
Medicine-Psychiatry
Considering specializing in medicine or psychiatry? Why not both?
The University of Kentucky internal medicine/psychiatry program is a combined five-year program leading to certification in both specialties. Our residents will spend equal time in internal medicine and psychiatry. MedPsych-trained physicians recognize how each perspective allows them to provide better, comprehensive care to their patients and fill a much needed niche in our health care system.
Why get combined training in medicine and psychiatry?
There is a growing recognition that patients with comorbid medical and mental illness have worse outcomes. We need more providers who can provide the complex care these vulnerable patients need. Health care systems are developing innovative care models and want graduates of combined training programs — whether inpatient hospitals, community mental health centers, or primary care. You can truly treat the whole patient.
Benefits of Combined Training at UK
The University of Kentucky has extensive experience with combined training programs with strong internal medicine/pediatrics and pediatrics/psychiatry/child psychiatry residency programs. We know how to customize the training experience of our combined programs yet also make you feel at home in the larger programs in which you work. Our program features a tremendous diversity of training sites including:
- UK Chandler Hospital — our academic tertiary acute care hospital that cares for the sickest patients in the state
- UK Good Samaritan Hospital — a community hospital with both inpatient medicine and behavioral health units
- VA Hospital and ambulatory clinics — innovative care for our nation’s veterans
- Eastern State Psychiatric Hospital — our state psychiatric facility on a beautiful modern campus
- University of Kentucky Student Health Clinic — opportunities to care for young adults
- New Vistas Community Mental Health Center — Central Kentucky’s nonprofit multiservice mental health care network
- Telemedicine — learn how to practice effective telehealth with state-of-the-art equipment
Within those various rotation sites, our program has several integrative experiences to see firsthand how these two fields come together for more holistic patient care.
- Addiction medicine
- HIV psychiatry
- Transplant psychiatry
- Beyond Birth Clinic – addiction treatment for postpartum women
Our Curriculum
Here is a sample schedule for a combined internal medicine/psychiatry resident. Our unique curriculum includes an ambulatory block every third month. The first 30 months are a seamless mix of medicine and psychiatry, which will allow you to integrate rather than compartmentalize what you are learning. You then have 30 months of consolidation rotations to really focus and hone your skills in both field, including 12 continuous months of outpatient psychiatry which gives you ample opportunity to have long-term psychotherapy patients using a variety of psychotherapeutic modalities.
Month |
PGY1 |
PGY2 |
PGY3 |
PGY4 |
PGY5 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
July |
Ambulatory Medicine and Continuity Clinic |
Ambulatory Medicine and Continuity Clinic |
Ambulatory Medicine and Continuity Clinic |
Specialty Consults |
*12 months outpatient psychiatry, outpatient child, and addiction psychiatry |
August |
Cardiology Wards |
Medicine Wards |
*Emergency Psychiatry |
Medicine Wards |
|
September |
Medicine Wards |
Emergency Medicine |
*Inpatient Psychiatry Supervisor |
Peri-Op Wards |
|
October |
Ambulatory Medicine and Continuity Clinic |
Ambulatory Medicine and Continuity Clinic |
Ambulatory Medicine and Continuity Clinic |
Specialty Consults |
|
November |
*Inpatient Psychiatry |
*Inpatient Psychiatry |
Medicine Wards |
Medicine Elective |
|
December |
*Community Inpatient Psychiatry |
*Emergency Psychiatry |
MICU |
CCU |
|
January |
Ambulatory Medicine and Continuity Clinic |
Ambulatory Medicine and Continuity Clinic |
*Child Psychiatry - Inpatient and |
*12 months outpatient psychiatry including outpatient Child and Addiction Psychiatry |
MICU or CCU |
February |
*Inpatient Neurology |
MICU |
*Psychiatry Elective/Forensic |
Geriatric Medicine |
|
March |
*Inpatient Psychiatry |
Wards – GS |
*Inpatient Geriatric Psychiatry |
Wards -- DC |
|
April |
Ambulatory Medicine and Continuity Clinic |
Ambulatory Medicine and Continuity Clinic |
*Consult/Liaison Psychiatry |
Specialty Consults |
|
May |
*Consult/Liaison Psychiatry |
*Neurology Consults |
*Inpatient VA Psychiatry |
Medicine Elective |
|
June |
*Inpatient Psychiatry |
*Consult/Liaison Psychiatry |
*Consult/Liaison Psychiatry |
Specialty Consults |
Psychiatry marked with *
Didactic Curriculum
Our didactic curriculum builds on the strong foundation of both our internal medicine and psychiatry programs.
- Internal medicine morning report and noon conferences: Our twice-daily IM conference series includes an interactive morning case conference then a high-yield didactic lecture at lunch.
- Psychiatry didactic half-day: This in-depth academic half-day allows our combined trainees to learn alongside categorical psychiatry residents.
- Monthly Med/Psych journal club or case conference: Our combined conference series is a monthly offering specifically designed for our Med-Psych residents and program faculty.