Physician-Scientist Training Program

RESIDENCIES & FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS

Psychiatry Residency at The Mount Sinai Hospital

The Psychiatry Residency at The Mount Sinai Hospital offers a National Institutes of Health (NIH) R25-funded Physician-Scientist Training Program for residents who want to become physician-scientists. Emphasizing flexibility, growth, and independence, the Physician-Scientist Training Program allows trainees to work closely with a research mentor and multidisciplinary advisory committee, with structured oversight on the grant submission process to further their chances of success.

This Physician-Scientist Training Program is designed for applicants who have demonstrated interest and aptitude in psychiatric research, as it provides substantial protected time for research throughout residency training. While not formally limited to MD-PhD applicants, priority is generally given to those who have participated in substantial research activities prior to residency.

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Our program has a strong record of flexibility in tailoring research experiences and protected time across the four residency years to the custom needs of our physician-scientists and accelerating their paths to independence.

PGY-1

Residents complete full-time clinical training between psychiatry and off-service medicine blocks while establishing mentorship teams and planning projects. During this foundational year, residents begin acquiring technical skills and continue their education by attending lab meetings, journal clubs, and seminars.

PGY-2

During this year, residents focus on acquiring pilot data and attending research courses and conferences. Our residents are given two to three full-time months dedicated entirely to research. During the outpatient months, residents are allocated substantial longitudinal protected time.

PGY-3

Fifty percent of the PGY-3 year is dedicated to research while residents continue outpatient psychiatry and research clinics. All residents in our program are expected to write original papers using existing data, present at multiple meetings, and pursue foundation and federal funding. They continue attending research courses and preparing for grant applications.

PGY-4

Seventy-five percent of the year provides protected research time for executing projects aimed at launching research careers after graduation from residency, such as obtaining preliminary data and writing K-awards. During the PGY-4 year, our residents continue treating select outpatients while writing original papers using their own data and preparing grant applications.

Given the substantial protected time provided, the Physician-Scientist Training Program residents are expected to intensively pursue their research, translating their scientific interests into demonstrable products. As supplemental compensation, we provide additional research funding and salary stipends, including:

Augmented salaries
Funding for research needs
Opportunities to be promoted to an instructor-level appointment
Opportunities to apply for the NIH Loan Repayment Program, National Institute of Mental Health Administrative Supplement for Physician-Scientist Residents, internal Mount Sinai grants, external foundation grants, NIH K- or R-level grants, and career development workshops

Applicants should note that this level of financial support is not guaranteed and is dependent on achievement of milestones and evidence of ongoing progress in research.

We offer two positions in each entering class. Applicants to the Physician-Scientist Training Program should indicate their interest to the training directors and select it as one of their chosen Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) tracks. The training program has a separate National Residency Matching Program code (1490400C2).

Given the specialty nature of this track and the expectation that applicants will have considerable prior research experience, we ask for additional information to supplement ERAS application materials, including:

A scientific biography
A statement of research interest
Two letters from research mentors specifically commenting on the applicant's research accomplishments and potential (if not included as one of the ERAS letters of recommendation) before releasing invitations to interview

If you are selected to interview, you will go through our typical interview process (clinical interview day) and attend a second research-focused interview day, including meetings with investigators who we believe share interests with you. We will also ask which scientists on our faculty you may be particularly interested in meeting.