Residencies
Adult and Child/Adolescent Psychiatry Residency Training
McLean Hospital is a leader in world-class psychiatry training. We are proud to be home to two of the foremost psychiatry residency training programs in the country.
- Adult Psychiatry Residency Training
- Child and Adolescent Residency Training
- Psychiatric Pharmacy Residency Training
MGH/McLean Adult Psychiatry Residency Training Program
For over 200 years, McLean Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital have shared faculty, trainees, and collaborative research endeavors. Using the extensive resources of both hospitals, the Massachusetts General Hospital/McLean Hospital Adult Psychiatry Residency Training Program has been designed to prepare resident physicians for the practice of psychiatry in the 21st century.
At the core of each resident’s education is a rich clinical experience, diagnosing and treating a broad range of patients, along a continuum of care and within a variety of treatment settings. Residents learn the various roles of the modern psychiatrist—primary clinician, consultant, team leader, and therapist—with direct and skilled supervision by world leaders in psychiatry. Clinical work and intensive supervision are complemented by a comprehensive curriculum of didactic seminars, rounds, and case conferences.
The Adult Psychiatry Residency Training Program, led by Isabel T. Lagomasino, MD, MSHS, offers residents unsurpassed training opportunities. Each trainee can select among a vast selection of core rotations to meet individualized needs and interests.
Though the program encourages elective opportunities in all years of training, there is an unusually broad range of opportunities for the PGY-4 year, when all residents design their own curriculum. Rotations include community psychiatry, global psychiatry, law and psychiatry, clinical research, mind-body medicine, medical education, and psychodynamic psychotherapy.
How To Apply
Comprehensive information about the MGH/McLean Adult Psychiatry Residency Training Program, including the application process, may be found on their website.
MGH/McLean Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency Training Program
The Massachusetts General Hospital/McLean Hospital Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency Training Program offers two years of specialized training in providing comprehensive care for children, adolescents, and their families.
The program is designed to foster the development of well-rounded, competent child and adolescent psychiatrists. Training in individual therapy, psychotherapy, group and family therapy, crisis intervention, pharmacotherapy, and cognitive and behavioral therapies is provided through direct clinical experience supported by supervision, theoretical and evidence-based seminars, and demonstrations by instructors and skilled clinical practitioners and administrators.
The Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency Training Program, led by Khadijah Booth-Watkins, MD, is based on the philosophy that no single conceptual framework is sufficient to understand human behavior. Residents are taught to approach patients and their families from a developmental perspective using five clinical orientations, challenging them to understand clinical issues and to attempt formulations that integrate conceptual models.
Ample elective time is provided to encourage exploration and acquisition of skills in specific subspecialties. Residents participate in a structured core clinical and educational experience, with rotations throughout MGH, McLean, Boston Juvenile Court Clinic, and the local public school systems.
How To Apply
More information and the application process for the MGH/McLean Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency Training Program may be found on the MGH website.
McLean Hospital Psychiatric Pharmacy Residency Program
The McLean Hospital Postgraduate Year Two (PGY2) Psychiatric Pharmacy Residency Program offers specialized learning experiences at McLean Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital aimed at enhancing education in psychopharmacology and clinical pharmacy practice.
The PGY2 residency builds on the doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) education and PGY1 pharmacy residency training to develop skills required for clinical pharmacists in the specialized area of psychiatric and neurologic disorders.
McLean’s Department of Pharmacy provides innovative and comprehensive direct patient care and operational services to inpatient programs throughout hospital’s services in Belmont and Middleborough, Massachusetts. The hospital has a fully implemented electronic health record incorporated across the Mass General Brigham health system. A team of highly specialized psychiatric pharmacists are involved in complex medication management, integrated into multidisciplinary teams, and provide services such as therapeutic drug monitoring, patient counseling, drug information, and medication reconciliation among other clinical programs.
This program prepares residents to function independently by applying their accumulated experience and knowledge to patient care, with a focus on improving medication therapy. After completing this program, residents will be prepared for roles as clinical pharmacy specialists or faculty members and will be eligible for board certification in psychiatry.
Residents collaborate with pharmacy preceptors and interdisciplinary psychiatric teams to manage patients with psychiatric and neurologic disorders. This residency program offers exceptional opportunities in patient care, teaching, and research, as well as the opportunity to serve as a preceptor-in-training and mentor to PGY1 colleagues and pharmacy students.
Graduates of this program are prepared to function as independent clinical psychiatric pharmacists and educators, dedicated to direct patient care and advancing the pharmacy profession while committing to continuous self-improvement.
McLean’s accredited PGY2 residency program is committed to adhering to the regulations and standards set forth by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists outlined in the ASHP Regulations on Accreditation of Pharmacy Residencies and the ASHP Accreditation Standard for PGY2 Pharmacy Residency Programs, and therefore strives to meet and exceed those standards.
The McLean Hospital Psychiatric Pharmacy Residency Program welcomes and encourages diverse applicants. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, military service, genetic information, and/or other status protected under law.
The McLean Hospital Psychiatric Pharmacy Residency Program is devoted to resident wellness, with resources and programming to support the residents.
The program offers a competitive stipend and benefits, including health insurance options, vacation days, paid holidays, and sick time. Residents have access to professional materials such as a laptop, office space, drug information resources, etc. Travel reimbursement for approved conferences is available. Residents can take advantage of professional memberships for the American Academy of Psychiatric Pharmacists (AAPP), Massachusetts Society of Health-System Pharmacists (MSHP), and American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).
