UCLA Kern Psychiatry Residency Program: A Comprehensive Overview

The UCLA Kern Psychiatry Residency Program, established through a collaboration between the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Kern Medical Center (KMC), and Kern County Mental Health (KCMH) in 2004, offers comprehensive training in psychiatric care. This program is an integral component of Kern County's mental health services, providing accredited training and working in partnership with Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services.

Program Overview and Accreditation

The psychiatry residency program is a four-year program that has been accredited since 2002, with the first cohort graduating in 2004. Upon graduation, residents receive two certificates of completion, one from Kern Medical and one from UCLA, positioning them to pursue board certification from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. The UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences has historically offered residency training opportunities at two primary sites: the main UCLA campus in Westwood and the West Los Angeles VA Hospital. The department also has multiple partnerships with community sites, including publicly-funded county clinics.

Curriculum and Rotations

The residency program features core psychiatric rotations in various clinical settings, including inpatient psychiatric services at the Behavioral Health Unit, consultation services in medical-surgical units, and outpatient care in different clinics. Trainees gain practical experience through unique rotations at the Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services and affiliated sites such as the VA Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Center and Olive View UCLA Medical Center. This structure allows residents to engage with diverse patient populations under the guidance of experienced faculty, fostering an environment of collaborative learning. The program's collaboration with UCLA enhances training by allowing residents to participate in training networks across various settings, ranging from urban to rural environments. Residents benefit from a telepsychiatry network that has received state recognition for its innovative approach to integrated care. This prepares residents for modern psychiatric practice in various healthcare systems.

The first year (PGY-1) includes foundational training in general psychiatry, followed by increasing involvement in specialized areas in subsequent years. Residents are expected to develop skills across multiple domains, including child and adolescent psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and consultation-liaison psychiatry.

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship

The Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at Kern Medical offers an extensive and detailed two-year training program that is accredited by the ACGME. The program is specifically tailored to equip fellows with essential skills and knowledge that are critical in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry. There is a profound emphasis on clinical experience, supplemented by a variety of seminars, allowing fellows the opportunity to develop both practical and theoretical expertise in handling mental health issues among children and teenagers.

One notable aspect of the program is its incorporation of a wide range of rotations. In addition to a university-based day hospital rotation, fellows will participate in outpatient and consultation service rotations located in community mental health clinics. These experiences are further complemented by rotations in forensic psychiatry, pediatric neurology, and school consultation settings, thereby providing fellows with a comprehensive exposure to diverse clinical environments.

The program prioritizes the issues surrounding minority mental health, showcasing its commitment to addressing the unique challenges faced by underrepresented populations. Educational opportunities include lectures which focus on cross-cultural aspects of child psychiatry, thereby enriching fellows’ understanding of the socio-cultural contexts they may encounter in practice.

Research Opportunities

Kern Medical offers research opportunities, enabling residents to engage in scholarly activities. This may include clinical research or observational studies presented at local, regional, or even international meetings. The program emphasizes research participation, which is integral for residents looking to further their academic and clinical careers. Research is a fundamental component of the fellowship, with various opportunities available for fellows to engage in academic pursuits. The faculty at Kern Medical encourages all trainees to explore their specific interests in research, promoting the growth of academic scholarship and contributing to the broader field of psychiatry.

Expansion and Restructuring of the Residency Program

In fall 2023, the department leadership made the decision to expand the residency training capacity from 84 residents (59 in the UCLA-based residency and 25 in the VA-based residency) to a total of 103 residents over the next 4 years. This decision was made in anticipation of the move of the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital (NPH) to its new Mid-Wilshire location in fall 2026. The new hospital will eventually expand to 119 inpatient acute care psychiatric beds, roughly 60% more than the current hospital, with an additional dedicated care area for psychiatric crisis stabilization services. Department leadership made the active decision to meet the additional staffing needs of the hospital through an expansion of the residency program, highlighting its commitment to training future generations of psychiatrists. In order to minimize redundancy and maximize opportunities for each resident, the department also chose to combine the two separate residencies, which already had many areas of overlap in both their clinical and didactic curricula, into a single program with a unified vision.

The move of the Resnick NPH to its new Mid-Wilshire location means that there will now be 3 primary training sites rather than 2. In addition, the increased number of residents will make us, to our knowledge, the single largest psychiatry residency in the country. In considering the impact of these significant changes, the decision was made to not simply add more residents and training sites to the existing structure but rather to use this as an opportunity to rebuild the training program from the ground up. The residency is restructured around four Tracks based out of each training site: the Mid-Wilshire Track, the Greater Los Angeles Track, the Westwood Track, and the Research Track.

