1. Kaz Nelson MD, Program Director
Psychiatry
Kaz Nelson MD, Program Director

3. Psychiatry interested students enjoy the role of advocacy and providing a voice and a safe space to those who may feel shame or stigmatization in other settings. They also have an interest in patient narratives and stories. Knowing the whole patient is part of the job. Understanding the patient’s background, environment during development, and other important life events are essential in understanding current brain functioning and this knowledge cannot be captured in a symptom checklist.
They enjoy the idea that well established rapport and therapeutic alliance is a treatment in itself. Sitting with patients as they share thoughts and feelings they may have never previously shared is a privilege and interpersonally rewarding. Reaffirming and validating a patient’s “personhood” is a powerful way to connect with others.

4. Our trainees have the view point that if mental health is not optimized, then other diagnostic and treatment interventions may fall short. A depressed patient with diabetes may not be managing his illness, even with the most thoughtfully prescribed diabetes management regimen. One student who had recently spent time in the ICU tending to patients who attempted suicide through toxic ingestion felt motivated to treat psychiatric illness at the source, rather than treating the patient medically as a consequence of unmanaged symptoms. Therefore, psychiatric care was seen as an opportunity to improve patient’s quality of life, not just extend it.

5. Excellent Job security/options
Psychiatry Shortage
Excellent Job security/options
Loan reimbursement outside of 7-county metro area
Sub-specialization Options
Creative Problem Solving
Rapid discovery and Research
Competitive compensation
More tangible benefits follow with a career in psychiatry, as well. With the well documented psychiatrist shortage, trainees are optimistic regarding their job security and excited to know they can pursue sub-specialization within the field and have an employer eagerly awaiting following training. Other students mentioned feeling excited to pursue a field that clearly integrates “art” along with science. The relative lack of algorithm- and protocol- based care is attractive to those attracted to creative problem solving. Additionally, psychiatry and the broader field of neuroscience may be considered one of the “last great frontiers” in medicine with ongoing, rapid discovery.

6. A day in the life of a psychiatrist:
Academic (research, teaching, supervision, administration, research)
Private sector (hospitalist, day hospital, emergency department, private attending)
County, State and Federal providers (County Mental Health Centers, ACT Teams, Veterans Affairs, Corrections)

7. What makes a competitive applicant?
Regional ties
Clinical experience in the department
Personal connection with faculty
Academic competence
Interpersonal effectiveness
Self-reflective

8. Student Opportunities
Research
Active in PsychSIGN
Active in local societies
Take electives

9. Psychiatry Training Residency is 4 years
(no call after year 2 in our program)
No prelim year required.
Fellowships:
Child Adolescent - 2 years
May be started after PGY3 year
Addiction Psychiatry – 1 year
Geriatric Psychiatry – 1 year
Psychosomatic Medicine
Forensic
Sleep Medicine
Pain Medicine
Research

10. To find out more about psychiatry:
Residency Director –Kaz Nelson MD Clerkship Director – Sheila Specker MD Department Head – S. Charles Schulz MD American Psychiatric Society – student membership is free and includes a subscription to the American Journal of Psychiatry (monthly) and the APA News Student interest group MS2 – Eileen Huttlin

11. PsychSIGN Regional Conference
Saturday March 29th, MacNamera Alumni Center
Free
Breakfast and lunch provided
Hear from regional psychiatrists and tour our MRI research facility.
Connect with other psychiatry interested students from around the region.
RSVP to Holly Ward Wiste or