The third year of training (PGY3) marks a transition for our residents as they shift from working primarily in inpatient settings to primarily outpatient settings and begin to function independently as psychiatrists. Most of this work occurs in the Psychiatric institute resident clinic (PIRC). Each resident has an office in the NYSPI and is given primary responsibility for patient care with individual supervision from faculty. During the COVID-19 pandemic, outpatient treatment in PIRC is generally being conducted via telehealth. 

Residents are trained in many forms of outpatient treatment during the third year, including advanced psychopharmacology and multiple psychotherapeutic modalities, including cognitive behavioral, interpersonal, dialectical-behavioral, supportive, and psychodynamic psychotherapy. We take pride in the quality and amount of supervision provided to PGY3 residents in all of these modalities. In addition to supervision, residents have daily didactic sessions building on themes first explored as a PGY2. Twenty percent of the year is set aside as a selective. During this time residents may pursue a specific research interest or receive more intensive training in either public psychiatry or psychotherapy. An option to receive more intensive training in psychopharmacology at the Student Mental Health clinic on the Columbia University undergraduate campus will once again be available after COVID restrictions are lifted. 

Call Responsibilities for PGY3s

During the third year, residents return to the New York Presbyterian Hospital Psychiatric Emergency Room where they share night team and weekend call with on-site supervision from an attending physician.