Program Details

The PGY-1 year provides a broad introduction to psychiatry, with foundational training in assessment, diagnosis, and treatment across multiple settings. Residents will rotate through core specialties, gaining hands-on experience in both medical and psychiatric care.

Inpatient Psychiatry at Raritan Bay Medical Center (RBMC) – 4 months: Residents spend four months at RBMC in Perth Amboy, NJ, an underserved area with an ethnically and socioeconomically varied patient population. A significant portion of the 81-bed psychiatric unit is dedicated to involuntary patients, many of whom have complex, treatment-resistant conditions. This rotation provides exposure to a broad range of psychiatric pathologies, with ample opportunity for residents to refine their diagnostic and therapeutic skills. They work closely with a dedicated multidisciplinary team of psychiatric attendings, senior residents, medical students, nurses, physician assistants, psychologists, and social workers, who are always available for support.

Emergency Psychiatry Services (EPS) – 2 months: Residents will rotate through EPS at OUMC and RBMC’s emergency departments, gaining experience in managing psychiatric emergencies. This dual-site exposure offers comprehensive training in high-pressure settings, with a strong emphasis on patient stabilization and crisis management.

Neurology – 2 months: Residents will spend two months rotating through both inpatient and outpatient settings during their neurology rotation, enhancing their ability to assess neuropsychiatric conditions and deepen their understanding of the neurological underpinnings of psychiatric disorders.

Primary Care Medicine – 4 months: This rotation includes both inpatient medicine and outpatient primary care settings, allowing residents to explore the intersection of physical and mental health, and develop a holistic approach to patient care. They will work alongside primary care teams to manage patients with comorbid medical and psychiatric conditions.

Throughout the year, residents are supported by a team of knowledgeable, passionate clinicians who are committed to mentorship and providing constructive feedback. The emphasis on collaboration and learning ensures that residents develop strong clinical skills and the confidence needed to navigate complex cases.

During the PGY-2 year, residents transition from foundational learning to a more advanced, hands-on role in psychiatry. Through a series of focused two-month rotations, residents gain comprehensive exposure to a range of psychiatric subspecialties across both inpatient and outpatient settings. Each rotation is designed to deepen clinical skills, enhance medical knowledge, and foster collaborative care across disciplines.

Inpatient Psychiatry – 2 months – Raritan Bay Medical Center (RBMC): Residents take on a more advanced role while rotating on the inpatient psychiatry unit at Raritan Bay Medical Center. They supervise interns and medical students, while working closely with attending psychiatrists and multidisciplinary teams to manage patients with complex psychiatric and medical conditions. This rotation strengthens leadership and diagnostic skills in a high-acuity setting.

Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry – 2 months – RBMC & Ocean University Medical Center (OUMC): Split between RBMC and OUMC, this rotation provides residents with robust experience managing psychiatric issues in medically ill patients. Under the guidance of dedicated consultation-liaison attendings, residents evaluate and treat patients across various hospital units, learning to integrate psychiatric care within medical settings. The variety of cases offers a rich opportunity to solidify internal medicine knowledge and understand the interface between medicine and psychiatry, while working on a team with learners at all levels.

Child and Geriatric Psychiatry – 2 months – Jersey Shore University Medical Center (JSUMC) & Outpatient Sites: This combined rotation offers exposure to both ends of the age spectrum. At JSUMC, residents participate in consult-liaison services where they see either pediatric or geriatric patients, depending on the day of the week (e.g., “child day” vs. “geri day”), allowing for structured exposure to each population. In the outpatient setting, residents rotate through nursing homes for geriatric care and the New Jersey Pediatric Psychiatry Collaborative (NJPPC) clinic in Neptune, NJ for child psychiatry. At NJPPC—the largest pediatric mental health program in New Jersey—residents work alongside child psychiatrists and developmental pediatricians to assess and manage psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders in children. Supervision is provided by subspecialty-trained psychiatrists and psychologists throughout both child and geriatric components of this rotation.

Forensic Psychiatry – 2 months – Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office: Residents gain valuable forensic experience by working alongside forensic psychiatrists and prosecutors at the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office. During this rotation, residents are taught how to conduct and write forensic psychiatric evaluations, with a focus on individuals being considered for Ocean County’s Mental Health Diversion Program. Residents complete multiple formal evaluations based on their own clinical assessments of defendants/patients. Each write-up is personally reviewed and discussed in detail with the supervising forensic psychiatrist and the assigned prosecutor. The rotation also includes attendance at court hearings related to mental health law, offering residents a comprehensive understanding of the intersection between psychiatry and the legal system.

