The four-year Psychiatry Residency Program at Cooper University Health Care prepares physicians for excellence in the practice of clinical psychiatry. Trainees interested in pursuing fellowship training are also given a strong foundation in subspecialty areas, including child and adolescent, consultation-liaison, forensic, geriatric, and addiction psychiatry.
The focus of the first two years of training is hospital-based psychiatry, with rotations in inpatient, consultation-liaison, and emergency psychiatry, as well as internal medicine and neurology. Residents receive close supervision but are also encouraged to think creatively and independently. The third and fourth years emphasize outpatient practice, with a wide variety of rotations offered, including adult, child and adolescent, substance use, day programs, geriatrics, and forensics. More concentrated electives are available in PGY-4. Research opportunities begin in PGY-2.
We offer weekly Grand Rounds, case conferences, journal clubs, and board reviews addressing topics in psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, neurobiology, psychodynamics, cognitive-behavioral theory, cultural studies, anthropology, and research methodology. The program emphasizes clinical scholarship and offers a research track for those highly motivated to pursue clinical research.
As the clinical center of Cooper University Health Care and the clinical campus of Cooper Medical School of Rowan University (CMSRU), our faculty is committed to excellence in medical education. Residents are encouraged to develop as teachers and have frequent contact with CMSRU medical students. Supervisors are selected for their clinical expertise and excellence in teaching. Didactic and seminar instructors are chosen for their ability to engage small groups and present content effectively.
Our philosophy is that learning is best accomplished in an atmosphere of camaraderie, intellectual curiosity, and mutual respect—and we strive at all times to create this environment.