Rural and Public Mental Health Track

Our track prepares residents to serve in the most underserved areas of our country and develop expertise in relevant technology and health care policies. Rural communities have profound shortages of psychiatrists and logistical barriers to accessing care. We train psychiatrists to serve rural communities and effectively work in the public mental health system. We provide opportunities in integrated care paradigms, telepsychiatry and related technologies, and public mental health policy. Our graduates provide both direct care to rural communities and statewide leadership in rural mental health.

• Structure and Curriculum

  Track Structure

  Residents aree based in Dallas during PGYs 1-3, completing core general program rotations within UTSW-affiliated institutions, including public mental health experiences through Parkland Hospital and Metrocare and psychotherapy training.

  • PGY-1
    In addition to completing program requirements in medicine and neurology, residents rotate on acute inpatient psychiatry units at both Parkland and Terrell State Hospital and in Metrocare outpatient psychiatry.
  • PGY-2
    Residents complete two rural outpatient psychiatry rotations at the Bonham VA outpatient clinic, in addition to core psychiatry rotations and electives in Dallas.
  • PGY-3
    Year 3 is rooted in longitudinal outpatient experiences. Residents have rural outpatient electives within driving distance of Dallas, train at the Parkland Outpatient Clinic (a core experience for all residents), and choose from opportunities to provide direct patient care and telepsychiatry to rural communities within a public mental health care system and an insurance-based private practice.
  • PGY-4
    Residents practice in rural settings that include inpatient, outpatient, telepsychiatry, and integrated care services and are housed in rural locations to integrate them into these communities. Residents also have opportunities to work with state public mental health leaders in research and quality improvement projects.

  Track Curriculum

  In addition to participating in general program didactic curriculum across PGYs 1-4, track residents receive specialized curriculum focused on public mental health systems, rural communities and psychiatric practice, telepsychiatry, and integrated care.

• Application Process

  Application Website

  Use the Electronic Residency Application Service

  ERAS Application Items

  • Curriculum vitae
  • Personal statement
  • Transcripts from medical school
  • Copies of USMLE or COMLEX scores, steps I, II and III (note: step III completion required)
  • ECFMG certificate (if applicable)
  • Three letters of recommendation from faculty supervisors
  • Program Director's letter
  • Program Director’s Attestation Form for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Eligibility (program director should attach linked form to program director's letter)

  Other Items Needed

  • Medical school diploma
  • Visa documentation (if applicable; only J-1 visas are sponsored)

  Additional Information

  We must receive the completed application before we will interview (we conduct virtual interviews).

  We strongly encourage applicants who wish to practice child and adolescent psychiatry in rural settings to apply for the RPMH Track. As with general psychiatry residents who wish to fast track into a CAP fellowship, we prioritize completion of general program requirements within 3 years.

  GME Policies

  Please note that as part of the application and interview process for a potential fellowship position in our program, we are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and you would need to meet ACGME requirements for matriculation in our program.

  Upon graduation from our training program, most of our graduates seek board certification. The process of board certification is separate from training and has additional requirements. Some board organizations require completion of all your education in an ACGME-accredited training program. Please contact the appropriate certifying board to understand your eligibility for board certification before accepting (if offered) a fellowship position at our institution.

  Sample Contracts, Salaries, Benefits

• Current Residents

  PGY1

  

  Shivani Raman, M.D., M.P.H.

  Undergraduate: Rice University
  Graduate: UT Health School of Public Health
  Medical School: UTSW

  

  Celina Salcido, D.O., Ph.D., M.P.H.

  Undergraduate and Graduate: University of Texas at Arlington
  Medical School: University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine

  PGY2

  

  Gameli Anthonio, M.D.

  "During my time as a medical student, I was able to appreciate the role that health care disparities (especially those in mental health) play in poor health outcomes in the US. Addressing disparities and the social determinants of health has long been an animating force for me. My work on projects addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, improving transportation access, and delivering global health care has taken me as far as Washington DC and given me a keen awareness of the multitude of ways that social factors can impact people's health. As a psychiatrist, I hope to bring this mindset to my practice to maximize the health of our community. I found the track to be great opportunity to learn how to do that, through its mentorship and networking opportunities and its diverse training settings embedded within underresourced populations."

  

  Sruvee Sathi, M.D.

  "My interest in the rural and public mental health track stems from my experiences in undergrad working in rural health clinics and gap years as a health policy fellow in Washington DC. I witnessed the challenges of health care in underresourced settings, without an adequate clinician workforce, funding, or technology. I advocated for legislation like the National Health Service Corps that can ameliorate shortages and learned about leveraging technology to provide more access to care. I chose the track to gain experience providing mental health care and then take these learnings to advocate for my patients, whether it’s through direct clinical care, on community health boards, or at a national level. I look forward to my training that will ultimately prepare me to serve communities in diverse settings while also learning about public mental health policy, advocacy, and telepsychiatry."

  PGY3

  

  Sun Choi, M.D.

  "Caring for the underserved has always been a priority for me, which is what drew me to the track. Much focus is placed on mental health care delivery in urban areas where the needs are great, but often at the expense of furthering disparities in rural areas and with the most vulnerable, who often depend on state mental health care services. This track provides rich opportunities to interface with public mental health systems at state and county levels and deliver quality care in innovative and creative ways to address these disparities. I believe this training will prove invaluable in shaping me into a compassionate physician with knowledge of the latest telepsychiatry, mental health policy, and business advancements to best meet my patient's needs throughout my career, whether they are in an urban or rural context."

  

  Pavithra Wickramage, D.O., M.P.H., M.S.

  "I chose to pursue the track because of the opportunity to train at diverse clinical sites and to gain experience working with patients that are severely underserved. So far, I have had the chance to work with patients that are facing unique circumstances that I would not have otherwise seen in Dallas. I was fortunate enough to have completed my medical school rotations with my school’s rural medicine program, and I am grateful that I can continue that training, now with a psychiatric focus, here at UTSW. It is rare to see a psychiatry residency have an established path to prepare future psychiatrists to work in rural and/or community mental health. I feel as though the track has allowed me to foster my interest in public health and serving those most in need."

  PGY4

   

  Trisha Modi, M.D., M.B.A.

  "Serving populations disproportionately impacted by mental illness is most important to me. The RPMH Track is empowering me with the knowledge to not only address the medical concerns of my patients but also tackle and strategize against the significant economic barriers to mental health care. I have witnessed these disparities firsthand; my family lives in a rural town with only one general practitioner within a 60-mile radius and no access to psychiatric care. Their experience led me to pursue an M.B.A. in healthcare management and pursue the RPMH Track. Through this track and all of its rotations, I will learn various approaches to understanding and combating the problems associated with the 'business side of medicine.' I believe the RPMH Track will best prepare me to follow my passions and serve resource-poor communities."

  

  Justin O’Brien, M.D.

  "The track was my top choice because of the focus on the last mile of care. I grew up in a small Texas town, and I empathize when patients have to drive hours to get specialty care. Residents are able to work in many different clinics and sites that provide care to patients in communities outside of the large cities. I believe the track also provides an educational experience for residents that will prepare them to work in clinical settings no matter where in the country."