NYMC > Psychiatry Residency at Metropolitan > Program FAQs
Application Requirements Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’S)
- What are the basic requirements for application?
A. Applications must be submitted through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) of the AAMC. Graduates of (or those expecting to graduate from) accredited U.S. medical schools and equivalent international schools may apply. Scores from USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK and CS, or COMLEX Level 1, Level 2 CE and PE are required. Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
- Must candidates interview in person, or can the interview be done remotely, e.g. via Zoom, Skype, Face Time, etc?
A. Prior to the 2020-2021 recruiting season, all interviews were done on site, in person. This year, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, we will be conducting all interviews remotely, via Zoom.
- What is the interview schedule and organization?
A. From Mid-October through the end of January we interview candidates in small groups, generally 4 candidates per day, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. The morning starts with a group presentation describing our program, then candidates are interviewed individually by the Program Director and attendings. The candidates end the morning in a group discussion with our chief residents. Other residents may stop by, virtually, to chat with candidates while candidates are waiting for an interview.
- Are there minimum USMLE scores for an application to be accepted?
A. No. We prefer to see candidates who have passed each step exam on the first attempt – although we have made exceptions - and we compare scores relative to other candidates, but there is no minimum cut-off.
- Is the Metropolitan program participating in The Match?
A. Yes. However, applications for a PGY 2 position are handled outside the Match.
- When do you start looking at applications, and when is the deadline for submitting applications?
A. We start reviewing applications as soon as ERAS opens. We anticipate continuing to review candidates through the end of January 2022, but we have limited slots for interviews, so earlier applications have a greater chance of being scheduled.
- Do you accept applications from international and osteopathic graduates?
A. Yes, we invite applications from all schools.
- Is there a medical school graduation cutoff date?
A. We prefer to review applications from recent medical school graduates, and no more than five years since graduation. Exceptions have been made, on an individual basis.
- Do you accept individuals with visas?
A. Yes, we have residents on J1 and H1B visas. Our Graduate Medical Education office can help residents with the necessary documentation, but individuals are responsible for obtaining their own visas. If there is a delay in obtaining a visa, we cannot guarantee that the position will be held for that individual.
- Are electives or observerships available?
A. We have limited slots available for MS 4 electives throughout the year, in Emergency Psychiatry, Consultation Liaison, Addiction, Child and Adolescent, and Inpatient services. Inquiries should be directed to our Medical Student Coordinator, Ivette Ramirez (ivette.ramirez@nychhc.org). Observerships are currently not available.
- Does the Program or Hospital provide any housing for residents?
A. No. Residents are responsible for finding their own housing. The Graduate Medical Education office may have some helpful information. Residents may live anywhere in the New York City metropolitan area, as long as the commute does not prevent them from getting to the hospital on time for their scheduled shift.
- How many slots are being filled this year, and how many total residents are in the program?
We have 26 total permanent positions in our residency, and we expect to have 6 or 7 positions to fill for July 2022.
- What are the 3- and 4- year options that are listed as categorical?
There is one single program – PGY1 through PGY4 – however some residents leave after their PGY3 year in order to start a two-year Child/Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship, and some residents start in their PGY2 year if they are transferring to us from another program. (Residents who transfer in as a PGY2 must continue through the end of PGY4.)
- Are residents sent to other sites for training, outside Metropolitan Hospital?
Currently, all of our required service rotations and classes are held at Metropolitan Hospital. We are working on an affiliation to send residents to another facility, close to Metropolitan, to observe ECT. Our ACT program elective includes going with the team into the community.
- Is there a weekly training day for classes?
Our classes are scheduled for one hour per day, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 9 AM. Some classes are for all residents – PGY 1 through PGY 4 – together. Other classes are for smaller groups. July through September classes are generally orientation and review, annual trainings, and PRITE exam preparation. October through June classes include weekly Grand Rounds, Case Conference, Journal Club, and Board review for all classes, with weekly topic reviews, psychotherapy training, and Board exam preparation for individual classes.
- Is there a research requirement?
ACGME requires scholarly activity from each resident. In our program, each resident must complete at least one original project, which may be a topic literature review or original research, to be presented as a Grand Rounds. Each resident presents at least one case conference and one journal article review per year. Many residents develop interesting cases into poster presentations for outside conferences and competitions and/or journal submissions. All residents must be involved in at least one on-going department research study group, which could result in one or more completed projects.
- Are residents involved in teaching of medical students?
Our department trains several students from two medical schools, engaged in their MS 3 core rotation, throughout the year. Residents are expected to participate in teaching and demonstrating to medical students on their service rotations, and may deliver classroom lectures to medical students.
- Does the program utilize an electronic medical record (EMR) on clinical rotations?
Yes, the Epic EMR, one of the nation’s leading EMR products, is used throughout the hospital.
- Do we anticipate any significant changes to the program for the 2022-2023 year?
A. At this time, we are not planning any major changes to the program. However, we are continually trying to improve the program, and we are open to trying new arrangements. We also must accept the realities of an ever-changing health care environment, that may necessitate adaptation and change at any time.
- What do we look for in candidates?
A. We look for candidates who have demonstrated a pattern of doing well, academically, and have experiences that suggest the candidate will be comfortable working in an urban setting, with a culturally diverse and, at times, underprivileged, patient population. Through the interview process, we are trying to get a sense of whether a candidate will be happy with the qualities of our program, how well that candidate is likely to work with our residents, attendings, and other staff, and how we will feel about having that individual join our team. We want residents who are happy to be here. (And we strive to keep our residents happy.)
Program Leadership:
Program Director: Richard Gersh, M.D.
Associate Program Director: Ashraf El-Shafei, M.D.
Chief Residents: Raul Madrigal, M.D. and Jonathan Martin, M.D.
Program Coordinator: Monique Howe
Address/Contact:
Metropolitan Hospital
Department of Psychiatry, Residency Training
1901 First Ave
New York, NY 10029
Phone: 646-672-3143