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The restructuring aims to achieve several effects:

A Personalized Experience for Residents: Each of the primary training sites offers distinct patient populations and experiences. Allowing residents to apply to and rank between the various Tracks will help match residents to the site that they are most interested in, enriching their training and providing additional opportunities for clinical and leadership experiences in specific areas of psychiatry.
Enhanced Community and Mentorship: Having multiple distinct Tracks, each with a Track Director fully dedicated to mentoring the residents within it, will allow a program of this size to still have a close-knit family feel within each Track, allowing for closer relationships between residents, more tailored support from leadership, and enhanced resilience.
Giving Residents a Home Base: Having all residents rotate equally at each of the three sites would involve frequent travel between the sites. In contrast, by giving each Track a home base at one of the three training sites, the amount of driving can be reduced and residents can have more time to spend caring for their patients, learning about the field, and engaging in self-care.

These Tracks will allow residents to have access to all of the advantages and connections afforded by being in a large world-class academic department while also providing the mentorship and support of a much smaller program.

Application Process

The UCLA Psychiatry Residency Training Program participates in the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP or “The Match”) and will accept applications only via the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).

The steps to apply are as follows:

Complete the NRMP match enrollment materials from the AAMC.

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Complete the ERAS application for residencies.
Arrange for the program to receive:
- A Medical Student Performance Evaluation (also known as an MSPE or “dean’s letter”)
- A transcript of your medical school grades
- A personal statement
- Scores obtained on the USMLE and/or COMLEX examinations
- At least 3 letters of recommendation (at least one from psychiatry is strongly encouraged)

The program reviews applications in October after receipt of the MSPE. Roughly 150 applicants will be invited for interviews, held virtually over Zoom on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 2pm Pacific Standard Time between November and January. All interviews should be scheduled at least two weeks in advance. If for some reason your plans should change and you are unable to keep your scheduled appointment, please be sure to call to cancel as there is usually a waiting list for the interview dates. The interview day consists of an overview of the residency from the program director and chief residents followed by individual interviews with one program director (including track directors and associate program directors), one faculty member, and one resident.

Competitiveness and Application Requirements

The UCLA-Kern Psychiatry Residency is considered competitive. It is particularly open to candidates from different backgrounds, including DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) and IMG (International Medical Graduate) applicants, making it friendly toward a range of medical graduates. MD and DO graduates, as well as International Medical Graduates (IMGs) with strong qualifications. Though specific application requirements can vary, challenges such as multiple failed STEP exams may impact candidacies. Candidates will need to align with the program's expectations regarding prior graduation years from medical school. In consideration of the competitive nature of the program, applicants should be aware of certain prerequisites when applying. Specific application details, such as maximum allowable failed STEP exam scores and any potential year of graduation considerations, are essential factors in the application process. It should be noted that understanding these specifics is crucial for candidates looking to strengthen their application potential.

Visa Support

Kern Medical offers visa sponsorship for international medical graduates, providing assistance for applicants needing support for particular visa types. This approach underscores the program's commitment to welcoming a diverse cohort of residents, thereby enriching the educational environment with various perspectives and experiences.

Benefits and Accommodations

Resident remuneration is competitive, with stipends that increase with each year of training. The program provides a meal stipend, educational travel benefits, and a wellness initiative that allows additional time off for residents. Health and dental benefits are partially paid by the institution, alongside optional flexible spending accounts and life insurance. Fellows in the program can expect a competitive salary structure, which includes a meal stipend and possible additional educational funding.

As for accommodations, Kern Medical does not provide housing directly; however, the Bakersfield area has a reasonable rental market relative to living costs in other California cities. Residents are urged to secure a vehicle for commuting. Although homes are not provided by the institution, there are multiple rental options available nearby. An attractive aspect of living in Bakersfield is the affordability of housing, with various options for month-to-month rentals making it easier for residents to adjust without being locked into long-term leases. Most residents will find commuting necessary.

Expectations from Residents

Residents are expected to uphold high standards of clinical practice, engage in continuous learning and development, and participate actively in research initiatives.

Impact of Residency Program on Psychiatric Care

A study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Practice compared psychiatric care at a county psychiatric facility serving a population of 760,000 inhabitants before and after the initiation of the psychiatry residency program. The study reviewed medical charts for all patients admitted to the psychiatric inpatient service during the year before the inception of the psychiatry residency program (2003-2004) and during the first year in which there was full implementation of residents after inception of the psychiatry residency program (2005-2006).

The study found that after the residency program was established, the mean length of stay increased from 8.8 to 9.8 days (p < 0.05), the 30-day readmission rate increased from 3.5% (32/915) to 5.6% (48/853) (p < 0.05), more intramuscular emergency medications were given (p < 0.01), and more radiological assessments were obtained (p < 0.01). However, there was less delay in discharge (p < 0.01) and fewer days without medical necessity (p < 0.01). The patient satisfaction rate dropped from 77% (547/711) to 70% (476/680) (p < 0.01) after initiation of the residency program. The results of this study suggest a statistically significant difference in multiple characteristics of treatment after initiation of a psychiatry residency program in the psychiatric inpatient setting.

Available Tracks

The program offers 4 Tracks available, each with their own distinct NRMP Match Number:

Psychiatry-Mid-Wilshire 3030400C3
Psychiatry-GLA 3030400C4
Psychiatry-Westwood 3030400C5
Psychiatry-Research 3030400C1

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