 To
achieve that goal, residents attend a Med/Psych clinic each week at one of two
locations: the VA hospital or Charity (University) Hospital. In these clinics, the majority of the patients have both a psychiatric
and a medical disorder, and the resident treats both. The Charity clinic is housed within the regular internal medicine clinic while the VA clinic is located in the mental health department. These clinics are staffed by dually trained faculty and
have been highly successful and enjoyable for the med/psych
residents. Residents also attend a weekly Med/Psych case conference. This conference is led by the Med/Psych Chief Resident and may involve a case presentation, a review of an article dealing with a med/psych topic, or a more general review of a med/psych subject area. We have also had guest lecturers from other departments and from other medical schools. We frequently have medical student visitors as well as participants from other disciplines such as psychology trainees.
In addition to support from the two sponsoring departments and opportunities for integrated learning and practice, the third ingredient for a successful combined program is administrative flexibility. Such flexibility is commonplace at Tulane and allows residents the opportunity to pursue special interests or to “cut their own path” to a new or uncommon vocational goal. One way that residents have taken advantage of this flexibility is via leadership training experiences. We encourage residents to apply for and participate in various training fellowships offered by some of the major medical associations. Others have created overseas experiences in medical relief programs or have served in third world country hospitals. Obviously, core program requirements must be met, but we are supportive of innovative use of elective time in pursuit of unique experiences in areas of professional interest. Students frequently ask me about match competitiveness.... the reality is that the number of senior medical students choosing a combined Med/Psych Residency is relatively small compared to most specialties. Also, there is typically somewhere in the neighborhood of 16 available programs, all of which offer at least two slots. You might be tempted to conclude that it’s a buyer's market! However, I think many programs (including ours) hold applicants to a higher standard for the combined program than
they might for a single program. We feel this is necessary because of
the demanding nature of learning two fields of medicine and switching
back and forth between them. As such, a student can enhance their
application by doing well in both medicine and psychiatry rotations,
doing senior electives in those disciplines, and having good letters from faculty
in both departments. We are also keen on identifying candidates who have a record of good interpersonal and interprofessional skills.
I hope I have answered some of your basic questions, and again, we
appreciate your interest. If you need to know more, please do not
hesitate to write or call. If you find yourself interested in doing a senior
elective here at Tulane, please contact me. The Program Corridinator, Kate Howard, can be reached at 504-988-4272. My email is: ltynes@tulane.edu. Thank you and good luck in your residency and career pursuits!
Sincerely, L. Lee Tynes, MD, PhD
Director, Combined Internal Medicine & Psychiatry Residency Program
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, Gen. Internal Medicine Section
Associate Training Director, Department of Psychiatry and Neurology
Tulane University School of Medicine
1440 Canal Street, TB53
New Orleans, LA 70112
504-988-4272
504-988-4270 (fax)
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8/20/07
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