Curriculum by Year

The University of Maryland Medical Center/Sheppard Pratt psychiatry residency program is structured to prepare you for a successful career within the field of psychiatry. 

During the four years of residency, you will work in a variety of settings in central Maryland and encounter a diverse population of patients. This is an intense program designed to provide a rich experience with opportunities to gain experience in specialized areas.

Learn more about the rotations available at Sheppard Pratt below. Click here to learn about rotations at University of Maryland Medical Center and other training sites.

Year 1

Year 1 provides training in somatic and psychiatric healthcare. Training includes inpatient psychiatry including addiction psychiatry, psychotic disorders or co-occurring disorders, and emergency psychiatry, as well as internal medicine, neurology, and emergency medicine. Locations include Sheppard Pratt’s hospital in Towson, Mercy Medical Center, Springfield Hospital Center, and University of Maryland Medical Center.

Year 2

Year 2 focuses on psychiatric training in a hospital setting, including acute inpatient psychiatry on adult and geriatric units, emergency psychiatry, and psychiatry consultation. Locations include Sheppard Pratt’s flagship campus in Towson and University of Maryland Medical Center.

Year 3

Year 3 expands training into the community, introducing adult and child ambulatory psychiatry in an outpatient setting. This includes training in multiple psychotherapy modalities (including psychodynamic psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), group therapy, and psychopharmacology, as well as a year-long research seminar. Locations vary.

Year 4

Year 4 offers residents opportunities for specialization. All residents train in forensic psychiatry, and have the opportunity to train in additional electives, which include the following at Sheppard Pratt:

• The Retreat at Sheppard Pratt, which offers the opportunity to train in psychoanalytic psychiatry

• The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt, which treats individuals of all ages with eating disorders

• The Trauma Disorders Program, a nationally and internationally recognized program for the treatment of individuals with trauma-related disorders

• The Crisis Walk-In Clinic (CWIC), which offers urgent assessment and referrals to the appropriate level of care

• Research, in which residents study individuals with autism and with traumatic brain injury

• The Neuropsychiatry Program, which offers opportunities to study memory issues and traumatic brain injury

• A co-occurring disorders inpatient unit, where residents work alongside top industry experts

• Electroconvulsive therapy

Additional electives are offered within other health systems.