The first year of your psychiatry residency gives you a strong foundation in the field.
| Name of Rotation | Length of Rotation |
|---|---|
| Primary Care | 4 months |
| Neurology | 2 month |
| Inpatient Psychiatry | 6 months |
You will spend the first five months of your training in primary care and neurology. On these services you will work as an integral member of teams, participating fully in educational activities, supervision and teaching exercises. At the end of this initial phase of your residency, you should be able to assess, diagnose and manage basic neurological and medical conditions, including in emergency situations.
Primary care training opportunities include internal medicine, family medicine and pediatrics.
In the second half of your PGY-1 year, you will work on psychiatric inpatient services. The attending physician will supervise and teach you, emphasizing psychiatric interviewing, diagnosing and treating major psychiatric disorders.
This experience rotates you through several training sites, giving you opportunities to treat patients from a broad range of cultural, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds with a variety of diagnoses.
Throughout your first year, half a day per week is protected from clinical responsibilities so you can attend didactic seminars. In the PGY-1 year, these emphasize core interpersonal and communication skills while familiarizing you with the major psychiatric disorders you’re likely to encounter in inpatient settings.
By the end of your first year of training, you should be able to perform a psychiatric interview and mental status examination as well as a basic psychiatric case presentation. You should know how to relate to patients and families in an empathic and caring manner and how to effectively, professionally and respectfully interact with other health care workers. These skills lay the foundation for excellent clinical care as you continue your training.
You will also take part in site-based conferences and rounds and attend weekly grand rounds at the Buffalo Psychiatric Center.
From your first year, you will serve an integral role in educating medical students. You will supervise and facilitate fourth-year students doing psychiatry subinternships, teach and supervise third-year students rotating on inpatient services and serve as a preceptor for second-year students’ small-group discussions.