Addiction Psychiatry – 2 months – JSUMC & Outpatient Clinics: Residents rotate through both inpatient and outpatient addiction services under the supervision of board-certified addiction psychiatrists. This includes:

• Addiction consult-liaison service at JSUMC
• Outpatient addiction treatment at the 1610 Route 88 clinic

Residents also attend addiction-focused lectures to strengthen their understanding of substance use disorders and treatment modalities, including medication-assisted treatment and harm reduction strategies.

Sleep and Integrative Psychiatry – 2 months – Sleep Clinics & Integrative Clinics: This rotation combines sleep medicine with integrative approaches to mental health care. Residents participate in the evaluation of sleep disorders through supervised experience in multiple sleep clinics and sleep lab studies.

In the integrative psychiatry component, residents work with specialists at RBMC and the 1610 Route 88 clinic to explore evidence-based complementary treatments such as biofeedback, nutritional psychiatry, mindfulness-based interventions, and exercise-based therapies.

In addition to clinical training, PGY-2 residents have protected time for scholarly activity and research, encouraging the development of academic interests and contributions to the field of psychiatry.

The PGY-3 year is fully dedicated to outpatient psychiatry, with residents based at our primary outpatient clinic located at 1610 Route 88 in Brick, New Jersey. This is a comprehensive psychiatric clinic where third-year residents work full-time, managing a broad panel of adult patients while also treating patients in subspecialty clinics that include addiction psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, and geriatric psychiatry.

Residents are supervised by a team of board-certified attending psychiatrists, including subspecialists who oversee care during the specialty clinic days—addiction psychiatrists, child psychiatrists, and geriatric psychiatrists. This model allows residents to gain focused exposure to each population, under the guidance of experts in those fields.

Throughout the year, residents see patients independently and then present each case to an attending psychiatrist to collaboratively develop a treatment plan. Following this, the attending and resident see the patient together to finalize care. This structured, individual supervision ensures close guidance while fostering increasing autonomy.

Residents are trained in evidence-based medicine and develop expertise in long-term outpatient management, including pharmacologic and psychotherapeutic interventions. They also gain experience in coordinating care within a multidisciplinary team, deepening their understanding of how outpatient psychiatry fits into broader systems of mental health care.

The PGY-3 year offers a rich and immersive outpatient experience that prepares residents for independent practice and future specialization, all within a supportive, team-based academic environment.

The PGY-4 year marks the culmination of residency training, offering residents the opportunity to deepen their clinical expertise, fine-tune their interests, and take on greater autonomy in preparation for independent practice. Fourth-year residents serve as senior clinicians across various rotations, playing a supervisory role on inpatient services, mentoring junior residents, and guiding medical students—while continuing to work closely with attending psychiatrists who remain available for support and supervision.

This year offers a wide-ranging assortment of core and elective rotations that allow residents to pursue specialized interests, including:

• Neuromodulation, with extensive training in Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) and Transmagnetic Stimulation Therapy (TMS) at Raritan Bay Medical Center and esketamine treatment at the clinic at 1610 Route 88
• Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry
• Inpatient Psychiatry
• Community Psychiatry
• Addiction Psychiatry
• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Geriatric Psychiatry
• Reproductive Psychiatry
• Forensic Psychiatry
• Education and Administrative Psychiatry
• Research opportunities within the Hackensack Meridian Health Network and affiliated academic institutions

Electives are structured to offer flexibility while reinforcing core clinical competencies and allowing residents to gain in-depth exposure to areas of personal or professional interest. Electives can be taken at our home institutions, OUMC and RBMC, or other HMH hospitals and clinics, depending on resident preference and availability. Our residents have also completed elective rotations at Old Bridge Medical Center, John F. Kennedy Medical Center, and Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

Residents will also complete a scholarly project in quality improvement and/or research during the PGY-4 year, culminating in a Grand Rounds-style presentation to the entire Department. This project offers an exciting opportunity to explore an area of interest in depth while contributing meaningfully to the field of psychiatry and further enhancing the residency program. Ample support is available throughout the process, including guidance from a PhD-level research specialist and clinically active faculty who regularly engage in research and mentorship.

The PGY-4 year is both enriching and empowering, equipping residents with the knowledge, experience, and confidence needed to transition successfully into a wide range of psychiatric careers.

At Ocean University Medical Center (OUMC), our call schedule is designed to support resident wellness while providing meaningful clinical experience. We prioritize manageable hours and structured support, ensuring residents can thrive both personally and professionally. The call structure evolves over the four years of training, with increasing flexibility and autonomy at each level. 

