Residency

The mission of the Department of Psychiatry is to educate University of Minnesota medical students, residents, and fellows in the knowledge, skills and attitudes essential to the practice of psychiatry, to advance our understanding of the etiology, diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders, and to serve residents of Minnesota through clinical expertise.

The mission of our residency training program is to impart the knowledge, skills and attitudes required of a general psychiatrist to sensitively meet the needs of our patients and the various disciplines we serve. Effective psychiatric practice requires a thorough grounding in both knowledge and clinical skills. Residents are encouraged to critically examine contemporary assumptions about the causes of behavior, as well as our methods of diagnosis and treatment. The University of Minnesota offers an opportunity to study with a knowledgeable faculty dedicated to excellence in clinical psychiatry, education, and research.

As teachers, our faculty members are committed to a training program which directly links psychiatry to medicine, yet emphasizes the unique features of psychiatry. Our residency program stresses integration of the genetic, experiential, and ecological factors relevant to all disorders. This orientation is one in which established theories and empirical studies are presented and critically reexamined in the light of new data and ideas. Throughout the training program, our central aim is to impart the knowledge, skills, and attitudes through the care and study of patients while under the close supervision of faculty.

Year 1 is spent on inpatient units where Neurology and Primary Care requirements are completed and general inpatient Psychiatry training is begun. Residents rotate at the University of Minnesota Medical Center (UMMC), the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital, and the Minneapolis VA Medical Center (VAMC).

6 months of Inpatient Psychiatry (avg. 5 months at UMMC, 1 month at VAMC)

2 months of Neurology (VAMC)

2 months of Internal Medicine (VAMC)

1 month of Pediatrics (University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital)

1 month of Emergency Medicine (UMMC)

Average Workweek:

• Inpatient Psychiatry: 50 hours per week
• Inpatient Pediatrics: 80 hours per week
• Neurology Consults: 45 hours per week
• Emergency Medicine: 40 hours per week
• Inpatient Medicine: 50 hours per week

Night & Weekend Duties:

• Inpatient Pediatrics: 6 days a week, no overnight duties
• Inpatient Medicine: 1 weekend day shift per week, no overnight duties, no call
• Inpatient Neurology: Work one weekend day per month, no call
• EMMD: No overnight or weekends
• Inpatient Psychiatry: 6 weekday evening call shifts per month with PGY-2 senior Weekends and holidays are protected. No overnight call.

Year 2 introduces specialty areas such as Consultation-Liaison, Child-Adolescent Psychiatry, Geropsychiatry, Forensics and Addiction. One-half day per week is also spent in outpatient psychotherapy training.

Sample schedule:

• July - Child and Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatry (UMMC)
• August – Inpatient Psychiatry (UMMC)
• September – MICD (UMMC)
• October – Nightfloat
• November – Geropsychiatry (VAMC)
• December – Inpatient Psychiatry (UMMC)
• January – Neuromodulation (various)
• February – Consult/Liason (VAMC)
• March - Child and Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatry (UMMC)
• April – Nightfloat
• May – Dayfloat (UMMC)
• June – Elective
• Supportive Psychotherapy Clinic: Tuesday afternoon (September to June)
• Emergency Psychiatry during C/L, Gero, and Nightfloat blocks

Average Workweek:

40-60 hours.

Night & Weekend Duties:

• 4-8 weeks of night float throughout the year (5 nights on, 2 nights off). Six hours in-house call per shift, shared amongst a fellow resident. Remainder of call shift is home call.
• Twice per month 24-hour call shifts at the VAMC while on UMMC inpatient services.

Year 3 provides 12 months of continuous outpatient training as well as experiences in community mental health and group/family therapies.

Sample Schedule

• Resident Psychiatry Clinic
• Child Anxiety Clinic
• Group Therapy
• Women’s Group
• Family Therapy
• CBT
• Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
• CUHCC (Community University Health Care Center) Clinic

Average Workweek:

40-50 hours.

