Psychiatry

Our general psychiatry residency is a four-year program which is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). In addition to developing psychiatric knowledge and skills, we emphasize developing neuropsychiatric knowledge/skills including the neurologic examination, neuropsychological evaluation of cognitive disorders and neuroimaging. Our residency enjoys a rich relationship with the University of North Texas Health Science Center. Not only does JPS Health Network host the psychiatry residency program, but it is the core psychiatric rotation site for UNTHSC medical students and physician assistant (PA) students. House staff participates in the education of junior residents, medical students and PA students.

Residents are exposed to biological, psychological and sociocultural theories of human behavior, methods of prevention, diagnosis, and clinical intervention and research projects. Residents learn to diagnose mental illness, to ascertain individual and family needs, to assess the social context of mental illness, to formulate treatment plans and to make appropriate interventions, including discharge planning or follow-up appointments. Residents also learn somatic therapies, such as psychopharmacology and ECT, as well as psychotherapy and the proper utilization of outside resources, such as vocational rehabilitation, 12-step programs and the legal system.

Resident performance is monitored through written evaluations by supervising physicians at the end of each rotation and by psychotherapy supervisors every six months. The residency director meets with each resident semiannually to discuss all evaluations and to help individualize training goals. Clinical records are regularly reviewed to evaluate a resident's ability to record an adequate history, mental status, physical and neurological examination, justification for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and discharge summary.

Residents take the Psychiatric Residents In Training Examination (PRITE) each year to help assess their progress, identify strengths and weaknesses and assist in preparation for general psychiatry certification examinations taken after graduation. They also participate in clinical skills examinations in which they interview a patient, present the case, and answer questions about the case. Faculty members, who have served as examiners for the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, are among those who critique the interview and its presentation. Research projects are a required part of the residency program and a variety of research mentors are available to assist.

UNIQUE ASPECTS OF THE PROGRAM

• JPS is located in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, which is a great central location with lots of job opportunities for family members.
• Our Psychiatric Emergency Center is an excellent teaching venue for severe and emergent psychiatric illness. Your experience there prepares you for even the most demanding jobs in psychiatry.
• The team atmosphere offers a supportive and fun environment.
• We treat a high volume of complex patients for a good well rounded exposure to anything you may encounter once practicing on your own.
• Our attending to resident ratio is 1.25:1 meaning you have plenty of supervision in handling complex cases.
• Our faculty are regionally recognized as excellent clinicians and teachers.
• Robust research opportunities within the department with a nationally renowned suicide researcher.
• Competitive salary & benefits (with recent 3% pay raise for all PGY years).
• We have changed the rotations so interns work two months in outpatient family medicine and two months in inpatient medicine instead of four months of inpatient medicine. The work load is lighter on outpatient medicine, and the medical complaints are more relevant to what you need to know in clinical practice.
• Cost of living in Fort Worth is very affordable.
• Residents serve as expert witnesses in court for commitment hearings. This is an excellent learning experience for learning how to testify in a court setting.
• Lots of free food! The cafeteria allows residents a $9 a day allowance and there are catered lunches at least once a week.