I remember browsing through residency websites and envisioning my future as a psychiatrist, simultaneously so excited and uncertain about what was to come. During this time, my goal was to find a psychiatry program that would serve two primary goals: first, turn me into the best clinician I could be while still feeling deeply supported and happy in the midst of clinical rigor, and second, enable me with opportunities to become a leader in whatever aspect of the field I found to be my calling. During the interview process, it became clear that MGH/McLean was that place. In spite of hesitations around not knowing anyone in the program or having lived in Boston before, I could not deny that it was absolutely my top choice. When I opened my match day envelope and saw this dream come true, I was literally jumping around in joy! To this day, I have never regretted that decision.

As I reflect on my time here at MGH/McLean, I think the following themes stand out as the most valuable takeaways for me:

1) The community. My co-residents are genuinely some of the best friends I have ever made. There are so many moments on the more challenging rotations, whether inpatient medical psychiatry at MGH, CL psychiatry, or emergency room night shifts, where the resident workrooms were filled with constant laughter and budding memories (and yummy snacks!). Outside of the hospital, I have loved our birthday celebrations, weekend trips into nature, nights out in Boston, potluck dinners, ski trips, beach days, and more. This sense of community expands beyond the residents, too: dim sum with attendings, breweries with nurses, or invitations to a mentor’s home for their holiday party. If you come here, you will immediately feel the warmth! It is no wonder that so many of our attendings trained in the residency themselves and have stuck around for many years.

2) The opportunities. It is unsurprising that between the 2 renowned hospital campuses and the wealth of well-connected faculty, you will have access to top-notch opportunities in clinical work, mentorship, research, education, service, and leadership. I think what is less obvious is how this actually looks on a day-to-day basis. When you join the residency, you will receive constant emails from program directors and faculty stating the need for psychiatry residents for all sorts of things: authoring book chapters, providing your expert opinion for a research study interviewing clinicians (yes, you are the expert, and you get paid!), becoming certified in Forensic Medical Evaluations for individuals seeking asylum, becoming a representative on a national resident committee such as APA, fellowships at the Boston Psychoanalytic Society & Institute, and more. Not only will you be flooded with these general opportunities, but program directors will also reach out to you specifically with additional ones in line with your goals. Even on individual rotations, you will regularly find yourself with mentors eager to help you develop a fascinating clinical case into a case report or a complex clinical question into a review article. I promise that if you are here, the only limitation to what you can do will be your time and your finding that personal balance. 

3) The life outside of work. It is true that our program can be rigorous, but I have seldom felt that it was at the expense of my personal life. When the work is as fulfilling and supportive with so much space for reflection, processing, and camaraderie as those in our program, I feel more energized at the end of a work day than I would if I had fewer work hours but they were unfulfilling or draining. Also, I can honestly say that I have never had to miss an important personal event (such as weddings) since starting residency. In addition, I have found more time and space for myself such as tending to my personal health (exercising, therapy), engaging in my hobbies, adulting, and just finding peace in the time off. As mentioned, having such an amazing resident community makes this all better too.

While residency is an inevitably challenging time (and everyone’s experiences vary), I do genuinely believe that the support, the community, and the joy I feel at MGH/McLean has made this residency the greatest privilege in my growth. I would absolutely do it again!