Overview

The Residency Training Program

• PGY 1 Year
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• PGY 2 Year
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• PGY 3 Year
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• PGY 4 Year

PGY 1 Year 

The PGY 1 (internship) year includes four months of internal medicine and one month of emergency medicine. During this year, residents also have two months of neurology, one of which is inpatient and one of which is on the consult service. During these months, our PGY-I’s are an integral and well-respected part of the medicine and neurology housestaff, and they finish the year with a solid grounding in clinical medicine. PGY-I’s also have a month of geriatrics which provides them with an interdisciplinary approach to working with this unique patient population.

Four months of the internship are spent in our department of psychiatry. PGY-I’s have two months on the inpatient general adult psychiatric service at New York Presbyterian Hospital, one month in child psychiatry (working in both the comprehensive psychiatric emergency program (CPEP) and consultation-liaison services at Children’s Hospital of New York Presbyterian) and one month in addiction/emergency psychiatry. On each psychiatry rotation, residents receive substantial one-on-one supervision by attending psychiatrists who guide them through these early, crucial experiences in psychiatry, as well as a full curriculum of introductory courses which are taught in noon-time seminars

9 Garden North (9GN)

The Columbia Inpatient Psychiatry Service is a 24 bed inpatient program located on 9 Garden North at Presbyterian Hospital.  It is a general inpatient unit with particular expertise in the treatment of affective and psychotic disorders, dual diagnosis, and complex medical/psychiatric problems.  As the primary referral unit for the medical center, patients often present with complicated diagnostic and treatment dilemmas.  During the two month rotation each resident is paired individually with an Attending Psychiatrist and works closely with PGY 4s doing senior electives, Psychology Interns, and Columbia third and fourth year medical students.  Residents learn to work in a managed care setting (average length of stay about 14 days) and develop expertise in complex psychopharmacology, geriatric psychiatry, individual and group psychotherapy for affective illness and addiction, cognitive behavioral therapy for depressive and anxiety disorders, individual and family psychotherapy and electro-convulsive therapy.

Child Psychiatry

PGY1 residents begin their exposure to child and adolescent psychiatry during a one month rotation through the Child Consultation-Liaison service and Child Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP) at the New York Presbyterian Children’s Hospital.  Clinical activities include consultation to medically ill children on inpatient and, less often, outpatient pediatric services. Interdisciplinary teamwork with pediatric staff is an intrinsic component of this rotation. The CCPEP is subdivided into an ambulatory evaluation service and the extended-observation unit. The most common presenting problems are suicidal thoughts and actions, disruptive behavior disorders, anxiety and depressive disorders, child abuse and neglect, and school problems. The types of treatment provided include crisis-oriented interventions, psychopharmacological management, supportive therapy, family therapy, and referrals for psychosocial support services. All cases are individually discussed with on-site attending supervision.

Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP) & Addiction Psychiatry

PGY 1 residents spend one month working in both the CPEP and Addiction Psychiatry services.  During this month, residents rotating through the CPEP are trained in the evaluation and treatment of patients whose problems range from substance induced psychosis to family crisis.  Residents gain expertise in diagnostic interviewing and treatment of acute psychiatric emergencies. This emergency room setting is unique in that patients are able to stay for up to 72 hours, allowing time for a thorough evaluation and the best treatment and disposition.  In addition to the CPEP, residents are introduced to various substance use disorder treatment modalities and treatment settings.  Residents work closely with Columbia University Addiction Psychiatry fellows and supervising attendings at a variety of clinical teaching sites, including the Addiction Institute, Columbia’s Buprenorphine Program, the Substance Treatment and Research Service (STARS) of Columbia University, and Bridge Plaza Methadone Maintenance Treatment Services. Residents are also exposed to a variety of laboratory and clinical research programs within the Division on Substance Abuse.