Research During Residency
Weill Cornell Medical College's Department of Psychiatry offers a wide range of opportunities for clinical, translational and basic neuroscience research. Investigators in the department are examining core questions in psychiatry in the areas of neurobiology and developmental neurobiology, genetics, cognitive neuroscience, neuroimaging, neuromodulation, neuropharmacology/psychopharmacology, neuroendocrinology, pathophysiology of disease, psychotherapy, services research, and the history of psychiatry. Residents have the opportunity to interact with postdoctoral fellows in a number of postgraduate research training programs associated with the department and may go on to a postdoctoral research fellowship upon completion of their residency training.
For residents with significant prior research training on a path to a career with a primary focus research, specially tailored residency training is possible, providing ongoing research development while preserving strong clinical training. For residents without substantial prior experience, residency training includes exposure to research and the completion of a scholarly project in an area of interest.
In select cases for residents with an established background in scientific investigation, research can be integrated into the residency beginning in the PGY-I year, expanding each subsequent year. Classes focus on research literacy and planning, and residents work with mentors and scholarship supervisors, arranged by their areas of interest. In the PGY-IV year, all residents present their scholarly projects at the Senior Projects Colloquium as the culmination of the Clinical Scholars Institute; selected projects are presented at Departmental Grand Rounds, and many are published in the psychiatric literature and presented at national meetings. Residents are allowed protected time to attend conferences. Resident research and scientific presentations are supported by the annual GME stipend (currently $3000 per year on top of salary) and additional funds from the Department of Psychiatry.
