Are you considering specializing in medicine or psychiatry? Why not both?

The University of Kentucky Internal Medicine/Psychiatry program is a combined 5-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 healthcare system.

Why get combined training in Medicine-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. Healthcare 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.

What are the benefits of combined training at UK?

•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 non-profit multiservice mental healthcare network

•Telemedicine Opportunities—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 first-hand how these two fields come together for more holistic patient care.

  • Addiction Medicine
  • HIV Psychiatry
  • Perinatal Psychiatry
  • SMART Parenting Women - Comprehensive care for parenting women with comorbid psychiatric and substance use disorders 

Our Curriculum

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 fields—including 12 continuous months of outpatient psychiatry which gives you ample opportunity to have long term psychotherapy patients using a variety of psychotherapeutic modalities.

Our didactic curriculum builds on the strong foundation of both our IM 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.

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curriculum
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Sarah Oros, MD
Sarah Oros, MD
Program Director