Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship

Description

This one-year full-time clinical fellowship was established in 1985 by Columbia University, New York State Psychiatric Institute, and the New York State Office of Mental Health.  The program has two primary goals: (1) to develop excellent geriatric psychiatrists to become national leaders; and (2) to disseminate expertise in geriatric psychiatry to underserved urban and rural areas and to foster development of a geriatric mental health workforce.

The program consists of two ACGME-accredited tracks to meet these goals.  Both tracks are administered by the Columbia University Department of Psychiatry and taught by Department faculty. Each track can support two fellows, so that the program can train a total of four geriatric psychiatrists annually.

The Binghamton Campus Track is based in Binghamton New York. It includes rotations at a wide range of clinical sites in the Binghamton and Ithaca areas as well as time in NYC at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center for rotations in consultation/ liaison psychiatry, emergency psychiatry and ECT. Sites in the Binghamton area include: the Greater Binghamton Health Center (a state psychiatric hospital with an inpatient, interprofessional geropsychiatry ward) and mobile outreach teams and nursing homes, an outpatient neurology practice, and a tiered living facility (independent living to nursing home). Additionally, the fellows in this track follow patients in a collaborative care clinic based in NYC via Telehealth. This track has a focus on public psychiatry.

The NYC Campus Track is based in northern Manhattan and Rockland County. Fellows spend time at Rockland Psychiatric Center (a state psychiatric hospital with an inpatient geropsychiatry unit) as well as sites based at the New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center in Washington Heights area of New York City. These sites include a collaborative care clinic, a med/psych inpatient consult service, a psychiatric emergency service and a community clinic. Fellows in this track participate in telehealth consults at nursing homes located upstate. Interested applicants may choose a clinical research track which meets ACGME-requirements and encourages research with faculty at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University working in geropsychiatry and the neurosciences.

Training at both sites is focused on the practice of geriatric psychiatry in acute inpatient, community-based clinical sites, state hospital, residential outpatient and nursing home settings. All fellows jointly attend a weekly didactic program via Telehealth platforms.

The outstanding feature of the program is its innovative and unique combination of educational and clinical experiences in a variety of University academic settings and federally-designated medically underserved urban and rural areas. The program involves outreach and collaboration originating from its academic base at the Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, to medically underserved areas served by Greater Binghamton Health Center and Rockland Psychiatric Center. This outreach is facilitated by an internationally renowned faculty of academic psychiatrists, psychologists and research scientists. Core faculty members from Columbia provide weekly didactic instruction, conduct clinical case conferences, provide one-to-one supervision, and present grand rounds as integral components of the fellowship program.

The fellowship is accredited by ACGME; successful completion leads to board eligibility for Certification in the Subspecialty of Geriatric Psychiatry.

Core Faculty

Eligibility

  • Completion of a US accredited psychiatric residency training program
  • New York State medical licensure
  • Demonstration of serious interest and commitment to geriatric mental health

Application Process

All materials must be uploaded into the application portal:
https://rfmhhelp.nyspi.org/EducationPortal

The application includes (and you should have ready to upload):

  • Curriculum Vitae: Please include an updated version of your CV as part of this application.
  • Letters of Reference: Three letters of references from individuals who are closely acquainted with your educational and/or work experience. At least one letter should be from your Training Director. Please be ready to list the name and emails of the persons providing the letters – we will contact them with a link through which they can upload their letter.
  • Personal Statement:  please write a single spaced essay of no fewer than 400 words and no more than 800 words on why you are applying to this program. You should describe your interest in geriatric psychiatry and include any research experience that you have, giving special emphasis to any in the field of aging. We are interested in how this program would assist you with meeting your career goals, as well as, any additional skills and experiences that you may want to highlight.

Applications are considered on a rolling basis. We accept application beginning January 1 (18 months before the July 1 start date) and begin interviewing applicants in March (15 months before the July 1 start date) and continue until all slots are filled.

Contact

Director: Mark Nathanson, MD
Email: mn183@cumc.columbia.edu

Program Coordinator: Karen Cruz
Email: Karen.Cruz@nyspi.columbia.edu
Phone: 646-774-7505
Fax: (646) 774-6398

New York State Psychiatric Institute
1051 Riverside Drive, Box 27
NY, NY 10032
646-774-7691