Additionally, we are happy to announce that in response to resident feedback, our program no longer schedules 24-hour or overnight call shifts.

PGY-1 (First Year)

• Call Frequency: Approximately once or twice per week
• Call Hours: Short call in-person from 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM
• Weekend Schedule: No weekend call except 3-4 “buddy call” shifts throughout the year, paired with senior residents, in preparation for weekend calls done during 2nd year of residency
• Support: PGY-1s are always paired with a more senior resident and/or attending during call shifts
  
  

PGY-2 (Second Year)

• Call Frequency: Approximately twice per month
• Shift Details: One day in-person per weekend (Saturday or Sunday), 14-hour shift from 8 am to 10 pm
• Weekend Schedule: two weekends per month completely off
• Support: PGY-2s are always paired with an attending during call shifts
  
  

PGY-3 (Third Year)

• Call Frequency: 3–4 "buddy call" shifts throughout the year, paired with a PGY-1 resident, for the purpose of training the junior resident for weekend call
• Support: PGY-3s are always paired with an attending during call shifts
• No additional call responsibilities
• Optional Moonlighting: PGY-3 residents are eligible to participate in internal moonlighting at JSUMC and RBMC, under the supervision of an attending, for competitive compensation (moonlighting is voluntary and separate from resident salary but does count toward the duty hour limits)
  
  

PGY-4 (Fourth Year)

• No call responsibilities
  
  

Optional Moonlighting: PGY-4 residents may also participate in internal moonlight at JSUMC and RBMC, under the supervision of an attending, providing additional clinical experience and compensation.

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This schedule reflects our commitment to balanced workloads, progressive responsibility, and resident wellness. We believe that structured clinical duties—paired with opportunities for growth and flexibility—create the ideal environment for developing confident, compassionate physicians.

Psychotherapy Training

Psychotherapy training is integrated across all four years of residency, becoming increasingly individualized and clinically intensive as residents advance.

Residents begin seeing psychotherapy patients during their second year, with a strong emphasis on both practical experience and theoretical grounding. At our 1610 Route 88 outpatient clinic, residents work under the close supervision of PhD-level psychologists, who are embedded in the clinical and teaching environment.

Supervision occurs in two ways:

• In-session supervision, where psychologists join a portion of the therapy session to observe and guide
• Dedicated supervision meetings without the patient present, where residents review cases in depth, develop psychotherapeutic formulations, and refine their approach using real-time feedback

Residents participate in both individual and group therapy, gradually gaining confidence and skill under consistent mentorship. Training spans multiple therapeutic frameworks, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy, supportive therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and other evidence-based modalities. This is supported by extensive didactic instruction and individualized teaching throughout residency.

This longitudinal model ensures that residents are well-prepared to provide high-quality, patient-centered psychotherapy and integrate it effectively into comprehensive psychiatric care.

Didactic Curriculum

From PGY-1 through PGY-4, residents participate in a comprehensive and progressively structured didactic curriculum designed to align with their stage of clinical training. Protected time is reserved each week—a dedicated half-day—for interactive learning sessions that are tailored to the resident's level of experience and responsibility.

The curriculum offers in-depth teaching across all core domains of psychiatry, including:

• Psychopharmacology
• Psychopathology and nosology
• Neuroscience and neurobiology
• Epidemiology and public health
• Ethics and professionalism
• Systems-based practice and health policy
• Culturally responsive care
• Psychological models and theories of development
• Social determinants of mental health
• Diagnostic formulation and treatment planning

Each year builds upon the last, with material becoming increasingly advanced and clinically nuanced. Residents engage in thematic lecture series throughout the year—such as the Advanced Psychopharmacology Series, Psychotherapeutic Frameworks Series, Depression Series, and Anxiety Disorders Series—among others. These sessions are taught by experienced faculty and designed to encourage engagement, clinical reasoning, and evidence-based application.

In addition to the weekly didactics, residents attend Grand Rounds every Wednesday morning, which feature speakers who are nationally and internationally recognized leaders in psychiatry. These sessions expose residents to cutting-edge research, emerging treatments, and evolving trends in the field—delivered by distinguished academics, researchers, and clinical experts.

This robust, thoughtfully sequenced educational program supports residents’ academic development and ensures they graduate with a strong foundation in both the science and the art of psychiatry.

Other regular educational activities include:

• Journal Club
• Workshops and Case Conferences
• Monthly Resident Business Meetings
• Daily Clinical Rounds with Teaching Components