Program Goals
Our mission is to provide a dynamic, goal-oriented environment to develop a well-rounded clinical expert, educator, and leader and to assure each resident is thoroughly trained in the provision of individualized direct patient care, clinical, and didactic teaching, and practice-based research.
We aim to develop residents’ clinical skills through a combination of inpatient and outpatient rotations, precepting pharmacy learners, conducting clinical research, and engaging in interdisciplinary education. Graduates become competent, confident, and autonomous clinical psychiatric pharmacy specialists, prepared to meet the challenges of current and future pharmacy practice.
The program prepares residents to:
- Optimize outcomes for patients with psychiatric and neurologic disorders by providing evidence-based medication therapy as an integral part of the interdisciplinary team.
- Ensure continuity of care during transitions between care settings for patients with psychiatric and neurologic disorders.
- Participate in the health system’s formulary process for medications used for patients with psychiatric and neurologic disorders.
- Conduct and take ownership of a psychiatric research project, from initial concept and design to preparing a manuscript worthy of publication.
- Demonstrate leadership, practice management skills, and exhibit personal skills of a practice leader.
- Develop an evidence-based approach when providing recommendations for patients with psychiatric and neurologic disorders.
- Demonstrate understanding of the management of psychiatric emergencies.
- Display the attributes required to function in an academic setting and exercise teaching skills essential to pharmacy preceptors and faculty.
Learning Experiences
A multitude of clinical learning experiences are offered to provide the knowledge and skills necessary to develop a resident into an independent practitioner. Under the direction and guidance of expert-level clinical pharmacists, residents assume ownership and responsibility of their patients’ pharmaceutical care and become vital members of medical teams.
In addition, numerous longitudinal expectations allow residents to experience interdisciplinary teamwork, pharmacy operations, and process improvement.
The residency program begins with a one-day hospital orientation, followed by a month-long orientation to the Department of Pharmacy. During this time, residents receive training on the electronic health record (Epic) and engage in side-by-side decentralized training with clinical pharmacy preceptors.
Core learning experiences include:
- Orientation
- Substance use disorders, mood and affective disorders, psychotic disorders
- Adolescent psychiatry
- Geriatric psychiatry
- Dual service
- Precepting
Longitudinal learning experiences include:
- Outpatient psychiatry
- Teaching and education development
- Research project
- Pharmacy practice/staffing experience, two shifts per month (weekend or evening), plus one minor holiday shift per academic year
Additional elective learning experiences include:
- Adult inpatient psychiatry
- Medical psychiatry
- Dissociative disorders and trauma
- Treatment-resistant psychosis
- Transitions of care
- Electroconvulsive therapy and neurotherapeutics
- Medication safety
- Geriatric neurocognitive disorders
- Neurology
- Pharmacy administration
How To Apply
Applicants must be graduates of an ACPE-accredited program with a doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) degree and have completed or are in the process of completing an ASHP-accredited PGY1 pharmacy residency program.
Applications must be submitted via PhORCAS and must include the following:
- Formal letter of intent describing interests in psychiatry and this program and how this program can help with short- and long-term career goals
- Up-to-date curriculum vitae
- Three letters of recommendation completed via PhORCAS
- Note: At least two recommendation letters should be from a preceptor who can comment on the candidate’s clinical skills; applicants should encourage their references to provide as much commentary as possible
The deadline to complete the PhORCAS application is January 6.
In the interest of accessibility and equity, all interviews will be conducted virtually. Qualified candidates will be contacted regarding online interviews upon completion of application review.
The McLean Hospital PGY2 Psychiatric Pharmacy Residency Program participates in the ASHP Resident Matching Program via the National Matching Service (NMS code = 651766).
For more information or questions about the residency, virtual showcases, recruitment events, and more, please contact Michael Mandarino, PharmD.
Psychiatry Residency Alumni Association
The goal of the McLean Hospital Psychiatry Residency Alumni Association is to reconnect alumni as a professional community, create a national referral network, support residency training initiatives, and provide updates about the hospital’s clinical, research, and educational programs.
The McLean Alumni Committee, composed of McLean professional staff volunteers, oversees the management of the psychiatry alumni database, production of an annual newsletter, and planning for an annual alumni event at a major professional convention or meeting site.
If you would like to represent your residency class in organizational activities of the McLean Psychiatry Alumni Association, please contact us. Volunteers will be asked for no more than five hours of service per year.
Several alumni members have already volunteered as class representatives:
- 1954 Francis de Marneffe, MD
- 1963 Guido Belsasso, MD
- 1964 John Spillane, MD
- 1965 Theodore Dreir, MD
- 1970 Michael Sperber, MD
- 1977 Harrison G. (Skip) Pope, MD, MPH
- 1978 Steven Varga-Golovesenko, MD
- 1979 Richard Altesman, MD
- 1983 James I. Hudson, MD, ScD, SM
- 1994 Justin Richardson, MD
- 1998 Michael Murphy, MD
- 2003 Matthew Bernstein, MD
- 2004 Rebecca Brendel, MD
- 2006 Lois Choi-Kain, MD, MEd
Contact
To update your personal information on file, please contact the Psychiatry Residency Alumni Association.