A Day in the Life of a Resident

A Day in the Life of a PGY-1 Resident

Tony Liu

Hi everyone, my name is Tony Liu, and I'm a PGY-1 psychiatry resident here at Columbia! I started my intern year on the Addictions rotation, which takes place in the New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), one of the two core hospitals we rotate through. During this rotation, we learn the management of common substance use disorders while also supporting patients experiencing psychiatric challenges related to mood, personality, and/or anxiety. The rotation has been a wonderful start to residency, where I get to practice psychopharmacology, medical management, and psychotherapy, all in tandem to support patients in their recovery and health goals.

I was handed down an apartment from a graduating resident, which is located only 15 minutes away by foot from the hospital. Most days, I get up at 7:30 am, aiming to arrive at the unit by 8:30 am to meet with patients from 8:30 am to 9:30 am. During my morning sessions, I support patients with various psychotherapeutic modalities. Having time to do longer sessions with patients is something I looked forward to in medical school, and it feels special to have the opportunity to practice so early in residency. I also manage medications of a variety of classes, all suited to patients' needs. Afterward, our team at large has interdisciplinary rounds at 9:30 am; here, we discuss each patient's treatment goals, social work needs, group sessions, nursing notes, dietary updates, as well as recreational and occupational therapy notes — truly comprehensive indeed.

Finally, my days may also include participating in family meetings or helping with group sessions. During our psychiatry rotations, we have weekly didactics, process groups with co-residents, supervision, and the opportunity to attend a variety of educational rounds. I feel incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by caring attendings, PGY-2s and 3s, as well as our chief residents, who have been readily available for the multitude of questions that emerge when starting residency. After work, I'm able to go to the gym, cook dinner, watch TV or read, spend time with my cat, and catch up with loved ones.

A Day in the Life of a PGY-2 Resident

Yusra Gimie

Hi everyone! My name is Yusra, and I'm one of the PGY-2 psychiatry residents here at Columbia. Currently, I'm rotating on child psychiatry at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital—a rotation we complete for one month during our PGY-2 year. During this month, we evaluate children and adolescents who come to the ED with behavioral health concerns. Our role is to assess the patient, gather collateral information, and determine whether they’re safe for discharge or need to be admitted to an inpatient unit. My day typically starts around 8:15 am (I like to sleep in as much as possible!), and after getting ready, I make the short 5–10 minute walk from NYP housing to the hospital. We start the day with a team huddle at 9:00 am, where we review any new consults and divide up the cases. After seeing my assigned patients and gathering any necessary collateral, I develop a plan, discuss it with my attending, and write my note. Most days I’m home by around 5:00 pm. On Wednesdays and Fridays of this rotation, PGY-2s serve as DOC (Doctor on Call) from 4:30 to 7:30 pm, where we cover the psychiatry inpatient units. During that time, we respond to psychiatric emergencies and help facilitate admissions for patients coming in overnight.

After work, I like to unwind with a workout class (currently loving kickboxing at Drip Sweat!), catch up with friends over dinner or happy hour, or just relax and recharge.

A Day in the Life of a PGY-3 Resident

Tito Abraham

Hey everyone! My name is Victor, but everyone calls me Tito. I am a PGY-3, and this year I am splitting my time between our Psychiatric Institute Resident Clinic (PIRC) located at our state facility, New York Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI) and the Adult Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic at New York Presbyterian Columbia Hospital (that we lovingly refer to as PB2 as it is on the second floor of the Presbyterian Building).

At PIRC, I am on the psychotherapy track, which means I spend 3 days at our state facility, NYSPI, where I treat a panel of patients with psychopharmacology as well as different therapies, including CBT, DBT, IPT, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, and Supportive Psychotherapy. At PIRC, I work with a variety of different supervisors, each devoted and specialized in a certain type of care, where I can learn not only the intricacies of these different therapies, but also the real-world application, with feedback on how to deliver this care.

