Leadership Messages

Residents in our program gain exposure to a wide range of mental health conditions while also learning to promote mental wellness. Training primarily takes place at Cooper University Hospital and its affiliated outpatient clinic, conveniently located across the street in Camden, NJ. Early in their training, residents are introduced to integrated medicine and interprofessional collaboration. As a designated trauma center, Cooper University Hospital serves a high-volume patient population, allowing our physicians to develop expertise in managing complex psychiatric and medical conditions. Through these experiences, our residency program prepares residents for clinical excellence and leadership in shaping the future of health care.

We also emphasize the invaluable role of psychotherapy as part of comprehensive patient care. Our program is among the few that provide structured training in both Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and psychoanalytic/psychodynamic psychotherapy. Additionally, residents receive extensive education in psychopathology and psychopharmacology. We also offer training in neuromodulation therapies, including electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and ketamine infusion for treatment-resistant cases.

All residents participate in quality improvement initiatives, grand rounds, and case conferences as part of their graduate medical education requirements. Those with a special interest in research will be paired with mentors who share their passion and can provide guidance in their academic pursuits.

Thank you for visiting our residency program website. We encourage you to explore further to learn more about our training opportunities.

I wish you the best on your personal and professional journey!

Sincerely,
Gretchen Magnani, MD

One of the defining features of our program is our unwavering commitment to serving underserved and marginalized individuals in Camden, NJ. Our clinical training emphasizes culturally competent care, providing our residents with extensive experience working with a diverse patient population. This enables them to develop a deep understanding of the social determinants of mental health and to effectively navigate complex systems of care.

Our program embraces individuals from all backgrounds and encourages an open, supportive, and respectful atmosphere in which everyone can thrive. We pride ourselves on being a close-knit, family-like community that provides unwavering support to our residents, ensuring their well-being and professional growth.

We are also deeply committed to fostering a culture of intellectual curiosity and lifelong learning. Our residents are encouraged to engage in research, present at conferences, and contribute to the advancement of psychiatric knowledge. Our faculty, who are leaders in various subspecialties of psychiatry, provide mentorship and guidance, helping residents navigate their career paths and achieve their professional goals.

We hope this website gives you a glimpse of the vibrant, supportive, and dynamic community we have built for our program. We are excited about the possibility of you joining our residency family and contributing to our mission of excellence in psychiatric education, patient care, and community service.

We greatly look forward to meeting you! Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Sincerely,
Elena Safronova, MD
Associate Program Director

Cooper University Health Care is a truly unique place to learn psychiatry. Our teaching program is focused on training outstanding clinicians who are able to practice psychiatry in a variety of settings including community programs, general hospitals, outpatient clinics and integrated behavioral health practices linked to primary and specialty medical-surgical care. We treat diverse populations in a multidisciplinary setting that emphasizes collaborative care, teamwork and a strong commitment to clinical excellence. And we have tremendously talented and devoted faculty members who truly enjoy teaching residents about every aspect of psychiatry – from psychopharmacology and applied neuroscience to psychotherapy and systems interventions.  

I joined the Cooper faculty in February 2020 in order to help create a new vision for the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health. One of the most important reasons for my decision to come here is the strong commitment the health system has made to investing in our department including our teaching programs. Building upon our strong foundation of community-focused and hospital-based services, we are embarking on an exciting plan to grow our ambulatory practices throughout Southern New Jersey, to expand our Integrated Behavioral Health program, and to link with community-based health/mental health providers in Camden and surrounding counties. We’re very excited about our recently acquired outpatient building at 400 Chambers Street, just one block from the Main Hospital. This will become the home of several important new subspecialty services including the Neuromodulation and Integrative Psychiatry (NIP) program, headed by Dr. Basant Pradhan; the Center for Child, Adolescent and Family Services; and the Cooper Integrated Behavioral Health Program. We are also launching new clinical programs in Geriatric Psychiatry (including a joint service with Neurology to treat patients with late-onset cognitive disorders), Women’s Mental Health, and Adult ADHD. And we will continue to deepen our inter-connection with Cooper’s Addiction Medicine and Behavioral Medicine programs. Psychiatry residents will have the opportunity to take part in these new clinical offerings as part of the third- and fourth-year rotations.

Moving beyond the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, we are embarking on a broader institutional initiative, Cooper Total Health, an innovative model for wellness, resilience and compassionate care – which will bring together expert health care practitioners and support personnel from a variety of disciplines, backgrounds and clinical perspectives to better serve our patients and their families.  By eventually doing away with barriers to truly integrated behavioral/medical service delivery, it aims to transform the ways in which patient care is delivered throughout Cooper University Health Care and to have an impact on the public health of the communities of South Jersey.  

If you’re looking for a wonderful, culturally diverse, community-oriented, socially minded training program which will prepare you for your career in psychiatry, I’m certain you’d be happy at Cooper. I look forward to welcoming you to your virtual visit to our special place in Camden, NJ.

Very truly yours,
Anthony L. Rostain, MD, MA
Chief and Chair, Department of Psychiatry