General Residency

Overview:
The Department of Psychiatry is constantly seeking to revise and improve the residency program, both educationally for the residents and in modifications of patient care.  For instance, the above curriculum may change to fit current needs.  We emphasize education.  We are dedicated to helping our residents develop professionally and personally.  We welcome your interest in our program, and look forward to meeting you as you apply and interview.

Contact Information:
James Patterson, MD, PhD, Associate Professor
Residency Program Director
Phone: 318-675-6619  Fax: 318-675-6054
jpatte@lsuhsc.edu

Manish Saran, MD, Assistant Professor, Child Psychiatry
Associate Residency Program Director
Phone: 318-813-2450  Fax: 318-813-2464
msaran@lsuhsc.edu

Bart Wagner, MD, Assistant Professor, Child Psychiatry
Associate Residency Program Director
Phone: 318-813-2450  Fax: 318-813-2464
jwagne1@lsuhsc.edu

Theresa Thompson, BS
Residency Training Coordinator
Phone: 318-675-6619  Fax: 318-675-6054
tthom6@lsuhsc.edu

Curriculum:
Physicians who choose to practice psychiatry are selecting a specialty of medicine that is in a phase of active growth and expanding influence in the medical community.  The specialty requires a broad knowledge, for all ages of patients are encountered.  It also requires highly developed interpersonal skills.

The Psychiatry Residency Program at LSUHSCS is a fully accredited four-year program designed to provide candidates with a strong foundation of knowledge, clinical skills and ethical standards necessary for the practice of psychiatry.

Our program fills positions at the PGY-I level through the National Resident Matching Program.

We accept eight applicants per year. We provide for extensive personal supervision as well as flexibility to meet the needs of the individual resident.  The program exposes residents to all areas and all subspecialties of psychiatry by rotation in multiple medical facilities, including E.A. Conway Medical Center in Monroe, Huey P. Long Medical Center in Alexandria, Brentwood Hospital, Overton-Brooks V.A. Medical Center, Promise Hospital, and the Willis-Knighton Medical Center (South) all here in Shreveport.

Course work supplements clinical experience.  Residents at each level meet for Grand Rounds/Journal Club/Gender and Cultural Issues/Interdisciplinary Case Conference, as well as for scheduled lectures. There is also daily emergency service supervision, inpatient supervision, consultation/liaison service supervision, and outpatient supervision. Required readings add to the courses.

The resident may use elective time during the PGY-IV year to develop specific career interests.  Electives include research, community mental health, administration, geriatric, and inpatient or outpatient psychiatry in the public or private sector.  There is also an opportunity to have elective experience in other cities or countries.

PGY I and II:
During the first two years, the resident is required to spend four months in primary care. This includes one month in Emergency Medicine, one month in Internal Medicine inpatient, one month of Family Practice outpatient, and one month of the resident's choice of several possible medicine rotations. Two months of neurology are required during the four year training period, and we require that at least one of these months be completed during the first two years of training. The initial psychiatry rotations focus on inpatient psychiatry as well as psychiatric emergency training. There is an intense introduction to inpatient psychiatry the first month of the psychiatry rotation.  Courses include a basic course covering Axis I disorders, etiology, phenomenology and treatment, plus an introduction to psychotherapy.  Additional courses include forensic psychiatry, psychological testing, history of psychiatry and an introduction to library research.  The primary goals of the PGY-I rotations are an understanding of Axis I disorders, and an understanding of the interplay between medical and psychiatric illnesses. The PGY-II year further advances the resident's understanding of inpatient, emergency, outpatient, and consultation psychiatry, with exposure to a multitude of patient types. The PGY-I and II rotations may be done in either year.  In addition, the resident begins seeing outpatients at the LSUHSC Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic one ½ day a week.  The residents are encouraged to continue to see their own private patients throughout the residency.  The lectures for the PGY-II resident include the course on human growth and development and developmental disorders of childhood.  These last the entire year.  There are additional courses on personality disorders, advanced interviewing techniques, ethics, forensic psychiatry, and psychopharmacology research design.  The resident also receives an introduction to psychoanalytic theory.

PGY III:
The PGY-III year is primarily a year of outpatient study at the LSUHSC and VA Medical Center Outpatient Clinics.  The resident also participates in the psychopharmacology research unit as Sub-Investigators. The core of the PGY-III lecture series is the ongoing outpatient case conference and advanced psychoanalytic theory, which meets the entire year.  There are additional lectures on group therapy, family therapy, behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, hypnosis, human sexuality, administrative psychiatry, and consultation-liaison psychiatry.  Advanced biological psychiatry topics also introduced.  Residents begin to present at conferences and grand rounds to improve teaching abilities.

