Thank you for another great year. We have officially wrapped up all interviews for the incoming 2019-20 PGY-1 class. We enjoyed meeting all those who were interviewed and wish we could have interviewed many more. Nevertheless, we now await the results of the match on Friday March 15 and look forward to welcoming another stellar group of residents to join our program. 

Good luck to all those out there still seeking interviews and positions. 

Anyone interested in advocacy efforts to increase the number of residency positions available may be interested in visiting the site below:

https://news.aamc.org/for-the-media/article/gme-funding-doctor-shortage/

Why Choose UofL for your training?

The University of Louisville School of Medicine Psychiatry residency offers rich training experiences in many different settings.  Our residents rotate through University of Louisville Hospital, two private hospitals, a VA, and a state psychiatric hospital.  Dedicated attendings are located at each site.  A varied and challenging patient mix is a prerequisite for a well-rounded program.  Our trainees start seeing psychotherapy patients during our 2nd year. Seasoned faculty with a commitment to the program and the community provide the guidance to assist residents in finding professional and academic success.

Why is Louisville a great place to do a Psychiatry residency?

Louisville is a culturally rich city with a low cost-of-living.  Louisville offers world class restaurants, a vibrant social scene, and outdoor opportunities within the city and a short distance away.  Louisville is centrally located and one can easily drive or fly to other desirable locations.

Are specialized tracks available? 

Yes.  The Academic Track is available during PGY years 2-4.  Areas of academic interest very widely.  The track is set up in such a way so as to accommodate this.  The educational leadership of the department has a commitment to develop the next generation of clinician educators. The track is our way of demonstrating that commitment.

The community psychiatry track is available during PGY years 2-4 as well.  This involves maximizing the collaboration between the residency and our community psychiatry partners.  Residents in the track get additional “behind-the-scenes” opportunities to spend additional time in the programs offered through Centerstone Kentucky and the state mental hospital (Central State Hospital).

How many PGY 1 positions are available?

We accept 9 residents each year in the match.

Do residents have an opportunity to teach in this program?

Yes.  Our residents have ample opportunities to teach in every PGY level.  It is actually more of an expectation than an opportunity.  First year residents are responsible for M&M conferences (held quarterly).  First and second year residents have the opportunity to teach medical students on inpatient services.  Third year residents work with and teach medical students and junior residents on their respective services and are responsible for iClicker/PRITE review (monthly).  Fourth year residents are responsible for teaching and have greatly expanded autonomy as senior residents on their units.

Do residents have teaching conferences?

Lecture time is protected.  Didactics are organized for each PGY year and occur weekly.  Departmental academic hours occur on Thursday mornings.  PGY-2 residents are primarily responsible for monthly journal club presentations.  PGY-4 residents, faculty, and guest lecturers present Grand Rounds.  M&M conferences and interactive electronic question and answer sessions are held regularly. 

How do I apply to your program?

All applications for PGY1 positions must be submitted electronically through ERAS and NRMP ONLY, if the following minimum requirements are met:

USMLE Step 1/COMLEX Level 1 = passed by 3^rd attempt
USMLE Step 2 CK/COMLEX Level 2 CE = passed by 2^nd attempt
USMLE Step 2 CS/COMLEX Level 2 PE = passed on first attempt

Do you accept out of the match application?

We only accept applications for PGY 1 positions electronically, submitted through ERAS, and using the NRMP Match system.

Do you require USCE?

We prefer applicants with US clinical experience.  

What other documents would be required?

The application package must contain: 

• Dean's letter
• Medical school transcript 
• National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) transcript (USMLE Steps 1, 2 and 3, if available) 
• Personal statement
• Curriculum vitae
• 3 letters of recommendation

What is the deadline for application?

We do not review applications after November 1st.  However, all available interview positions may be filled even earlier.  It is highly advisable to submit an application by September 30th for best chance of receiving an interview invitation. Selected applicants are invited to visit the University of Louisville School of Medicine for a personal interview.

Do you accept International Medical Graduates?

While our program includes residents from a variety of diverse cultural backgrounds, we are part of a US based, allopathic medical school.  We continue to accept outstanding residents with prior training from International Medical Schools.  A multilingual background can be an asset in some settings but a high level of English language proficiency is an absolute training requirement.

Do you accept visas?

Yes, we accept the ECFMG sponsored J1 visas.  

Do you offer Observerships or Externships?

No, we are no longer able to offer such programs.

Does it matter when I graduated from medical school?

Graduation date should be within 10 years (July 1, 2008)

Does it matter how many attempts I’ve made at USMLE/COMLEX?

Passes on first attempts are preferred.  Pass on second attempts considered with strongly documented explanations. 

Where do residents go for their fellowships?

Many of our graduates choose to continue their post-graduate training by pursuing fellowships. Our residents have been successful in obtaining excellent fellowships in programs of their choice.  The most commonly pursued fellowships for our residents historically have been in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Addiction Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Psychiatry, and Forensic Psychiatry.   The University of Louisville offers fellowships in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Addiction Psychiatry.

Do residents have opportunities to moonlight?

Yes.  Upon approval of the training director, our residents have the opportunity to moonlight as a PGY-2 and beyond.  Many residents moonlight at the regional state hospital and state penitentiary. 

What, if any, membership fees does the Department of Psychiatry pay for on behalf of the residents?

We currently pay the APA memberships for PGY-2, PGY-3, and PGY-4 residents (APA memberships for PGY-1 are free).  We also help facilitate membership in the American Telemedicine Association.  For more information about the ATA, click here.

What is a typical day in the life of a resident?

Click here to see what daily life is like for a resident.

What are you looking for in potential residents?

We seek the candidates we feel will do best in the residency we offer. We look for those having the right aptitudes and attitudes for a balanced, diverse, broad-based, complex, multi-site, residency program. Our residents work hard even when no one is watching them. We want candidates with the innate and natural people skills that are hard to teach. Many of our residents also bring special skills or backgrounds. Our training director's interest in technology as it relates to the provision of health care (particularly mental healthcare) would be an example. However, many other sorts of related interests are welcomed and supported.  Our residents read.  They read for fun.  They read about psychiatry for fun.  They read because they do not arrive with USB ports installed and we know of few better ways to upload the vast treasure trove of knowledge of human behavior and experience accumulated in books, journals and websites.  Audiobooks count too.  We hope you like to read – a lot. We do.  

We also seek some individuals who will share in our commitment to the future of our profession and the psychiatric needs of our state. Psychiatry is a specialty where the physician/patient relationship remains fundamental.  We should be among those most devoted to defending that relationship.  As a group, psychiatrists rank as the second oldest group of physicians. Even with increasing numbers of medical students entering the field we remain in high demand. We hope to recruit some candidates in each resident class who share our passion for training the psychiatrists of the future.  As a training program, we want to recruit, support, and nurture some candidates with aspirations to pursue an academic career. We are based in Kentucky and receive state support for our university, medical school and residency program.  We hope some portion of our residents will elect to help provide for the psychiatric needs of our fellow Kentuckians upon completion of training.  Identifying candidates with the desire to live and practice in Kentucky helps to meet this need. However, our interest is in where our graduates wind up - not from where they came originally. 

At the end of the day we have good confidence in the MATCH and its ability to do what it proposes to do.  It is about finding a good fit between the program and the candidate.  The unfortunate reality is that there are more talented individuals applying for positions in psychiatry at present than there are training positions available. Under these conditions we must simply hope for the best fit between the positions we have to offer and the candidates who seek to fill them.  Best of luck to us all.