A Typical Week for a Third-Year Psychiatry Resident
Monday
Weekday mornings can be super busy in our house, depending on whether my partner is traveling or not and how much meal prep and laundry we managed over the weekend. I'm usually awake between 5:30 and 6:30am and have time for a quick workout, getting dinner ready, lunches, and bags packed before waking up my kiddos around 6:45. If I'm taking them in to school, we have snuggles, read a book, and aim to be in the car around 7:15 for a 7:30 drop-off.
I spend my Mondays at the VA, which means sometimes we have a federal holiday, and I get the day off too. :-) My Monday is spent seeing patients virtually and in person, and staffing with my attending twice a day, once in the morning and once in the early afternoon. I see therapy patients Monday afternoon including for CBT and psychodynamic psychotherapy, and I staff those cases on Wednesday and Thursday.
During my lunch break I sometimes run home to squeeze in a swim if I missed my workout, or go across the street to the Duke GME gym. Monday evenings I’m usually done early enough to pick up the kiddos and we listen to Frozen or Bad Bunny (my toddler's current faves) on the way home. We are usually pretty boring and play for a while, do some gardening (this year we grew tomatoes, basil, peppers, potatoes, and a giant watermelon in the front yard), and go for a walk before dinner and bed. I try to do some reading before I turn off the lights, but usually I fall asleep very early.
Tuesday
On Tuesday morning I get to spend time with the incredible Dr. Helmke and two other wonderful residents at a shelter for people experiencing homelessness. I received a grant this year through the department to pilot a foot and wound psychiatry clinic. We meet around 11am to talk about our cases from the day or discuss an article or clinical topic.
After clinic, I usually have a quick break to grab an iced matcha before I head over to Duke North Pavilion for Academic Half Day. This year we have one Academic Half Day on Zoom a month, and three in person. I'm in the Clinical Educator Track, and I always look forward to the Tuesdays when I get to meet with the CET team before our classes start, to learn about how to teach, mentor, and provide instruction and support to medical students and my co-residents.
I co-presented with one of our attendings and some co-residents at the AAP this year, based on projects we'd discussed during CET. Our classes are from 2 to 5pm and right now include neuroscience and neuroanatomy, lectures on therapy techniques, and history/ethics in psychiatry. On Tuesday evenings I have Zoom therapy or physical therapy, because #wellness.
Wednesday
Back to the VA! If I'm not taking the kids to school, we usually can eat breakfast together and then I leave around 7:35/40am for a 7:55 arrival, with matcha in hand. At lunchtime we have Chief's Conference on Zoom, which this year is hosting a “Career Series” where we can learn from psychiatrists practicing in varied settings across the country. I'll try and squeeze in some reading and precharting for the week ahead during the day, in case I have some no-shows. Because I have kids I try to do all my precharting and administrative work during the day, so I can be present with them at home. In the afternoon, I discuss my therapy cases and have some admin time to finish things up at the end of the day.
The first Wednesday of every month I get to talk with my training mentor, which is a true highlight. I love having the chance to check in and talk about clinical or chief challenges, or just catch up on life. Usually I can grab my kids after work and we'll run by the grocery store or playground on the way home. If I can stay up past their bedtime, my partner and I have been watching “Below Deck,” a highly entertaining and informative portrayal of the luxury yachting industry.
Thursday
Thursday mornings are awesome because I get to hang out with my VA co-resident buds. We meet at 8am for lecture, which often involves treats, and then have meetings and other didactics/supervision all morning. I do some precharting and getting ready for the week ahead as well. Grand Rounds is on Thursdays at noon, so I listen on my way to Family Studies.
In the afternoon, third years have Family Studies with the child and adolescent fellows and psychology interns. We gather for lecture at 1pm, with two “cases” following. Each resident is either a therapist or team member for family or couples therapy cases. I’m a therapist right now during our 3pm session, and my team sits behind a two-way mirror and watches our session. Then we all debrief together afterward. Thursday nights if we are feeling ~fancy~ we sometimes join some friends at the park for a picnic dinner or meet up with some daycare families.
Friday
Friday morning is an earlier day as I head to Greensboro (about 50 minutes away from Durham) to go to Fellowship Hall, a substance use disorder recovery center. I leave around 6:40am because I like to drive through Hillsborough to get a matcha at my favorite coffee shop, Cup A Joe. I usually listen to podcasts (I like the Carlat Report), audiobooks (big fan of repeat Harry Potter listening or books for my therapy cases), or the latest Taylor Swift album.
Once at Fellowship Hall, I run the list with my attending and the interdisciplinary team and see a couple of follow-ups and a new patient for a psych eval. Sometimes I attend the 11am lecture with the guests before heading back to Durham for my admin afternoon. This year, I am lucky enough to be able to serve as the behavioral health inpatient chief (BHIP). Our projects this year are working on a gardening program, expanding voting opportunities for patients, increasing our library, and working on our handoff system.
I check in with co-residents, bring some snacks, and water the plants for our “plant prescriptions,” that will go home with patients. I typically have a meeting or two and then wrap up other tasks for the day and week. Then I grab the kiddos and we head home for a movie night—we've been watching all the Disney/Pixar movies—or we check out a local event happening around Durham or the Triangle. We have recently been camping a lot more (glamping—I like there to be something between me and the ground) so occasionally we head out of town for that too.
Saturdays/Sundays
Outpatient life is so wonderful in that you have most of your weekends free! If we're not camping (lots of places closeby including Jordan Lake, Falls Lake, Eno River and all the state parks) or at the beach, or in the mountains, we are going to farmers’ markets (Durham and Hillsborough are our faves), coffee shops (we love Cup A Joe, Joe van Gogh, Whisk & Rye), libraries, and bookstores (Letters, Regulator, Purple Crow, Golden Fig).
There are tons of parks, museums, and activities for kids. This year we've made it a goal to try a bunch of different festivals across the state. So far we've seen a peach festival, strawberry festival, children's festival, okra festival, solstice festival, vegan food fest, some music festivals, and have plans for the balloon festival and kite festival this fall. Weekends also include time to catch up on reading for the week ahead, meal prep, laundry, and time with family in Chapel Hill and Raleigh. Oh and also, importantly, more “Below Deck.”
Read other Week in the Life narratives:
- Julia Tucker, MD, PhD (PGY1)
- Soji Ojo, MD, MPH (PGY2)
- Abdelrhman “Rooma” Elnasseh, MD (PGY3)
- Rachel Landrum, MD (PGY3)
- Carolina Nadal Medina, MD, MS (PGY3)