About the MCW Central Wisconsin Psychiatry Residency Program

It is based in the communities of Central Wisconsin: Wausau, Rhinelander, Tomah, Ashland, Marshfield and Stevens Point. The direct faculty are the psychiatrists from these communities.

Our residents participate in weekly MCW general psychiatry didactics. MCW was recognized by ACGME for its academic excellence as the Best Large Program in the United States. PGY 2’s also participate in weekly Friday morning classes through the MCW Center for Psychotherapies which are geared specifically toward introduction to different psychotherapeutic modalities, including seminars and case conferences.

In addition, our residents participate in local quarterly didactics through WiNC and in two CW lunch and learn meetings, one on Wednesdays, which is an all-resident seminar led by peers, recent graduates, and community physicians and covers a variety of topics. The other is a therapy-oriented workshop (Dynamic Fridays) for PGY 2’s and any other interested resident, intended to demystify psychodynamic principles and enhance therapeutic skills.

CW provides service and education for a number of community agencies including area public schools, community support programs, law enforcement, and the local medical school. We value these connections, work to sustain them, and are always open to developing new ones.

• Elective research opportunities in a department that is ranked 22nd nationally among medical school psychiatry departments receiving National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) funding.
• Opportunity to teach medical students on clinical rotations and didactics.
• Although the MCW Library is physically located in Milwaukee, its primary resources remain available to all residents and faculty regardless of location. Librarian consultation, document delivery requests, library training and library search requests are all available via internet or telephone.

• Our Central Wisconsin location offers a balanced, affordable lifestyle with restaurants, theater, music and entertainment, without the worries or traffic of big-city life. There is easy access to the great outdoors with a plethora of hiking/walking/biking trails, and downhill and cross-country skiing. Door County is a popular destination in the summer, famous for its cherries, bird-watching, boating, glass-blowing, world-class restaurants, vineyards etc. MCW holds a Door County Summer Institute each year and all residents are invited to attend.
• Our residents’ well-being is important. Our program size makes individual attention and planning possible.
• Within our program, you will be surrounded by interested attendings, supportive peers, and have regular opportunities to attend wellness events such as yoga classes, trips to the sauna, tea-making, and salt-caving.
• Our Experiential Group, run by a CW graduate (now faculty), is offered to PGY 1’s and 2’s. These meetings are intended to ease your transition into residency and maximize your wellness. They offer a chance to share experiences with peers and foster class cohesion. In addition, our Mentor-Mentee program supports your entry and facilitates your integration into the larger residency.

• We believe that psychiatrists should be well-rounded and place strong emphasis on psychotherapy training with the belief that developing psychotherapeutic skills make us better doctors whether we choose to conduct formal psychotherapies or refer to other providers. We include the ACGME-required longitudinal outpatient experience in the second postgraduate year so residents can conduct long-term treatments over three years instead of two. Weekly psychotherapy supervision is provided in addition to the guidance offered during direct supervision. We draw our supervisors from MCW and local faculty. You will have the opportunity to work with psychodynamically-oriented clinicians as well as those trained in CBT, DBT, EMDR, and Flash Technique.
• Through our partnerships, you have opportunities to explore multiple fields within psychiatry, both inpatient and outpatient. Areas include forensics, child, perinatal, CL, addiction, emergency, and geriatric psychiatry. There are opportunities to conduct original research, publish, and take leadership roles locally as well as on state and national levels.
• The Medical College of Wisconsin is also home to fellowships in Addiction, Child and Adolescent, Geriatrics, Forensics and Consultation-Liaison. As a CW resident, you are part of the MCW system so can establish connections and see first hand what these fellowships entail.