Educating the Next Generation

April 20, 2014

Felicia Smith, MD, and David Rubin, MD, are passionate about psychiatry. As the newly named directors of the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)/McLean Hospital Adult Psychiatry Residency Program and the MGH/McLean Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency Program, respectively, Smith and Rubin are dedicated to providing unparalleled training and guidance to tomorrow’s psychiatric leaders.

David Rubin, MD, and Felicia Smith, MD

David Rubin, MD, and Felicia Smith, MD

Both the child and adult training programs are among the most competitive and influential in the country, collectively drawing more than 1,000 applications annually. The adult residency training program accepts only 16 residents, while the child program only has nine available spots each year.

“Adult and child residency training at McLean has been designed to prepare resident physicians for the practice of psychiatry in the 21st century. The volume and the outstanding quality of our applicants reflect our reputation and our relevancy in the field,” said Smith.

“We have designed this program to foster the development of well-rounded, competent psychiatrists. Above all, we value a serious and passionate commitment to the highest standards of patient care,” added Rubin, who himself is a 2006 graduate of the child residency training program.

Returning to McLean in 2013 after eight years as a site training director for the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Training Program of Columbia and Cornell Universities, Rubin noted that he is grateful for the education that MGH/McLean provided him and is eager to impart equally good experiences to new generations of child psychiatrists.

“I absolutely loved my time at McLean. The expertise, understanding and compassion of those within the program—particularly then-director Gene Beresin—left an indelible mark on me and helped shape who I am today,” said Rubin. “There is no match for being trained by someone as passionate and decorated as Gene. Being able to take the reins from an icon in psychiatric training is simply an honor.”

Also no stranger to McLean, Smith is a graduate of the MGH/McLean Adult Psychiatry Residency Program. Following graduation, she remained on staff and, in 2008, was named director of the Acute Psychiatry Service at MGH. It was in this role that she grew her strong interest in medical education, as it allowed her to help guide psychiatric residents, psychology interns and medical students. When the opportunity to become the program director for the Adult Psychiatry Residency Program presented itself, Smith knew that this was her chance to make an even larger difference.

“The Adult Psychiatry Residency Program has a long history of excellence. It is a privilege to be able to serve as the director and I look forward to keeping us at the forefront of psychiatric training and involved in the latest methods of delivering the best in mental health care.”

Rubin is also excited about the possibilities that he can create in his new position. “I fully intend to preserve the spirit of the program while continuing to evolve with the field of psychiatry. I feel that this is the only way in which we can ensure that McLean remains the premier destination for pediatric psychiatric training and care.”

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