A Week in the Life (Lara Thibodeau, MD)

A Typical Week for a Fourth-Year Psychiatry Resident 

Monday

  • Dr. Thibodeau hanging out with her dog
    Dr. Thibodeau hanging out with her dog at home

    Morning: I get up around 7am to be at work by 8am. On Monday mornings, I rotate at the Durham County Detention Facility (DCDF) seeing patients for medication management (both new intakes and follow-ups). During our outpatient years, one of our required clinical rotations is in community psychiatry, and this rotation counts towards that requirement. I have loved working with the team at DCDF and getting a chance to work with some of the more vulnerable folks in our community. 

  • Afternoon: I grab a quick lunch and drive from the jail to the VA (about a six-minute drive) for the afternoon. I spend time in my outpatient continuity clinic at the Durham VA Medical Center. This is where I have spent the bulk of my time in my outpatient years. I have been following some veterans for over a year. In this clinic, I get a chance to practice medication management and psychotherapy. Most of my appointments on Mondays are follow-ups for medication management, aside from one therapy appointment. I also staff patients with my supervisor at the VA in the afternoon. One of my favorite parts of the VA is the excellent supervision I have received. 

  • Evening: I typically get home around 5:30pm after clinic and take my dog for a walk with my spouse (if he’s home—he is also a resident so our schedules can vary quite a bit!). I’ll typically cook dinner for us, and we eat outside and catch up on our days if the weather is nice. We generally spend the rest of the evening relaxing together, and may catch a show before bed (just finished “Derry Girls,” highly recommend). 

Tuesday

  • Meditation garden outside the Duke Student Wellness Center, where Counseling & Psychological Services is housed.
    Meditation garden outside the Duke Student Wellness Center, where Counseling & Psychological Services is housed

    Morning: I spend the mornings at Duke Counseling and Psychological Services (Duke CAPS) working with undergraduate and graduate students seeking mental health care. I love the walk to CAPS through Duke’s beautiful campus, especially on a nice and sunny September day (I try to walk through Duke Gardens by the pond). Duke CAPS is housed in a beautiful building (think Zen garden and massage chairs!). I love working with this population and having a chance to collaborate with the diverse array of clinical staff in the counseling center. 

  • Afternoon: Tuesday afternoons are spent at Academic Half-Day (AHD). AHD is in-person this year after some years of hybrid virtual/in-person classes due to COVID. I personally enjoy this format as I’m able to catch up with co-residents over lunch, which is provided by the program—this week we have Mediterra (one of my favorites). Following lunch, we have class from 2-5pm. We’re currently in our “career series,” where we learn about possible career paths following residency, and also in a psychodynamic psychotherapy class. 

  • Evening: Tuesday evenings are busy for me! I am participating in the Pearsall Fellowship through the Psychoanalytic Center of the Carolinas this year. As part of this program, I am taking an additional course on psychodynamic psychotherapy that meets on Tuesday evenings via Zoom. After class, I’ll typically catch up with my husband over a quick dinner, and try to do some reading for my book club followed by cuddles with my dog before bed.

Wednesday

  • Morning: Wednesdays are my main psychotherapy day. I spend the morning in the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy practicum. This is a great chance to be supervised by two psychologists who are experts in this type of therapy, as well as learn with a variety of psychiatry and psychology trainees. We all learn the principles of ACT together through clinical case discussions and a weekly seminar, as well as through patient care. 

  • Group of Duke psychiatry residents at Top Golf
    Duke psychiatry and med-psych residents celebrating a friend's birthday

    Afternoon: I head across the street to the VA where I see two patients for psychotherapy and meet with my psychodynamic supervisor. I have really enjoyed therapy in residency, and hope to make it a part of my future practice! 

  • Evening: I have more time on Wednesday evenings so I try to make the most of this. When feeling motivated, I will go for a run on the Duke East Campus or the Ellerbee Creek Trail. Depending on the week, I will try to catch up with a friend over dinner or drinks. This week, I attended a birthday party for a friend at Top Golf. 

Thursday

  • Morning: I get to the VA on Thursday by 8am for Mental Health Clinic (MHC) Seminar. MHC Seminar is a weekly educational seminar for third year residents at the VA. I attend in my role as outpatient chief resident at the VA. Topics can include clinical care (SSRI dose titration data, PTSD treatment, clinical case discussions etc.) or be more focused on clinic logistics. I spend the next couple of hours working on chief admin tasks before attending my outpatient clinic team meeting at 11am (which includes nurses, residents, attendings, social workers, psychologists, chaplains, and administrative staff). 

  • Afternoon: When possible, my co-residents and I who are at the VA together try to grab lunch if we do not have Grand Rounds. I then head over from the VA to one of the neurology clinics at Duke (about a five-minute drive). This block, I am rotating in the headache clinic. We see a lot of patients with a variety of headache types and facial pain. It’s been interesting to see the overlap between the two specialties! 

  • Evening: Similar to other nights—walk the dog, cook dinner, catch up with my spouse, enjoy some time in our yard (maybe tend the tomato plants!), and relax with a book or TV show before bed.

Friday

  • Group photo of residents
    Psychiatry and med-psych residents take a break in their busy day for a group photo

    Morning: Friday mornings are spent back at Duke CAPS. I participate in group supervision with one of my co-residents and get a chance to see a new intake. 

  • Afternoon: I’m back at the VA on Friday afternoons for clinic. On Fridays, I spend my time in Women’s Mental Health, where I work with female veterans. Following appointments, I have medication management supervision and CBT supervision. 

  • Evening: I’m usually ready to relax on Friday! I will often catch up with friends over dinner and/or drinks!

Saturday

Saturdays are for fun! On a typical Saturday, you can often find me at the Durham Farmer’s Market, grabbing brunch with friends or doing something outdoors. I love Saturdays in Saxapahaw for live music in the summer, and am also a huge fan of going for a swim in our local quarry. In the evening, I am always exploring the Durham food scene (my co-resident Hania and I have a growing list of places to try), and love grabbing a beer or cocktail somewhere downtown. 

Sunday

Sundays tend to be a day of relaxation. I typically sleep in, and we take our dog for a long and lazy walk around the Eno River. I’ll often pick a few recipes from NY Times Cooking to make and grocery shop for. After this, I’ll often catch up with friends and family via FaceTime and then take it easy in the evening (recently I’ve been enjoying an evening Yin Yoga class as well). Then I sleep and get ready for Monday all over again!  

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