Night & Weekend Duties:

None required by the residency program.

Year 4 activities are available at a variety of sites according to a resident’s interests. Opportunities include the Child-Adolescent Fellowship (fast-track after PGY3) and a variety of outpatient practice settings, including required experiences as a supervisory resident, working with junior residents and medical students. A chief resident and research opportunities are also offered.

Sample Schedule

• VA Internal Medicine Clinic (as a Psych consultant)
• DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) at UMMC
• UMMC Resident Psychiatry Clinic
• 1 month on Station 12 (Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit) at UMMC
• Smiley’s Family Medicine Clinic (Integrated Care)
• Substance Use Disorders

Average Workweek

40-50 hours

Nighttime & Overnight Duties

None required by the residency program. 

Residents are eligible to moonlight after the PGY-2 year and once Step/COMPLEX exams have been passes. Most residents who moonlight choose to do so at the VAMC.

The psychiatry inpatient teams are called Blue, Green, Gold, and Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The Blue and Green teams work primarily with patients suffering from a Psychotic Illness. The Gold team works primarily with patients suffering from Mood Disorders and Chemical Dependency. The Psychiatric ICU serves patients with high acuity mental health issues.  UMMC Riverside is also home to the Behavioral Emergency Center (a dedicated psychiatric emergency room for children, adolescents, and adults), inpatient Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CAP), and a CAP partial hospitalization program.

Outpatient psychotherapy, beginning in PGY2, is located on the UMMC Riverside Campus. Residents will also rotate through specialized services here such as ECT and Chemical Dependency.

University of Minnesota Medical Center (UMMC) Riverside

The University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital hosts the Pediatrics rotation intern year. Residents serve on the General Pediatrics Team which consists of an attending physician, a senior resident, a pediatrics intern, and up to 2 medical students. The number of patients residents see daily depends on the season, generally ranging from 5-20.

Masonic is also the site of the Adolescent Dual Diagnosis (Mental Illness and Chemical Dependency) inpatient unit.

UNM Masonic-Riverside

While at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System residents work on Unit 1K during the inpatient Psychiatry experience. VA teams consist of an attending physician, 1-2 medical students, a case manager and rotating nurses. The team manages 8 patients at a time.

During the Internal Medicine experience at the VA, residents work with an attending physician on a Hospitalist service with an occasional medical student. The team manages up to 10-16 patients with a variety of health issues.

Interns also complete their Neurology requirement at the VA. Residents are part of the Neurology Consult team with 1-2 senior Neurology residents and 2-3 medical students. Psychiatry interns typically see 1-2 Neurology clinic patients per day in addition to inpatient consults.

After intern year residents return to the VA for electives in Geropsychiatry and Consult/Liaison in PGY2. Residents also complete 24 hour call shifts at the VA their second year. Multiple elective opportunities are offered at the VA for PGY3 and PGY4 residents (see “Electives.”)

Minneapolis VA Medical Center

Residents complete their Forensic Psychiatry rotation at the Anoka Regional Treatment Center (ARTC) and St. Peter State Hospital, as well as through the Hennepin Country Court System. The ARTC is a 200-bed psychiatric hospital located in Anoka, Minnesota (approximately 45 minutes north of the Twin Cities) for patients with severe mental illness.  Located near Mankato, Minnesota (approximately 75 minutes west of the Twin Cities), the St. Peter State Hospital is a 360-bed hospital for patients with severe mental illness and/or patients deemed to be extremely dangerous.

Anoka Regional Treatment Center

Located in St. Louis Park (approximately 15 minutes west of the Twin Cities), the Mental Health Neuromodulation Clinic is a state-of-the-art facility for treatment resistant depression. Residents have the opportunity to work with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), ketamine, ECT, and vagus nerve stimulation while working on an interdisciplinary team of Family Medicine, Neurology, and Psychiatry physicians.

M Health St. Louis Park

Residents have the opportunity to rotate through various clinics and services for community, public, and integrative psychiatry exposure.

