at NYP/Weill Cornell in Manhattan. In both of these sites, their learning is experiential, as they care for patients during high acuity illness episodes, supervised by expert faculty. The experiential learning is supplemented by case conferences and site-based didactics. During these rotations, residents deepen their understanding of hospital psychiatry including the multi-disciplinary approach to patient care, management of the milieu, psychopharmacology, and individual, family and group psychotherapy. While working on the Personality Disorders Unit, residents spend one afternoon per week working with community psychiatrists. Residents gain expertise in Addiction Psychiatry during the Consultation-Liason rotation, with additional didactics regarding substance abuse."
PGY-II residents also rotate through the New York-Presbyterian Hospital Psychiatric Emergency Service and the New York-Presbyterian Hospital Consultation/Liaison Psychiatry Service. In the Emergency Department, residents work with patients requiring acute medical and psychiatric evaluation and treatment. On the Consultation-Liaison Service, residents learn evaluation and management of psychiatric aspects of medical illness while providing liaison and consultation to medical services in the hospital. A portion of the Consultation-Liaison time is spent at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center with a dedicated focus in psycho-oncology.
PGY-II residents have 3-4 weeks of elective time during the year when they pursue a clinical or research project of special interest. Many residents have chosen to pursue electives in clinical or research work overseas. Mentorship is provided to help residents use elective time most effectively.
On Call Schedule
PGY-II on-call coverage is via a night float system in which residents cover emergencies in the Payne Whitney Manhattan inpatient service.
- 16-18 weeks: General Adult Inpatient Psychiatry – NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Payne Whitney Manhattan
- 4-5 weeks: Personality Disorders Inpatient Service Service – Westchester Division
- 4-5 weeks: Psychiatric Emergency Department – NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Payne Whitney Manhattan
- 11-12 weeks: Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry – NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
- 4-5 weeks: Partial Hospital Program – NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/PayneWhitney Manhattan
- 3-5 weeks: Elective
- 4-5 weeks: Night Float – NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Payne Whitney Manhattan
Didactics and Supervision
Supervision during the PGY-II year is from faculty and senior residents on the clinical services. As a supplement, each PGY-II is paired with a specially-selected “off-unit” supervisor who oversees their learning of psychiatric interviewing and assessment skills, and a research/scholarship supervisor, who helps with independent scholarly investigation, development of an area of academic focus and career mentorship.
Every rotation in the PGY-II year includes a site-based curriculum, including academic and clinical rounds, resident and medical student teaching rounds in which trainees deliver scholarly presentations on the psychiatric literature, team meetings, and specialty rounds. A highlight of PGY-II site-based didactics is Professor’s Rounds, a weekly case conference seminar by nationally- and internationally-renowned expert psychiatrists. PGY-II residents attend Grand Rounds on both campuses, as well as Morbidity and Mortality conferences and Disorder of the Quarter sessions. PGY-II residents teach PGY-I residents, medical students and sub-interns rotating through psychiatry services, and attend didactics related to their development as teachers.
All PGY-II residents attend an intensive 3-hour/week didactic seminar program scheduled during protected time. Additionally, all PGY-II residents participate in a weekly e-group (experiential group) that provides an opportunity to learn about group process and discuss the task of becoming a psychiatrist.
PGY-II Life
PGY-II’s are active in the Resident’s Council, and participate in Departmental academic/social activities through our Friday lunch series. These meetings foster community in our residency, providing an opportunity for trainees across all years to share experiences and develop group cohesion. All PGY-II’s are connected with an upper-class “buddy.”
