The goal of the PGY-IV year is to facilitate the transition to the roles of independent clinician, teacher, administrator and scholar/researcher. By offering a large amount of choice in designing one’s PGY-IV program, we offer the PGY-IV a mentored experience in designing a clinical and academic program, preparing them for the tasks of independent psychiatric practice.
Rotations
The majority of the PGY-IV year is elective. Each resident creates a unique year based on clinical and research interests. Our Clinical Scholars Institute helps with this process, exposing residents to mentors and didactics aimed at improving scholarship and expertise. Residents elect major and minor areas of study, aimed to continue with development of broad expertise as well as selected areas of concentration.
To supplement their elective program, PGY-IV residents continue their outpatient work with a selected group of long-term adult and child patients, including learning to collaborate with a team to care for outpatients in the hospital’s Continuing Day Treatment Program. PGY-IV’s participate in the teaching of several pre-clinical courses offered to Weill Cornell Medical Students and in a wide variety of committees active in the hospital and the Department of Psychiatry.
All PGY-IV residents write a scholarly paper. Scholarly papers are presented in a Senior Paper Colloquium for residents and faculty. With supervision, they are encouraged to submit this paper for publication in the psychiatric literature. The best of these papers will be presented at Departmental Grand Rounds. Over the years, residents have written papers on a wide variety of topics
graduation_papers2004-2016.pdf
As in the PGY-III year, PGY-IV residents may moonlight in any of several New York City Hospitals, including NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health Center. Moonlighting provides an opportunity to do independent clinical work in a variety of settings and to supplement income.
Didactics and Supervision
Supervision during the PGY-IV year is from a group of PGY-IV supervisors selected by the residents to round out their educational experience. All PGY-IV residents continue work with their meta-supervsior and scholarship supervisor, for help with independent scholarly investigation, academic focus, and career mentorship. They may elect for ongoing supervision in all modalities of psychotherapy, and most residents take advantage of this opportunity. PGY-IV residents help to lead some of the site-based didactics for the younger residents, and participate in teaching the younger trainees and medical students in the Department.
All PGY-IV residents attend an intensive 3-hour/week didactic seminar program scheduled during protected time. Additionally, all PGY-IV residents continue their e-group experience.
PGY-IV Chief Residency
At the end of the PGY-III year, two residents are selected to serve as chief residents during the PGY-IV year. The chief residents lead the residency group, serving as an important liaison between faculty and the residents. The chief resident role includes a wide variety of intensive administrative, clinical, supervisory and teaching responsibilities. Our chief residents find this year to be fun, educational and exciting, a highlight of the resident experience.
PGY-IV Life
PGY-IV’s continue participation in the Resident’s Council, and Friday lunch series. They are important mentors to younger residents and play a major role in setting the tone for Resident life in our Department.