The Community University Health Care Center (CUHCC) is a federally qualified health care center specializing in integrative primary care center that largely serves the Hmong, Somali, and Native American populations of Hennepin County. The clinic offers medical, dental, mental health, advocacy, legal, and other programs. Further integrative care opportunities are available through the Fairview Integrated Primary Care Clinic on the UMMC Riverside Campus or various Fairview Primary Care clinics (e.g. Smiley’s Family Medicine Clinic.)

Residents who would like exposure to Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) services have the opportunity to rotate with Guild Assertive Treatment Services based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Exposure to private mental health care systems such as Prairie Care and Canvas Health are also available.

Community University Health Care Center (CUHCC)

Residents have protected didactic time all four years one afternoon per week (1-4pm). Didactics are offered in 12-week blocks with reserved time for a “combined conference” every month where residents across all four years have the opportunity to present journal articles, lead scholarly discussions, and socialize.

PGY1

First year didactics focus on fundamental knowledge and include lectures on the Introduction to Psychiatric Care, Introduction to Residency, Practice, Clinical Skills, Major Depression Treatment, Integrative Psychiatry, Neuroscience, Consult-Liaison, Normal Human Development, Child Disorders and Treatment, as well as Quality Improvement.  There is reserved didactic time in the Winter session for Track based learning as well (see below).

PGY2

Second year didactics continue education on Integrative Psychiatry and focus more deeply on specific domains of psychiatry such as Psychosis, Forensics, Cultural Psychiatry, Personality Disorders, Sexuality, and Spirituality. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy skills, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy theory, and Family Therapy are also covered in the PGY-2 year.

PGY3

Third year didactics continue education in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in preparation for the outpatient year. Other topics covered include Public Psychiatry, Neuropsychiatry, and Psychiatry & Ethics.    

PGY4

The final year of training includes didactic sessions focuses on preparing for board certification and transitioning to practice after residency.

• Addiction (UMMC or VA)
• Center for Sexual Health (UMMC)
• Community-based Ambulatory Psychiatry (CUHCC, various community and rural sites)
• Consult-Liaison (multiples sites including Primary Care and OB clinics)
• ECT (UMMC)
• Geropsychiatry (VA)
• Palliative Care
• Perinatal Psychiatry (Hennepin County Medical Center or Abbott Northwestern Hospital)
• Primary Care/Mental Health Integration (VA)
• Psychotherapy
  • Psychological Assessment Training
  • Family Psychoeducation
  • Family Therapy, Anxiety Interventions
  • Cognitive Behavioral Social Skills
  • Cognitive Processing
  • Prolonged Exposure
  • Time-Limited Psychodynamic Therapy
  • Motivational Interviewing
  • DBT
  • Psychoanalysis
  • PTSD (VA)
  • Public/Forensic (Anoka or St. Peter)
  • Research (UMMC or VA)
  • Sleep Medicine (VA)
  • TMS (Mental Health Neuromodulation Clinic)

The University of Minnesota, Department of Psychiatry, is committed to a strong education program both in short and longer term psychotherapies.  We emphasize that even the briefest medication management may reveal important dynamic issues. In this sense, all patient contacts become an important ground for learning about and applying psychotherapeutic principles.  

These principles are presented in courses on the theory and practice of psychotherapy, given during the four years of psychiatry training.  Topics include supportive psychotherapy, psychodynamic theory and psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, group and family therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and motivational interviewing. 

