Morgan Jivens, DO knew when she started medical school that she wanted to someday be a psychiatrist. Now a third-year psychiatry resident at Indiana University School of Medicine, she’s one step closer to fulfilling that dream.
“I went into medical school to do psychiatry, so I very much love my job,” Jivens said. “The program gives you the ability to, as I like to call it, choose your own adventure, so anything you’re interested in, you can do.”
Jivens grew up in Ohio and completed a post-baccalaureate program in Philadelphia before completing medical school at Ohio University and then matching at IU for her psychiatry residency.
“I took my first psychology class my freshman year of undergrad and I’ve been obsessed ever since,” Jivens said. “I was looking for an academic program that would give me a wide range of experiences, and at IU we get to work at so many different hospitals in so many different populations, so that was very exciting to me.”
Jivens said while she is studying general adult psychiatry, she has a particular interest in prenatal patients, an area that traditionally is under-studied.
“It definitely needs to be talked about more, because a lot of times people just don’t know that they can get help for what they’re dealing with.”
Jivens has a passion for teaching, working with medical students on their psychiatry rotations. She also works with the Multicultural Physicians’ Alliance, a group that works to improve diversity, equity and inclusion among residents and fellows at IU School of Medicine and is the co-chair of the psychiatry residency program’s diversity committee.
“One thing we focus on is recruitment and trying to make our resident population look like the Indianapolis community, because that’s who they are serving,” Jivens said. “I’ve had patients tell me that I’m the first black psychiatrist they’ve ever seen, so that is really important to continue.”
While she has one year left of residency, Jivens said she is grateful for the program and the opportunities she has had since starting her training, especially serving such a vulnerable patient population.
“Mental health can just affect our lives in every way,” Jivens said, “and being able to help people through that and support them, whether that is with medication or therapy, is so rewarding. It’s about getting to know your patient and how their life is affected, and every patient is different, so every day is different. And that has always been a joy to me.”
