Residents and faculty members participate in a Journal Club meet-up for residents in the Duke Psychotherapy Track (DPT), where they discuss articles about psychotherapy and engage in informal conversations about career development.
The Duke Psychotherapy Track (DPT), led by Marla Wald, MD, helps residents develop advanced psychotherapeutic skills to use in multiple clinical settings.
Residents in the DPT learn foundational concepts and advanced psychotherapy skills and receive exposure to variety of psychotherapies not provided in the general curriculum. After the first year in the DPT, residents select one particular psychotherapy "major."
Through the program, residents will engage in monthly didactics and journal club, take on additional therapy cases, receive mentorship and pursue networking and other educational opportunities.
Read on to learn more about the specific program components and how to apply.
Monthly Core Didactics
The didactic curriculum takes place monthly and consists of pre-readings, presentations and discussions led by faculty in their area of psychotherapy expertise. Additionally, residents view and discuss videos of live psychotherapy sessions with the psychotherapy faculty.
Psychotherapy Journal Club: “Dessert & Dialogue”
The quarterly DPT journal club is led by two DPT residents who select, distribute, summarize and lead a discussion of a current article in the psychotherapy literature. The journal club takes place as part of a Dessert & Dialogue Evening at a faculty member's house.
These events include informal discussions on psychotherapy and psychoanalytic topics, updates on residents’ scholarly projects, and highlights from conferences
Each resident receives guidance by a DPT faculty member on how to select an additional psychotherapy elective based on the resident's PGY year and schedule. Interested PGY4s are supported in picking up a twice-weekly psychodynamic psychotherapy case.
Mentorship
The DPT mentor provides guidance regarding the development, implementation, presentation, and possible publication of the resident's DPT Scholarly Project. The mentor also supports the DPT resident's career development around psychotherapy expertise.
Scholarly Project
Each resident in the program must pursue a mentored scholarly project during the PGY3-4 years. The project is broadly defined and could include, but is not limited to, investigation of:
Learning and/or teaching psychotherapeutic skills in the era of telemedicine
Assessing psychotherapeutic skills before/after training
Reviewing efficacies of various psychotherapies
Conducting brief psychotherapeutic interventions in acute care settings
Local & National Conferences (Virtual or In-Person)
Residents in DPT are encouraged to attend local and national conferences and consider presenting posters or workshops.
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Course (Optional)
Arrangements may be made with the Psychoanalytic Center of the Carolinas for residents in the DPT to audit introductory course/s in their Psychodynamic Psychotherapy program.
PGY1
Meet with Dr. Wald regarding interests.
Residents considering applying to DPT may attend “Dessert & Dialogue” events at faculty homes (when in-person gatherings are possible).
PGY2
Apply in July of PGY2 year.
Participate in all program components.
Meet quarterly with DPT mentor regarding scholarly project and career development and begin project development.
PGY3
May apply in July of PGY3 year.
Participate in all program components.
Decide on therapy specialization.
Take on 2-3 additional long-term cases.
Initiate scholarly project.
Attend one national conference and one or more local conferences if possible (virtually or in-person), and consider presenting a poster or workshop.
PGY4
May apply in July of PGY4 year with special approval.
Continue participating in all program components.
Present scholarly project.
Attend one national conference and one or more local conference if possible (virtually or in-person), and consider presenting a poster or workshop.
Residents may apply to the psychotherapy track in July of their PGY2 or PGY3 year.
“I’d recommend the DPT to any resident. The track balances broadly understanding psychotherapy as a practice while encouraging differentiation into whichever theoretical orientation suits us. The time commitment is low and well worth joining the supportive and enlightening community.” — Jonathan Nahmias, MD, Fourth-Year Psychiatry Resident