PGY2

PGY2s begin their psychotherapy training in clinic learning Supportive Psychotherapy one afternoon per week (1-5pm). Psychotherapy didactics during PGY-2 include:

• Introduction to Psychotherapy
• Psychodynamic Theory
• Family Therapy
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (with optional weekly study group)
• Cultural Competency
• Spirituality

PGY3

PGY-3 year is dedicated to outpatient psychotherapy clinic. Residents are required to carry a minimum of two Psychodynamic Psychotherapy patients during the year, in addition to one Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) patient (min. eight sessions), multiple medical management patients with a CBT focus, and one Family Therapy case. In-depth training in Motivational Interviewing occurs throughout the year. Residents are also required to complete a four-month Group Psychotherapy rotation. Additional training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Interpersonal Therapy (ITP) are also offered. Weekly individual supervision is provided for Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and CBT patients as well as during Family and Group Therapy rotations while group supervision is provided for Motivational Interviewing.  Additional supervision can be arranged for DBT and IPT as well.

PGY4

PGY4 year is mostly reserved for elective courses. Supportive, Psychodynamic, CBT, DBT, IPT and Motivational Interviewing cases continue (2-6+ hours per week) with weekly supervision throughout the year. PGY4’s also have the opportunity to pursue psychotherapy electives in Psychological Assessment Training, Family Psychoeducation, Family Therapy, Anxiety Interventions, Cognitive Behavioral Social Skills, Cognitive Processing, Prolonged Exposure, Time-Limited Psychodynamic Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, DBT, and Psychoanalysis.

• Required Quality Improvement curriculum
• Required scholarly work project (e.g. national poster, journal article) by PGY4
• All PGY2’s are required to present at VA Grand Rounds
• Research mentors are available through the clinic tracks for interested students
• Academic opportunities to teach medical students at UMMC and the VAMC

• Addiction Medicine
• Addiction Psychiatry
• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Forensic Psychiatry
• Geriatrics Psychiatry
• Neuromodulation Medicine

Three clinical tracks are available for residents to participate in throughout their four years of residency. The tracks are organized interest groups comprised of monthly journal clubs, dedicated mentorship, and specialized clinical rotations. Residents have the opportunity to specialize in education, research, or clinical topics within each track. Currently the following tracks are available:

