Psychiatry residency training program director's message

Our psychiatry residency program values intellectual curiosity and strength of character in our residents. We seek residents with a strong interest in human behavior as it relates to psychiatry. We consider these attributes to be the building blocks for the development of future psychiatrists.

Successful residents will have both the aptitude and the attitude to succeed in this specialty. The ability to understand and retain the ever-growing body of knowledge generated in psychiatry is an obvious requirement. The attitude one brings to this study will greatly determine the quality of the experience. In acquiring a medical education, students have inevitably taken many “prerequisite” courses prior to selecting a specialty. Enthusiasm for seemingly unrelated and mandatory topics can vary. However, by the time one has arrived at their chosen field of study, the excitement and passion for the specialty should be palpable. Residency is not a time for complacency. It is the opportunity to become fully immersed in one’s area of greatest professional interest. It is reasonable (desirable even) to be enthusiastic about the opportunity to learn and grow in one’s appreciation of psychiatry. Our task is to create and maintain a residency environment that supports and nourishes this passion.

Our program provides the medical field with physicians who can also extend the knowledge and understanding of the specialty of psychiatry. We recognize that personal and professional growth is a key aspect of psychiatric education. Our program seeks to balance the educational opportunities and approaches available to residents. We are fortunate to have access to a wide variety of clinical settings with diverse patient populations. We have formal didactic sessions, journal clubs, grand rounds, case conferences, M&M’s and an experienced supervising faculty. Long before we all became telepsychiatrists, we were successful in recruiting residents who wished to be among the “early adopters” and embrace new technologies and techniques while holding firmly to what is known to be timelessly true. The latest fads and fashions in the field can be acknowledged while still retaining the hard won and time-tested concepts that are effective and unchanging. However, real science is never “settled.” To the degree allowed, we still encourage questions and discussion here. Students who arrive having been taught only what to think hopefully finish knowing how to think. We help residents develop to the limits of their abilities. Residents have different career interests and pursuits. We help our trainees recognize their potential in their areas of interest and achieve their goals.

Residents are active members of our department. They serve on committees within the university as well. In these roles they directly address the multiple issues facing the changing field of medical education. Our residents have their own governing body, the Psychiatry Residents Association. This group meets regularly and serves as an avenue for communication and advocacy within the program. It is also where residents are involved in the selection of on-call assignments. Residents are actively involved in the recruitment and selection of their new colleagues. They play roles in the development and review of curricula. Resident driven projects are common. From quality improvement activities to telepsychiatry clinics, we have historically embraced changes and new ideas.

The local environment is inevitably a major factor in any major life decision. Residency is no different. Louisville has been a city that has allowed many to flourish beyond the academic environment. 

Robert Caudill, M.D.
Professor, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Psychiatry Residency Training Director
Director of Telemedicine and Information Technology Programs