Overview

The Department of Psychiatry at UT Southwestern is focused on producing exceptional researchers from its Resident Research Track Program.  With its diverse and extensive faculty, the Department is in a unique position to prepare residents for successful academic research careers.  Available faculty mentors provide opportunities in basic, clinical, and translational research. Close connections with many other departments in the medical and graduate schools provide the framework for a variety of areas of scientific investigation. UT Southwestern has made an institution-wide commitment to training research-oriented residents.

The Research Track (RT) Program is built on the philosophy that early success is critical for both stimulating and developing future researchers.  With this in mind, the program is designed to provide the guidance necessary to ensure a productive and rewarding experience, while allowing residents the freedom to pursue their interests in a supportive and structured environment. 

There is considerable reserved research time for the RT resident including: attendance at the Core Didactic during the PGY-2 year; 2 full-time selective research months in the PGY-2 year; 2 full days per week in PGY-3 year; 3 ½ days per week in PGY-4 year. 

Didactic Curriculum

Core Didactic Curriculum

During the PGY-2 year, RT residents will attend weekly sessions coordinated by our Associate Training Director for Didactics and Research, Matt Byerly, M.D. This course of study includes such topics as: research design, biostatistics, grant writing, and critical evaluation of research literature. 

The Core Didactic Curriculum also includes discussions about issues that will contribute to the personal success of residents, such as achieving financial stability through loan repayment programs and techniques for maintaining balance between work and life responsibilities. RT residents also have the opportunity to interact with prominent investigators in the field of Psychiatry and to learn about their research career experience and ongoing work.  Advanced RT residents gain valuable experience by presenting the findings of their own work and the future directions of their research.

Seminars

RT residents are required to attend one of three seminar series during portions of the PGY-2 and PGY-3 years and all of the PGY-4 year.  These may include the Department of Psychiatry’s Works in Progress (WIP) meetings of the Basic or Clinical research groups or the University’s Neuroscience Seminars.  These are interactive seminars in which junior faculty researchers present their ongoing work and receive feedback from senior faculty.  The sessions are ideal for helping young investigators, including RT residents, learn rigorous research approaches in a lively, interactive format. 

Research Practicum

The Practicum begins in the PGY-2 year and involves mentoring from three primary sources:

1)   RT Resident Advisor (the lead 4^th-Year RT resident) who meets with the RT resident quarterly to begin clarifying individual research career goals and to discuss Department faculty who might be candidates for mentoring in the applicants area of interest.   

2)   One of five Faculty Career Development Mentors representing basic, psychosocial, clinical, translational, and child research fields meets yearly with the RT resident, initially to verify that a fostering relationship is established with a Primary Faculty Mentor, and in later years to provide oversight to ensure that the RT resident is achieving their goals.   

3)   The Primary Faculty Mentor is chiefly responsible for guiding the resident in their development as a researcher.  During the Fall and Winter of the PGY-2 year, they guide the RT resident through the formal application process of the Research Track. In the PGY-3 and PGY-4 year, they mentor the RT resident through implementation, conduct, analysis, and reporting of their research project as well as broader aspects of research career development.  Examples of Primary Faculty Mentors.

RT residents receive substantial guidance as they progress through the program. Department of Psychiatry faculty members help create a viable plan for residency training that balances clinical training and research interests. Input from experienced researchers will assure that the chosen research project is both scientifically rigorous and feasible for the resident to complete as outlined. 

In the PGY-3 and PGY-4 years, RT residents conduct their proposed research project(s) under the close guidance of their Primary Faculty Mentor and annual meetings with their Faculty Career Development Mentor.  In each of these 2 years, RT residents present a poster of their ongoing or completed work at the Departmental Research Day.  Before completing the program, the RT resident is expected to submit for publication at least one first-authored manuscript.  RT residents are also encouraged to apply for research grants and post-doctoral fellowships.