• Clinical Neuroscience
  • The purpose of the Clinical Neuroscience track is to encourage those excited by neuroscience, psychiatry, and its clinical interrelatedness. Those with an eye on education (of patients, research participants, families, and other clinicians). Those who find themselves going to evidence bases, wondering what that means, and interrogating scientific evidence to inform clinical care.
  • Example Didactic & Curricular Components:
    • Experiential Components:
      • PGY1: Foundational physiology development (neurology, etc).
      • PGY2: Geriatrics, OBOT clinic, 
      • PGY3: ECT Training. 
      • PGY4: TMS training and embedded role in clinic and treatments. 
        • First Episode Psychosis (STRENGTHS) clinic
        • CD consultations
        • CBT with psychosis psychotherapy case
    • Didactic:
      • PGY1: National Neuroscience Curriculum Initiative
      • PGY3: Neuropsychology
      • PGY4: Neuroscience & Neuropharmacology
    • Mentoring
      • PGY1/PGY2: Peer Mentor (PGY3/PGY4)
      • PGY3/PGY4: Peer Mentor For PGY1/PGY2 Resident
• Development Across the Lifespan
  • The purpose of the Development Across the Lifespan track is to harness the power of development to deepen our knowledge of our patients and their environments. We seek to pursue this through:
    • Unique didactic experiences that highlight developmental interpretations of patients, diagnoses and dilemmas.
    • Clinical opportunities to explore development from multiple perspectives
    • Opportunities to engage with mentors who use development to inform their patient care and research- both in academic and community settings
    • Opportunities to imagine and build educational experiences to help expand this track
  • Our goals are to:
    • Highlight a developmental perspective to benefit our patients.
    • Explore tools to impact our patients’ lives- pharmacologic, psychologic, family, community and school interventions.
    • Find interesting and helpful ways of teaching caregivers about the changes their loved one’s are going through to help mitigate shame, guilt and blame.
  • Example Didactic & Curricular Components:
    • Experiential Components:
      • PGY2: Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Experiences, Geropsychiatry Experiences, Teaching Opportunities for Medical Students, Initial Preparation for Advanced Training.
      • PGY3: Targeted Clinical Experiences (Perinatal Psychiatry, Family Therapy), Grand Unification Case Formulation, Scholarly Project
      • PGY4: Child Fellowship, Advanced Care Experiences in Geropsychiatry/Perinatal Psychiatry, Peer Mentorship for PGY-1 residents.
      • Didactic:
        • PGY1: Normal Human Development, Combined Conference Sessions, Geriatric Psychiatry.
        • PGY2: Family/Group Therapy, Combined Conference Sessions.
        • PGY3: Neurodegenerative Disorders, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Psychiatric Disorders and Aging
        • Mentoring
          • PGY1/PGY2: Peer Mentor (PGY3/PGY4)
          • PGY3/PGY4: Peer Mentor For PGY1/PGY2 Resident
• The Global Community
  • The purpose of this track is to provide a robust learning experience for in-training psychiatrists who are interested in community psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, health equity, socio-cultural psychiatry, advocacy and care for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers. Trainees in the Global Community Psychiatry track will gain expertise in the practice of delivering and improving mental health care on a local and global level, and related scholarly activities. They will acquire proficiency in understanding social determinants of health, trauma-informed care, mental health laws, policies and systems and understand how they affect the lives of diverse populations of people and how to provide optimal psychiatric care within this broader social context.
  • Example Didactic & Curricular Components:
    • Experiential Components:
      • PGY1: Cedar Riverside Neighborhood, Fort Snelling Historical Tour, Mixed Blood Theater, Group Meetings and Interest Sessions.
      • PGY2: CUHCC Clinic, Forensic Rotations, Forensic ACT/ACT Team Rotations
      • PGY3: CUHCC Clinic, Forensic ACT/ACT Team rotation, St. Peter Regional Treatment Center, Scholarly Project.
      • PGY4: Global-Local course in School of Public Health, Disaster Psychiatry, Remote Consultation, Sub-attending roles at Community/Forensic Locations, Peer Mentorship for PGY-1 residents.
  • Didactic:
    • PGY1: Contextualization of Global Community Psychiatry, Structural Racism and Psychiatry, Presenting Scientific Material in Plain Terms, Health Equity in Psychiatry, Personal Cultural Background and Practice.
    • PGY2: Cultural Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry, Adverse Childhood Events and Psychiatry.
    • PGY3: Public Psychiatry
  • Mentoring
    • PGY1/PGY2: Peer Mentor (PGY3/PGY4)
    • PGY3/PGY4: Peer Mentor For PGY1/PGY2 Resident
  • Advocacy:
    • NAMI Meeting
    • Advocacy Committee in UMN Department of Psychiatry

• Vacation
  • 15 days per year (PGY1 and 2)
  • 20 days per year (PGY3 and 4)
• Sick Days: 10 days per year
• Conference Days: 5 days per year (can be used for Step/COMLEX/Board prep)
• Salary (UMN GME 2019-2020)
  • PGY1: 55,762  
  • PGY2: 57,478  
  • PGY3: 59,456  
  • PGY4: 61,580
• Conference Travel Fund: up to $1000 in grant support for academic conference participation (travel, registration fees, lodging, and/or transportation) for residents presenting at local, regional, or national conferences.
• Book Fund
  • PGY1: $350 per year
  • PGY2 – 4:  $100 per year
• White coats provided with free dry cleaning at the VA
• Meal cards provided for inpatient rotations
  • UMMC ($900/year)
  • VAMC ($75/month)
• Parking is free at both the UMMC and VAMC
• Medical, dental, disability and life insurance are offered thought the University of Minnesota GME Office in addition to optional flexible spending accounts and voluntary retirement options. For more information on UMN GME benefits please go to:  https://shb.umn.edu/health-plans/rfi

The purpose of the research track at the University of Minnesota Psychiatry Residency Program is to train the next generation of psychiatrists focused on pushing the boundaries of psychiatry through world-class research. Psychiatry is at a critical threshold, one in which the current models of psychopathology, nosology, and clinical decision-making are about to undergo a significant disruption. This disruption will result from a deeper understanding of neuroplasticity processes in health and disease, and to facilitate this advancement of the field we require an exceptionally trained workforce. 

