Psychiatry Residency Program
Find out about the Psychiatry Residency Program from our residents and faculty.
Learn more about residencies and fellowships at the University of South Alabama and life on the Gulf Coast.
Teaching clinical excellence in an atmosphere of compassion, integrity, and respect
The primary goal of the residency training program is to produce physicians who provide high quality psychiatric services in a variety of contemporary settings and to identify and mentor those who are capable of becoming leaders in the field of psychiatry. First and foremost our philosophy emphasizes that as clinicians we must be dedicated and available to our patients. Our program recognizes that training for the current and future practice of psychiatry requires continued utilization of new research in a field that is rapidly developing in order to go beyond the essential knowledge, skills and attitudes residents need to develop a professional identity.
The residency program partners with a well established mental health organization called AltaPointe Health which offers a wide variety of choices of clinical experiences. Under the leadership of Tuerk Schlesinger, CEO, AltaPointe has Alabama's largest regional community behavioral health provider with more than 750 clinical and non-clinical staff members who serve more than 15,000 children, adolescents and adults annually. AltaPointe is the only community mental health center in Alabama to become accredited by the Joint Commission and was the first community mental health center in Alabama to have a complete Electronic Medical Record and e-prescribing. AltaPointe operates two psychiatric hospitals to provide access to the poorly insured or uninsured, and it provides telehealth psychiatry services to rural regions of Alabama. AltaPointe also performs consultations in five of the area's six general hospitals. In addition to training psychiatry residents, AltaPointe doctors lead the third year psychiatry clerkship at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine.
The goal of our residency program is to train clinically excellent, academically informed, and culturally competent psychiatrists to serve the State of Alabama and the greater Gulf Coast. Our program has an emphasis on treatment in a community psychiatry setting and in serving patients with chronic, severe mental illness. Through empathic treatment of mental health issues in our community, we aim to improve the overall health, wellness, and social support of our patient population. This aligns with the University of South Alabama College of Medicine’s mission: “We help people lead longer, better lives.”
With this mission in mind, the overall aims of the program are to train residents to:
- Professionally and effectively lead interdisciplinary teams
- Provide patient-centered care with our patients, families, and communities
- Use evidence-based tools to provide the best possible quality healthcare to our patients
- Show respect towards patients, families, interdisciplinary teams, and each other
- Be mindful of the overall mental health needs of our community and region
First Year
- Addiction Psychiatry (1 month)
- Emergency Medicine (1 month)
- Family Practice Consults (2 months)
- Inpatient Internal Medicine (1 month)
- Inpatient Psychiatry (5 months)
- Neurology Clinic (1 month)
- Neurology Consult Service (1 month)
Second Year
- Addiction Psychiatry (1 month)
- Child and Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatry (3 months)
- Consult-Liaison Psychiatry (3 months)
- Forensic Psychiatry (year-long experience)
- Geriatric/Inpatient Psychiatry (5 months)
Third Year
- Outpatient Psychiatry (12 months)
Fourth Year
- Junior Attending Inpatient Psychiatry (3 months)
- Variable/Elective Rotations (9 months)
We have protected didactic time on Thursday afternoon for all four years of training.
The Psychiatry Core Curriculum is a two year curriculum; so, over the course of the four-year residency, residents will go through the core curriculum two times, reinforcing core educational concepts.
- Year 1 of the curriculum focuses on the major psychiatric diagnoses in the DSM-5. Residents will become familiar with the epidemiology, diagnostic criteria and differential diagnosis of all mental disorders. The goal is to become equipped to recognize and differentiate psychiatric diagnosis in order to establish a formulation that will eventually facilitate treatment on the bio-psycho-social model.
- Year 2 of the curriculum covers major psychotherapeutic and biologic modes of treatment,
development, psychologic/neurologic testing, and evidence based psychiatry.
All four PGY groups learn together in the Psychiatry Core Curriculum. In addition to these shared didactic experiences, the individual PGY groups have separate didactics as well:
PGY 1
- Risk Assessment
- Teaching to Teach
- Psychiatric Interviewing
- Case Formulation/Case Presentation
- Doctor Patient Relationship
- Basic Psychopharmacology
- Introduction to Psychotherapy
PGY 2
- Advanced Psychopharmacology
- The Humanities in Psychiatry
PGY 3
- Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Supervision
- Cognitive Behavioral and Supportive Psychotherapy Supervision
PGY 4
- Advanced Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Supervision
How do I apply?
All applicants must apply through ERAS. If you are selected for a candidate interview, our Residency Program Coordinator will contact you via phone or e-mail to arrange a suitable date and time.
Do you offer pre-match contracts?
No, we work strictly through the National Resident Matching Program. We, as a policy, do not reveal our rank list to candidates prior to match day.
Do you offer visa sponsorship?
We offer only J1 visa.
Is there a medical school graduation cut-off date for applicants?
In most cases, we require graduation within the past five years.
Is there a minimum USMLE or COMLEX score for applicants?
No, but a history of multiple failures will make an applicant less competitive for our program.
What are the demographics of the patient population we serve?
We have a good mix of variety in age, socioeconomic status, race, and insurance coverage. We have a large number of pediatric patients. We have racially and ethnically diverse patient population . We are primary physicians for a large number of hospital employees. We provide care for uninsured, Medicaid, Medicare, and privately insured patients.
What is our call schedule?
- PGY-1 do not take overnight call.
- PGY-2 takes approximately 1-2 calls a month.
- PGY-3 takes approximately 1-2 calls a month.
How much personal/family life/family time do our residents get?
In general, residents get a lot of free time during their residency. Most months, you enjoy 2-3 weekends free of all responsibilities.
Where do most residents live?
The majority of residents (Department of Psychiatry and other specialties) live in an area of Mobile known as Midtown that is within a few mile radius of the hospitals and clinic. Some residents live in West Mobile, which is about a 20 minute drive from the hospitals and clinic. Others live "across the bay" in the Eastern Shore towns of Spanish Fort, Daphne, or Fairhope which are also about a 20 minute drive. Housing is affordable on a resident's salary, either renting or purchasing.
What moonlighting opportunities are available?
PGY 2-4 Residents are allowed to moonlight after obtaining an independent Alabama license. Moonlighting is not allowed to interfere with regular residency duties.
How well do residents get along with each other?
Our residents are a very cohesive group. We have "out of hospital" social activities at least once a month, but groups of residents often get together for dinner, movies, trips to the beach, holiday get-togethers, birthdays, etc.
How are resident-faculty interactions?
Our attendings are very approachable and easy going. They work with residents with a vested interest in their learning and well-being. They are always eager to teach.
Is research required?
We encourage but do not require research.
Program Director: Luke Engeriser, M.D.
Program Coordinator: Laura Kessler
Address: 1015 Montlimar Drive, Suite A-210, Mobile, AL 36609
Telephone: (251) 706-5552 • Fax: (251) 706-5595