Didactics

Our didactics run 12-5pm each Thursday for all residents and the coursework is split into four quarters of the year.

Grand Rounds is held 12-1pm from October through June, followed by a resident lunch.  During the summer quarter, lunch is scheduled 12-1pm.  During lunch, residents lead talks on topics ranging from implicit bias to global mental health to psychiatry in the media. Lunch is followed by an afternoon of classes.  PGY1s and 2s have process group during this time.  Courses vary by quarter as noted below.

The PGY1 course is Essentials of Psychiatry. This integrated course covers important topics pertinent to intern year, including emergency psychiatry, inpatient psychopharmacology and psychosocial treatments applicable to treating a psychiatric inpatient.

PGY2s spend 9-months learning basics of psychodynamic psychotherapy paralleling the start of their first outpatient, dynamic therapy case early in the year. They also cover more in-depth psychopharmacologic treatments though a flipped classroom/team-based learning approach.  The program directors teach the Leadership, Scholarship, & Career Development, QI and Clinical Teaching courses early in the year, preparing residents for upcoming scholarly concentration time, the development of QI projects and medical student ward teaching. The 6-month clinically-focused neuroscience course begins at the end of PGY2 year.

As PGY3s enter their outpatient training, didactics focus on outpatient treatments including psychopharmacology and more advanced psychodynamic concepts, as well as an introduction to CBT and Couples and Family Therapy.  Residents explore more systems issues through their forensics and public and global psychiatry courses.  Issues of culture & spirituality are explored through an innovative, process-oriented approach.  As PGY3s complete the year, they continue to develop their leadership skills as they prepare for careers post-residency.

During the PGY4 year, course content strives to deepen residents’ understanding of themselves, humanity, and the field in general.  The didactics also seeks to prepare residents in a very practical manner for their future jobs.

Group Opportunities

• Resident Support/Process groups: Led by two experienced group leaders per year.  Developmentally-designed process groups starting with support group in PGY 1 & semi-structured process group in PGY 2.  Optional process groups in PGY 3 & 4 year. Groups are an essential part of the educational experience supporting residents through the transition from medical school, facilitating bonding among residents, and helping residents develop identities as psychiatrists. Ideally, they contribute to residents’ increased breadth and depth of awareness of individual, relational and group interpersonal processes. Weekly, 1-hour sessions throughout year
• Inpatient groups: Co-facilitate with psychology as part of VA and Stanford inpatient rotations including inpatient group didactics at Stanford.
• Outpatient therapy groups:  Opportunities to co-lead groups in Stanford and VA outpatient settings include Dynamic Psychotherapy Group for Functional Neurologic Deficit Disorder patients, Dialectic Behavioral Therapy, Addictions and Bipolar Disorder groups
• Medical Student Support Groups: Opportunity to co-facilitate med student support groups and attend group training sessions and supervision
• Women in Science and Engineering Support Group: Opportunity to facilitate WISE group with supervision

Academically oriented psychotherapy opportunities

• Psychotherapy Pathway
• Psychotherapy Related Scholarly Projects

Additional therapeutic training resources in the area

• San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis
• Peninsula Psychoanalytic Student Seminars
• Psychoanalytic Grand Rounds at Stanford
• Palo Alto Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Training Program
• Feeling Good Institute - TEAM Therapy CBT Training Groups (David Burns)

The Stanford Psychiatry Residency Research Track program offers a unique opportunity for residents interested in developing independent research careers in academic psychiatry.  The research track is designed for residents with extensive research background to continue to engage in basic science, translational, and clinical research throughout residency.  Stanford Psychiatry has a long-standing history of research excellence, cultivating generations of leaders in the field of neuroscience and psychiatry. We pride ourselves on interdisciplinary scholarship, dedicated mentorship and a culture of innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration. With easy access to world-class faculty and research laboratories, research track residents are encouraged to engage across disciplines and work with program directors to customize their training.

Application Process

Residents are admitted to the research track under a separate ERAS NRMP number. Residents interested in applying to the research track should indicate this in their ERAS application. Interviews for the research track include the interview process for the categorical track as well as additional interviews with research faculty. Research track candidates will be asked to complete a supplementary application form, wherein they may request to interview with potential research mentors. Research track applicants may be asked to give brief presentations about their research plans.

Protected Research Time

Research fellows will be mentored on writing grant proposals to obtain independent sources of funding and will be encouraged to apply for academic faculty positions upon completion of their fellowship.

As an alternative, residents may also apply into the child and adolescent psychiatry integrated research/clinical fellowship. 

Faculty

Stanford’s internationally-renowned research faculty welcome residents in their labs. There are world-class neuroimaging and basic science labs, an array of clinical research labs both at Stanford and at the Palo Alto VA Hospital, as well as opportunities to participate in translational research in engineering, epidemiology and population health, and the interface between psychiatry and other fields including the humanities. 

Mentorship and Funding

The Stanford Department of Psychiatry has a strong history of research training and we take pride in mentoring our research track residents. Research track residents have the opportunity to identify prospective mentors during the application process as well as during the first couple of years in residency. Research track residents are also provided with start-up funds by the department and are eligible to apply for internal departmental research grants as well as other federal and private research funding opportunities.

Research for Non-Research Track Residents

Residents interested in research but not wanting to have research as a primary career goal are also encouraged to engage in research under our scholarly concentration program. There are also opportunities to obtain advanced degrees during residency training including doctoral training as well as master’s level training.

Diversity

Stanford’s goal across residencies and fellowships is to foster a community that is reflective of the world which we serve. We achieve this by addressing systems of privilege including those based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and physical ability.

The Psychiatry Residency program has multiple opportunities to get involved with program-specific and Stanford-wide diversity initiatives. Here are a few:

Promoting Workplace Diversity

• Diversity in Recruitment committee, focusing on recruitment of underrepresented minorities and individuals from other underrepresented groups in the residency
• Stanford GME Diversity committee http://med.stanford.edu/gmediversity.html
• Conversations around faculty recruitment and "pipeline" development including extending opportunities to learn about careers in mental health to individuals from underserved communities
  

Developing Training on Issues of Diversity & Inclusion

• Resident-sponsored seminars on: implicit bias, tools for communicating with vulnerable populations, issues in LGBTQ mental health
• Clinical electives on psychotherapy with individuals focusing on issues of diversity/identity
  
• Stanford Counseling & Psychological Services Outreach seminar: to increase clinicians' understanding of social justice and to help develop skills in delivering outreach services
• Workgroup on Issues of Diversity & Inclusion in the Curriculum
• Developing new pathways in Outreach and Diversity & Health Equity