PGY IV:
The PGY-IV resident has a two month Consultation-Liaison experience.  There is a two month child and adolescent outpatient rotation.  The resident also has a one month Forensic Psychiatry experience.  There are six-eight months available for elective experience.  In the course work, the PGY-IV resident continues to attend outpatient case conferences.  Additional courses are designed to refine and review basic knowledge in preparation for the boards.  There are courses in advanced psychopharmacology, transition to practice, mental health promotion, religion and psychiatry, review of neurology, and computers and psychiatry.  The resident also has a review of DSM diagnosis, and a course in advanced research methods.

Psychiatry Rotations:
Addiction Psychiatry
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry
Emergency Psychiatry
Forensic Psychiatry
Inpatient Psychiatry
Geriatric Psychiatry
Outpatient Clinic
Psychopharmacology Research

Sites:
The Department of Psychiatry has faculty spread all over the Northwest Louisiana area.  Rotations may occur at sites that include: Promise Hospital, Overton Brooks VA Medical Center, Brentwood Hospital, EA Conway Medical Center in Monroe, Caddo Correctional Center, Huey P. Long Medical Center, and Central State Hospital in Alexandria.

Salary:
Our salaries are above the national average, and moonlighting opportunities are available.  House Officer salaries change yearly.  The current salary starts at $44,167.71 for a PGY I.

Benefits:
The Department of Psychiatry adds a generous supplement of $2,000 for books and/or educational travel for each resident during each year of training. 

The institution supplies each House Officer with a food allowance each month of $250.00 utilizing the House Officer’s ID badge, which can only be used to eat in our cafeterias.

PGY I residents get 15 days of paid Annual Leave, 10 days of Sick Leave, and 5 days of Educational Leave.  PGY II, III, and IV residents have 20 days of Annual Leave, 10 days of Sick Leave, and 5 days of Educational Leave each year.

Comments from Current Residents:

Intern:
On behalf of all the LSUHSC-S Psychiatry interns, I thank you for your interest in our program. I was in the same situation last year when looking for a program, where I couldhave my own identity, work ethics, knowledge, evidence based education, and financial perks that make my residency fun and memorable.

I found here at LSUHSC-S, where educational perspective, regular lectures without interrupting clinical work, comfortable call schedule not interrupting personal life, well compensated financial and educational perks are uniqueadvantages. Besides that, the support from senior colleagues and  professors, clinical research exposure, and  future fellowship options are omnipotent benefits. It is a big benefit having completely computerized medical records and admission process, Wi-Fi equipped hospital, and enormous collection in themedical library, andmedical students on co-rotation helpa lot in overall education process. The Residents committee is a unique, weekly meeting of all psychiatry residents to freely discuss their concerns and generate ideas for bettering their training experience with theprogram director.

Group sessions facilitated by psychotherapist to all interns and second year residents, makes life easy in clinical work and new upcoming rotation tips. Resident feedback on training issues is communicated to others via an encrypted online evaluation system. Residents are also invited to evaluate their attending, lecturers, and teaching and research staff anonymously. Other valued traditions within the program include a graduation party, a Christmas party, and the Residents' Retreat.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions. We look forward to meeting new upcoming colleagues with new innovative ideas.
 
Thank you,

Ravikumar Bhalavat, MD
PGY I
rbhala@lsuhsc.edu

PGY II:
The LSU Psychiatry Program is great due to several reasons- the Psychiatry Crisis Unit which is a great immersion into the world of Emergency Psychiatry.....highly variegated cases, a new venture into EMR & Medical Informatics. Approachable faculty, camaraderie among residents who are a highly diverse group, comprehensive exposure to Consultation-Liaison, Inpatient and Substance abuse Psychiatry. Last but not least the brand new Child and Adolescent Psychiatry program which does open up venues for residents interested in Child Psych starting after the third year. The program also offers fellowships in Forensic and C&L which makes it very appealing to applicants.

Nirupama Natarajan, MD
PGY II

PGY III:

With the resolution of the second year, comes the beginning of twelve months of outpatient training.  There is a stark but not unpleasant contrast between the hustle and bustle of our various hospital services (inpt. unit, ER, night float, consultation), and the quiet predictability of the outpatient clinic.  During this time residents enjoy the opportunity to follow and treat patients for a full twelve months.  This allows time to hone skills such as forming long-term treatment goals and implementing a plan to achieve those goals.  We are involved in both individual and group psychotherapy, as well as a PTSD clinic at the local VA.  One of my favorite aspects of the clinic is the camaraderie between residents as we work side by side.

John Turpin, MD
PGY III

PGY IV:
I am close to completing my residency training here at LSUHSC Shreveport.  This is a time for me to take a retrospective look at not only my PGY-4 but the entire psychiatry training experience.  The quality of this program is defined by how well it prepares you for practicing psychiatry independently as an attending.  I feel confident that I can handle any situation that will come my way.  In PGY-4 there is a strong emphasis placed on teaching junior residents and medical students, becoming comfortable in the decision making role through junior attending experience, obtaining familiarity with the legal system by testifying in civil commitments, preparing for the board exam, and pursuing individual interests through electives and research.  My clinical and academic education was definitely comprehensive, and the program is getting better every year!

Abid Nazeer M.D
PGY IV