Where our PIRC clinic offers a more single-provider group practice model, the PB2 clinic is based on an interdisciplinary model where we work with social workers, case managers, and psychologists in a team approach to deliver care. Something that is special about PB2 as well is that it works closely with the local Washington Heights community. This allows me to build my panel with mostly Spanish-speaking patients and work with supervisors to hone in on a culturally sensitive approach, all while giving back to my community.

My days at PB2 are Tuesdays and Thursdays. Similar to PIRC days, the workdays are about 9 am-5:30 pm. I live in Yonkers up in Westchester County, so I usually get up a little earlier, around 6:30 am, take a shower and make some breakfast. I then pop in my car and drive down to the hospital, about a 20–30-minute drive. Tuesday mornings are filled with patient care and appointments, as well as interdisciplinary team rounds, then lunch around noon and class. After interclass residency council on Tuesday afternoons, it's time for the new patient evaluation. I think this part of the experience is incredibly valuable as it helps sharpen skills that I can carry with me in my career. Thursdays are similar, but it's more focused on seeing the rest of my patients from my panel and following up with general care. Later on in the year, a Co-Resident and I will begin teaching skills groups in Spanish as well as work with the geriatric psychiatry team to provide care in the community.

Days usually wrap up around 5:30 pm, though I tend to get caught up talking to PB2 staff members about life before I actually leave the hospital. At home, I’m currently trying to cook as many new dishes as I can this year, though I always make sure I have time for my many Dungeons and Dragons podcasts and my own campaigns.

Catherine Myong

Hi everyone, my name is Catherine Myong, and I’m a PGY-3 resident at Columbia Psychiatry.

Most days I get up around 7 and rush over on the C subway line from my apartment in Harlem to the New York State Psychiatric Institute, where we spend most of our third year. On Mondays and Wednesdays, I see my patients at the Psychiatric Institute Resident’s Clinic (PIRC) generally from 9 to 5 (though the clinic remains open until 6:30), with supervision in different modalities scattered throughout. It’s been a busy first month cleaning and decorating my new office, where I see my patients!

And on Tuesdays and Fridays, I have protected time for research, as I chose to focus on research as my elective track for the third year. I meet with my research mentor at NYSPI and work on projects involving large datasets to investigate questions in psychiatric epidemiology, policy affecting mental health care access, etc.

I spend the rest of the day unwinding at home (catching up with the seemingly endless stream of good TV) or meeting up with friends for dinner in the city.

A Day in the Life of a PGY-4 Resident

Maxmoore Potkin

Hi everyone! My name is Max Potkin, and I’m currently a PGY4. I typically start my day on the early side of things, around 5:30 or 6:00. I get up, spend too long making coffee, and head to Central Park for a walk with my dog Raisin! She's the best! We walk around enjoying the early morning together for about 45 minutes.

I'm on the Upper East Side because my wife is a resident at NYU, so my commute is a bit longer, but overall, very nice. I walk across the park and take the C train to NYSPI. Most days, I'll squeeze in a swim at the nearby pool (right next to the hospital!) before starting my work day at 9:00 am.

This year, I'm doing a public psychiatry fellowship as part of my PGY-4 year. My days are varied, which I find keeps things exciting and interesting. On Mondays and Fridays, I work at the Inwood Clinic from 9:00 to 5:00 pm. Inwood is a state clinic and is my clinical placement as part of the fellowship. I see patients during the day who live in the community, often with serious mental illness. I also work on some projects involving systems of care. I am most focused right now on implementing a supportive employment program that helps people getting care in the clinic obtain employment.

On Tuesday, I am in the resident clinic seeing patients or involved in teaching. And then Wednesday/Thursday, I have time protected for the Public Psychiatry Fellowship didactic curriculum and additional protected time to focus on my system-level projects.

Some days, I will see long-term therapy patients from 5 to 6, or I will moonlight in the CPEP (emergency psychiatry setting), but otherwise I'm heading home around 5:00. At home, I spend more time with Raisin, cook dinner with my wife, see friends, and spend a lot of time reading as well. I love eating out in New York in all the different boroughs and also seeing movies, so I try to prioritize that as well.