Students with strong research backgrounds and interests who enter psychiatry residency training face difficult decisions with regard to continuing their research goals.  Few residencies feature a formal research program that facilitates the junior researcher’s path to achieve independence. Without such a program, each potential candidate must face the nearly impossible task of building a research training curriculum de novo while still completing all of their clinical training requirements.  Thus our research track was created to facilitate the uninterrupted development of early career physician-scientists without a long hiatus from research. 

In consulting with active physician researchers, we found that the greatest limitations in successful research endeavors during residency were a lack of protected time and mentorship. Subsequently we have created one of the most generous research schedules, especially early in residency.  This allows the trainee to lay the foundation for their research program early, allowing for more substantial and successful outcomes over the course of their training. We focus on fostering a strong mentor relationship to guide residents to becoming independent researchers.  

Capitalizing on the current research and teaching strengths in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, we have a rich transdisciplinary research environment at the University of Minnesota. Resources include our active partnership with the Graduate Program in Neuroscience, well-developed cross-departmental research and training programs in neuromodulation, neuroplasticity, and computational neuroscience; a strong research training landscape throughout the university, including a recently renewed NIH Clinical Translational Science Award; internationally recognized neuroimaging, neuro-engineering, and health informatics expertise; and ongoing University and state legislative funding in support of basic and translational research in high-field brain imaging, neuromodulation, and addiction neuroscience.

This program has three goals:  

1) Facilitate the rapid transition of psychiatric physician-scientists to independent investigator status, knowing talented young MD researchers can be discouraged by lengthy clinical training that disrupts their scientific development. 

2) Leverage the research infrastructure of the University of Minnesota to provide the best possible research training environment. 

3) Increase the number and diversity of highly qualified psychiatric physician-scientists.

Kaz Nelson, MD
Training Director, Psychiatry Residency

Richelle Moen, PhD
Assistant Program Director

Lora Wichser, MD
Associate Program Director 

Matthew Adams
Chief Resident 2019

Kanjani Shukla Bajgain, DO, MPH
Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Lindsey Colyer, MD
University of Minnesota Medical School

Rebecca Grossman-Kahn, MD, MBA
University of Michigan Medical School

Rachel Kay, MD
University of Minnesota Medical School

Jacques Maxwell, MD
University of Washington School of Medicine

Tolulope (Tolu) Odebunmi, MBBS
University of Ibadan College of Medicine

Mary Okafo, MBBS
University of Lagos College of Medicine

Christina Warner, MD
University of Minnesota Medical School

Richard Coffin, MD
University of Minnesota Medical School

Justin Garcia, MD, MS
University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine

Rana Jawish, MD
University of Damascus

Alex Loeks-Johnson, MD
University of Minnesota Medical School

Ben Shapiro, MD
University of Minnesota Medical School

Josie Skala, MD
University of Minnesota Medical School

Sherab Tsheringla, MBBS
Christian Medical College, Vellore

Stephanie Wick, DO
Lincoln Memorial Univesity DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine

Ryan Bonner, MD
University of Minnesota Medical School

Thomas Briese, MD
University of Minnesota Medical School

Ryan Carlson, MD
University of Minnesota Medical School

Brook Cole, MD
University of Minnesota Medical School

Felicia Hansell, MD
University of Minnesota Medical School

David Kohn, MD
University of Minnesota Medical School

Glen Rebman, DO
Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Laura Sloan, MD
Tufts University School of Medicine

Matthew Adams, MD
Penn State University College of Medicine

Thomas Fewer, MD
University of Minnesota Medical School

Peter Knight, DO
Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Scott Kunce, MD
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Lyuba Megits, MD
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine