Rural Psychiatry Residency Track
University of Minnesota / CentraCare
About Us
The University of Minnesota has partnered with CentraCare to launch a Rural Track Program (RTP) within the categorical psychiatry residency. This innovative track—the first of its kind in Minnesota—offers residents the full breadth and depth of psychiatry training at the University of Minnesota while providing focused experience in rural mental health care.
The national shortage of psychiatrists is felt most acutely in rural communities, where patients face unique cultural, geographic, and health care access challenges. The Rural Track Program is designed to train residents directly within these communities, equipping them with the clinical skills, cultural knowledge, and leadership experience needed to advance rural mental health care throughout their careers.
The rural track will accept two residents per year and more than 50% of training time will occur in rural settings. Applicants with a strong interest in rural mental health are encouraged to apply. Below is an overview of the four-year training structure.
Overview: 4-Year Training Structure
Year 1 (PGY1)
Year 1 (PGY1)
Rural track residents will start intern year with three blocks of inpatient psychiatry at Fairview Riverside, training along their categorical resident counterparts. Off-service rotations, including 2 blocks of Neurology and 4 blocks of hospital-based internal medicine, will be completed at St Cloud hospital. Remaining psychiatry blocks will take place at the state-operated psychiatric hospital in Annadale, MN and the adult inpatient unit at St Cloud hospital
Residents will join their categorical counterparts for weekly didactics. This can be completed via zoom if they are rotating at a remote site. Residents will also begin to have teaching opportunities for medical students, including students completing their psychiatry rotations from the CentraCare Regional Campus St Cloud.
For geographic convenience, residents are encouraged to live in the Monticello/Big Lake region during PGY1 and PGY2 years to facilitate access to both University of Minnesota and St. Cloud rotations.
Year 2 (PGY2)
Year 2 (PGY2)
Residents continue to refine their inpatient skills while beginning exploration of subspecialty areas. The year begins with two Twin Cities blocks in child and adolescent psychiatry and interventional psychiatry. Additional rotations include:
• Inpatient geriatric psychiatry in Monticello, MN
• Consult-Liaison Psychiatry in St. Cloud
• Emergency Psychiatry in St. Cloud
• Addiction Medicine in St. Cloud
• Clinical experiences at the St. Cloud VA
Toward the end of PGY2, residents complete one month at a remote site in Alexandria, MN. Housing support is provided for this experience.
Residents also begin longitudinal supportive psychotherapy alongside peers in the categorical program.
Year 3 (PGY3)
Year 3 (PGY3)
The core rural immersion begins in PGY3. One resident relocates to the Willmar, MN hub, and the second resident relocates to the Baxter/Brainerd hub. During this year, residents live and practice in rural communities while providing longitudinal outpatient psychiatric care. Outpatient clinics are supported through partnerships with CentraCare, Astera Health, and Lakewood Health System, with some remote supervision provided by University of Minnesota faculty
Training emphasizes continued development of psychotherapy skills, including CBT and psychodynamic psychotherapy.
Year 4 (PGY4)
Year 4 (PGY4)
In the final year, residents further develop their identity as rural psychiatrists while remaining in their respective rural hubs.
Clinical opportunities may include:
• State-operated psychiatric hospital in Baxter, MN
• State-operated child and adolescent psychiatric hospital in Willmar, MN
• Adult inpatient psychiatry in Willmar, MN
• Inpatient consults and emergency psychiatry at rural critical access hospitals
Residents continue managing their outpatient psychiatry panel and providing outpatient psychotherapy.
Planned elective offerings include rural-focused electives such as outpatient psychiatry at the St. Cloud VA Medical Center, perinatal psychiatry, and Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams.
Rural track residents still have the option to fast-track to child-adolescent psychiatry residency after completing PGY3 year.
Rural Track vs. Categorical Track
What is the same as the categorical track?
Rural Track residents receive the same core training experience and program support as categorical residents, including:
- The same depth and breadth of psychiatry training
- Shared psychotherapy supervision with Twin Cities peers
- The same program director and program coordinator
- Remote outpatient clinic supervision supported by categorical psychiatry faculty
- Salary and benefits
What is unique about the rural track?
The Rural Track offers several distinctive features designed to prepare residents for careers in rural psychiatry:
- Clinical rotations at multiple sites unique to the Rural Track
- Required relocation to a rural hub in PGY3 (Willmar or Baxter/Brainerd, MN)
- Dedicated support from a rural-specific GME coordinator and rural core faculty
- Participation in specialty-agnostic GME programming. Residents will work with faculty and residents of other specialties on areas of interest, including quality and safety, leadership and administrative training.
Additional Fringe Benefits
- Educational allowance budget of $1500 per year per resident
- Moving allowance $2500 at start of the program and repeat moving allowance of $2,500 when relocating at start of PGY3
- USMLE Step 3 exam in PGY2, up to the first two attempts
- Covered costs include standard registration fee. Late fee, rescheduling fee, travel/lodging and preparation materials are not included unless pre-approved by program director.
- Minnesota medical license and associated transcript costs
- DEA license for a three-year license in PGY2
- Access to additional support for USMLE or board exams as appropriate to individual learner needs and specialty training timelines.
- Professional dues to engage in a single organization up to $80 annually per resident
- Complimentary attendance at the annual CentraCare Collaborative Care Institute Conference.
Faculty
Karen "Kay" Powell, DO
Program Director
Psychiatry Residency Program
University of Minnesota / CentraCare Rural Psychiatry Residency Track
Ryan Carlson, MD
Associate Program Director
University of Minnesota / CentraCare Rural Psychiatry Residency Track
Claire Drom, MD
Core Faculty
University of Minnesota / CentraCare Rural Psychiatry Residency Track