PGY1: Becoming a Physician

The PGY1 year serves to ground the developing psychiatrist as a physician. The MGH/McLean PGY1 year provides a strong foundation in internal medicine based at both Massachusetts General Hospital and Newton-Wellesley Hospital, a rich neurology experience, and early exposure to clinical inpatient psychiatry. Massachusetts General Hospital is a tertiary/quaternary medical care center with a world-class internal medicine residency training program. Newton-Wellesley Hospital is a community hospital that is an affiliated teaching site of the MGH internal medicine residency.

The MGH/McLean residency offers a combined program in adult, child and adolescent psychiatry. This unique program begins with a pediatrics internship at MGH which includes rotations in adult and child neurology and early exposure to adult inpatient psychiatry. Following internship, residents spend either two or three years (depending on resident preference) in the MGH/McLean Adult Psychiatry Residency, followed by two years in the MGH/McLean Child and Adolescent Fellowship

Click for Didactic Curriculum Overview

McLean Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Inpatient Unit (AB2) (3 months)

Residents rotate for three months at the McLean Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorders Unit dedicated to the intensive treatment of severely ill inpatients with psychotic and affective disorders. During this rotation, residents become familiar with extended treatment in a biopsychosocial model for patients recovering from an acute episode of illness. Residents learn psychopharmacologic management and case administration, and become familiar with individual, group, and family therapy under the supervision of full-time staff psychiatrists. In tune with the clinical, teaching and research mission of this unit, residents have special didactics on psychotic disorders and case conferences.

McLean Clinical Evaluation Center (1 month)

The Clinical Evaluation Center (CEC) functions as an urgent assessment and admission unit at McLean Hospital. While working on this unit, residents develop skills in psychiatric evaluation, diagnosis, triage, and treatment initiation. Patients are referred to the CEC from a variety of sources. These include area emergency rooms, crisis teams, other McLean Hospital programs, outpatient psychiatric clinicians, primary care physicians, family members or friends, or via self-referral. Interns work an average of 1 evening shift (5-9pm) in the CEC per week, accompanied by a teaching attending. There are no weekend call shifts during this month.

Neurology (2 months)

All interns do 2 months of neurology and can choose from 4 selective experiences. They can complete an adult neurology consultation service or a pediatric neurology consultation service at MGH. Another option is an outpatient neurology service at MGH focused on neuropsychiatry. Finally, interns can take advantage of a unique behavioral neurology service at McLean, providing consultation to psychiatric inpatients. There is no call or weekend shifts during these months.

Elective (1 month)

All interns have the opportunity to pursue 4 weeks of elective time. They can choose an elective related to medicine, pediatrics, neurology, or psychiatry. Research electives are also popular, as are medical education electives. Depending on the service, some interns will have their elective as a single 4-week block, while others will have two separate 2-week electives. There are no calls or weekend shifts during this month.

Internal medicine (5 months)

Five months of medicine at either MGH or Newton Wellesley Hospital, which includes a combination of inpatient ward medicine, emergency department, ICU, and elective.

For Residents in the Combined Adult-Child and Adolescent Program:

Pediatrics (5 months)

Five months of pediatrics at the MGH Hospital for Children (MGHfC). Following the internship year, residents spend either two or three years in the adult psychiatry program (at resident’s discretion) and finally, two years in the child/adolescent psychiatry fellowship.

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