Overview

Program Overview

The ETSU Quillen College of Medicine Department of Psychiatry Residency Program trains psychiatrists to practice in academic, state, federal, private and rural settings, or to pursue subspecialty training.

The mission of the ETSU psychiatry residency is to prepare general psychiatrists to provide safe, evidence-based, patient-centered care to a diverse population, with a focus on improving the mental health of Northeast Tennessee and surrounding areas. The program also seeks to develop physicians who embody professionalism, contribute to the education of medical students and residents, and advance the field of psychiatry through scholarship.

The residency, accredited since 1985, offers training at multiple sites, including the Mountain Home Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Woodridge Psychiatric Hospital and ETSU facilities. Residents gain experience in electroconvulsive therapy, telepsychiatry, VA mental health intensive case management, VA primary care mental health consultations, psychopharmacology, sleep medicine, substance use treatment, pain medicine, and outpatient consultations with ETSU psychology and nurse practitioner clinics. A research rotation is also available.

Applicants are invited to connect with the program virtually to learn more, meet residents, explore facilities and see what the region has to offer.

• Program Outcomes:

  2025

  • Forensic Psychiatry – Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC

  • Sleep Medicine – Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, New Hampshire

  2024

  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry – Johns Hopkins University

  2023

  • Addiction Psychiatry – Grossman School of Medicine, New York University

  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry – University of Florida

  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry – Carilion Clinic, Virginia Tech

  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry – University of Louisville

  2022

  • Addiction Psychiatry – Baylor College of Medicine

Why ETSU? Application Requirements Benefits

• Video Transcript: ETSU Quillen College of Medicine Psychiatry Resdiency Program Welcome

  [Speaker: Dr. Shambhavi Chandraiah]
  Hello, I'm Dr. Shambhavi Chandraiah, Director of the Psychiatry Residency Program at East Tennessee State University Quillen College of Medicine. I'm delighted that you're interested in learning more about our program.

  We are a medium-sized University program with seven residents per year. Our two major partners are the Veterans Administration Medical Center and the private Ballad hospital system.

  There's some particular aspects of our program I would like to highlight.

  Beyond ETSU Health's Psychiatry Clinic, we also have consultation clinics on ETSU's Main Campus with the nurse practitioner program and the psychology clinic, as well as Community Mental Health Center experience with underserved populations.

  Additional varied electives include ECT, pain medicine, sleep, and palliative care.

  We have outpatient family medicine and inpatient General Internal Medicine rotations as Primary Care experiences for interns.

  Two and a half years of psychotherapy training include psychodynamic, supportive, and CBT, with different supervisors and both individual and group supervision.

  Residents have the opportunity to refine their presentation skills sequentially by doing chair rounds, M&M presentations, grand rounds, and in the final year a presentation at a national meeting, which is also partly funded.

  All residents have teaching opportunities with medical students and junior residents in the clinical setting of wards or clinics.

  PGY4s also teach the basic psychopharmacology course for interns and give lectures on selected psychiatric topics for the internal medicine program.

  Leadership opportunities include the chief resident role as well as elected positions in committees, like the graduate medical education and wellness committee, as well as in junior attending team leader roles in hospital settings.

  Weekly resident council with all residents and the PD, and staff, allows discussion of any upcoming changes or any concerns.

  The annual Education Day brings together faculty and residents to focus on innovative ways to problem solve and improve the program.

  We have a one-to-one faculty-to-resident ratio, including confidential individual mentorship for each resident with a faculty member to explore career goals and assist with any problems and other things of that nature.

  One of the strengths of our program is a resident camaraderie. As residents support and mentor each other, becoming for many an extended family throughout their time with us.

  We also enjoy doing fun activities as a resident only, or faculty and resident, like hiking, spelunking, ropes course, yoga, and of course, get-togethers around food.

  ETSU has a huge Activity Center offers group classes from ball room dancing, to martial arts, as well as a climbing wall, pool , guided backpacking, and camping activities.

  We live in a gorgeous area of Northeast Tennessee in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, which is an outdoor enthusiast's dream that can be enjoyed in all four seasons.

  This is just a little overview of our program and we hope if you want to know more you will look at our website the various links or reach out with any questions We'd be excited to have you join our residency family.

  [Music]

• Video Transcript: ETSU Quillen College of Medicine Pschiatry Resident Testimonial

  [Speaker: Dr. Kenny Pomeroy]
  I chose to attend ETSU's Psychiatry program because I really got a sense of community. It seemed like the residents really got along. I really wanted a program that, you know, were friendly with each other and supported each other. Hi, my name is Kenny Pomeroy. I'm a Psychiatry resident here at ETSU. I'm from Southern California.

  [Speaker: Dr. Donika Hasanai]
  Hey, I'm Donika Hasanai and I'm a Psychiatry resident here at ETSU, and I'm from North Carolina. So, I chose to attend ETSU Psychiatry Residency program for many reasons. I know that first of all it's close to home, it's only a three-hour drive away. like I said I'm from North Carolina. And then also, I noticed the camaraderie between the residents was really strong. And that's what I wanted in a program. When I interviewed here, I also noticed that they have weekly conversations with the program director about changes they want to make in the program and that's something important because you want to have your voice heard in the program, so that's something else that I was looking out for.

  [Speaker: Dr. Neetu Scariya]
  Hey I'm Neetu Scaria. I'm a resident at ETSU and I'm from Huntsville Alabama. So, we have a pretty good work life balance here on top of work we've been able to celebrate some birthdays, do some skiing for certain residents, go white water rafting, caving with some of our attendings, and you know just hang out with each other there's plenty of time to balance work and family life also.

  [Speaker: Dr. James Kim]
  Hi, my name is James Kim. I'm one of the chief residents here at ETSU Psychiatry I'm originally from Long Island New York. So, the residents and faculty here have a great relationship with each other. In fact, many of our faculty have graduated from this program, which goes to show how much they enjoyed being here as they wanted to stay. Which makes them great mentors because they know what you've gone through as a resident here. We also do have many seasoned attendings who have gone through quite a number of different career tracks and so they can really help guide you in your career options going foward as well.

  [Speaker: Dr. Megan Taylor]
  I'm Megan Taylor. I'm a Psychiatry resident here at ETSU, and I'm originally from Honaker, Virginia. My favorite thing about the program so far is getting to know all the residents. They're the kindest most intelligent people, so it can make the work days a lot of fun.

  [Music]