Formal Training Programs Opportunities

Formal Training Programs for Residents and Other Post-Graduate

Among the many research opportunities for residents and other post-graduate trainees are formal training programs. Department faculty are Principal Investigators on five individual training grants funded by the National Institutes of Health, and two by the Department of Veterans Affairs. This is a significant accomplishment compared to our peer departments, demonstrating both the breadth and peer-reviewed quality of our residency and post-graduate research training.

Brief summaries of the Department’s formal research training programs are included below, with links to fuller descriptions at their respective websites. Select a link below to 'jump' to that section of the page:


Addictions

Purpose/Areas of Focus
The Center for Studies of Addiction (CSA) in the Department of Psychiatry offers post-graduate basic science and clinical research training programs focusing on the wide range of drug and substance abuse, including nicotine, alcohol, cocaine, and heroin addiction. The programs emphasize multimodal treatment, dual diagnosis, and combinations of medication and psychotherapy in the context of randomized clinical trials. Funding is provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) for one program and by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for two programs. The CSA recruits to the three programs as one.

Participants
Holders of MD or PhD degrees or equivalent, and pre-doctoral trainees who are advanced graduate students in the Biomedical Graduate Studies program at the University of Pennsylvania. Open only to citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents of the United States. The clinical training program is certified by the American Board of Medical Specialties. Thus, psychiatrists can qualify for board certification in Addiction Psychiatry.

Number of Positions
Currently there are 8 NIDA slots, including both pre- and post-doctoral trainees, and 2 to 4 VA training slots, with a variable ratio of MD and PhD fellows.

Program Length
The program is normally for two years but, in special cases, a third year can be awarded. A limited number of psychiatrists occupying a VA slot may be permitted to take only clinical training for one year. The emphasis for most trainees, however, is on two years of research training.

Addictions Fellowship Coordinator
The Department of Psychiatry Addictions Fellowship is coordinated by Dot McDougall of the Philadelphia VA Medical Center, located at 3900 Woodland Avenue, 2nd Floor (MS 116) in Philadelphia, PA 19104.  You can contact Dot at (215) 823-5800, Extension 206163 or at Dorothy.McDougall@va.gov .

Link: CSA Training page

Clinical Research Scholars Program

Purpose/Areas of Focus 
The Clinical Research Scholars Program (CRSP), funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), provides protected time for residents to pursue opportunities in clinical research. Participants work under the close mentorship of senior research faculty.

Participants
Psychiatry residents – PGY2 through PGY4 years, as well as an optional full-time research PGY5 year. Residents apply to the CRSP program during the PGY1 year. Some residents join the program later than the PGY2 year – the program is flexible enough to accommodate the needs of individual residents.

Number of Positions
2 residents in each class (PGY2, PGY3, PGY4) and one full-time PGY5.

Program Length
3-year program, with the possibility of an optional full-time research fourth year.

Link: Clinical Research Scholars Program page

Community Psychiatry Fellowship

Purpose/Areas of Focus
The Department of Psychiatry through the Center of Excellence and Innovation in Public Psychiatry offers one-year post-residency fellowships annually. The fellowship is designed as subspecialty training for psychiatrists who plan leadership careers in the public sector. The core of the fellowship consists of supervised clinical work at collaborating public sector agencies in Philadelphia complemented by an academic curriculum that teaches clinical, leadership, and administrative/management skills.

Participants
The fellow must have satisfactorily completed an ACGME accredited general psychiatry residency prior to entering the program.

Number of Positions
Up to 4 positions are available.

Program Length
The Fellowship in Community Psychiatry is full-time over a 12-month period.

Link: Community Psychiatry Fellowship page

 

Consultation — Liaison Psychiatry

Purpose/Areas of Focus
This fully accredited fellowship emphasizes the development of clinical, teaching, and scholarly skills necessary to prepare the candidate to successfully pass the ABPN sub-specialty certification exam in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry. In addition, this program provides the experience necessary to prepare the candidate for a career in academic Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry.

Participants
Qualified psychiatrists who have completed their residency training.

Number of Positions
up to 2 positions available.

Program Length
The Fellowship is a one-year full time position.

Link: Consultation — Liaison Psychiatry Fellowship page

Forensic Psychiatry

Purpose/Areas of Focus 
The primary goal of this ACGME accredited training program is to provide forensic psychiatric fellows the opportunity to gain didactic knowledge and practical experience in Forensic Psychiatry in order to develop the skills necessary to practice the subspecialty in an ethical and scientific manner.

Participants
The fellow must have satisfactorily completed an ACGME accredited general psychiatry residency prior to entering the program.

Number of Positions
up to 2 positions are available.

Program Length
The Forensic Psychiatry Training Program is full-time over a twelve-month period.

Link: Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship page

Geriatric Psychiatry

Purpose/Areas of Focus
The primary goal of the ACGME accredited program is to provide geriatric psychiatry fellows with the opportunity to gain didactic knowledge and practical experience in order to develop the skills necessary to practice the subspecialty of Geriatric Psychiatry. 

Participants
The fellow must have satisfactorily completed an ACGME accredited general psychiatry residency prior to entering the program. 

Number of Positions
Up to 2 positions are available.

Program Length
1-year fellowships.

Link: Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship page

Neuropsychiatry

Purpose/Areas of Focus
The Neuropsychiatry Research Training Program integrates basic and clinical neuroscience research in a cohesive effort to elucidate neural substrates of schizophrenia. The aim is to contribute a new understanding of the symptoms, pathophysiology, and etiology of schizophrenia.

Participants
Holders of MD or PhD degrees or equivalent. Open only to citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents of the United States.

Number of Positions
5 positions available.

Program Length
Minimum of 2 years, with the option to stay for a 3rd year.

Link: Neuropsychiatry Research Training Program page

Neuropyschopharamacology

Purpose/Areas of Focus
The Neuropsychopharmacology Training Program, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), provides interdisciplinary training in areas related to the biological basis and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. The grant was renewed in 2006 for Years 29-33, the longest continuously funded training program at the NIMH.

Participants
PhD postdoctoral trainees, MD postdoctoral trainees, and pre-doctoral trainees who are advanced graduate students in the Biomedical Graduate Studies program at the University of Pennsylvania. Open only to citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents of the United States.

Number of Positions
3 PhD postdoctoral trainees; 1 MD postdoctoral trainee; 2 pre-doctoral trainees .

Program Length
2 years for PhD postdoctoral trainees; 2 years for MD postdoctoral trainees; 3 years for pre-doctoral trainees.

Link: Neuropsychopharmacology Training Program page

 

Please click here to learn more about Individual Faculty or Program Sponsored Fellowship Training Opportunities.


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