Special Tracks

Woman in therapy

We offer four optional special residency tracks: research, clinician educator and psychotherapy.

Physician Scientist Track (Match Option)

The NIMH-funded Duke Psychiatry Physician Scientist Track (PST) is designed for residents interested in becoming clinician-scientists. Two slots per year are available, and applicants match into the physician scientist track. This track is led by co-directors Kimberly Carpenter, PhD, and Jonathan Posner, MD, with advisory board members Kafui Dzirasa, MD, PhD, and Chris Marx, MD.

Internal Tracks

Clinician Educator

The Clinician Educator Track (CET) offers additional training and mentorship toward developing knowledge and skills in teaching and education, as well as fostering academic scholarship in medical education. Residents may apply for the clinician educator track during PGY1, PGY2 or PGY3. This track is co-led by Tara Chandrasekhar, MD, Colleen Cowperthwait, PhD, Aishwarya Rajagopalan, DO, Christopher Ramsay, MD, and Paul Riordan, MD,

Psychotherapy

The Duke Psychotherapy Track (DPT), led by Marla Wald, MD, helps residents develop advanced skills in a range of psychotherapy approaches. Residents may apply for the psychotherapy track during PGY2 or PGY3.

Community Psychiatry

The Duke/UNC Community Psychiatry Track and interest group is dedicated for trainees at both institutions who are interested in and pursuing a career in community and public psychiatry. The track aims to serve our most vulnerable patient and community members, often patients with severe mental illness.

Eligibility for Tracks

The clinician educator and psychotherapy tracks are open to all psychiatry residents and internal medicine-psychiatry residents (including psychiatry residents in the physician scientist track), and residents may participate in both. Residents may apply to the Community Psychiatry Track for the PGY3 year. Residents must apply for the Physician Scientist Track through a separate match number.