A Day in the Life of a PGY 2
A month into second year, we have survived the transition from pediatrics interns to psychiatry “resiterns,” to borrow a word from our Med-Peds peers. The transition to psychiatry came at the best time of the year- Summer! We will spend Blocks 1-3 on adult psychiatry before spending Blocks 4-10 back on pediatrics. Our last 3 blocks of the year will be adult psychiatry. Most of our pediatrics time this year is inpatient. We are both looking forward to reuniting in December when we rotate through the NICU together. Emma has PICU with RJ this year, and Talia is in the Riley ED with Zack in the spring as well. We all love these Triple Board reunions!
On adult psychiatry, our day on the inpatient unit starts at 8 AM, with chart reviewing and seeing patients. We have treatment team meetings throughout the morning. After lunch, we finish up phone calls and notes. Sometimes we help the psychiatry consult team. This is also a great time to read up on our patients, do a medical student topic discussion, or take some independent learning time. It is also so helpful to have “acting attending” PGY4 residents to answer questions and lead discussions. Most days wrap up before 4 PM, but we’re always available by chat for any needs that come up before the call team’s shift starts. The shorter workday and more dedicated learning time is appreciated!
On Tuesdays, we have our half-day pediatrics clinic. We alternate morning and afternoon pediatric clinic sessions while we are on psychiatry. This week, Emma has a morning of Well Child Exams and follow-ups, while Talia has an afternoon of sick visits and hospital follow-ups. We dramatically superhero high five each other and our preceptor, Dr. Lori Price (who also is the director of outpatient experiences for the Pediatric residency program) as we pass during the lunch hour, knowing we will be reunited again at the weekly Wednesday Triple Board lunch and learn. Emma is heading back to the 18-bed psychiatry unit at Methodist, as Talia is coming from the inpatient psychiatry unit at Eskenazi, a 30-bed adult psychiatry unit in the county hospital. We also rotate at the VA, caring for veterans.
Two to three times a month during our early adult psychiatry blocks, we have an evening call shift in the psychiatry emergency department at Eskenazi. The call shift is 4:00 - 10:00 pm and involves working with the LCSWs and the staff to triage, interview, and form safe disposition plans for individuals with acute psychiatric concerns. It’s great preparation for the overnight psychiatry call shifts we’ll start at the end of our PGY-2 year. We also have a weekly Triple Board lunch meeting, where we have guest speakers, board reviews, journal clubs, and a monthly business meeting. This is one of our favorite parts of the week, as we get a dedicated hour to see our co-residents and learn topics that are Triple Board focused! We also have protected didactic time every Friday afternoon while on psychiatry. All residents are excused from clinical duties to allow for focused learning. While we’re on these early psychiatry blocks, once didactics end, we are off until Monday morning!
When not on call, you can find us exploring our hobbies! Emma can be found in the ceramic studio practicing wheel pottery, at a winery for Singo, reading or crosswording in a coffee shop, or checking out a new greenhouse or plant shop. Talia spends her free time going to Newfields to see the art and the gardens (we get free memberships as residents!), finding new recipes to bake, browsing local records stores, and, like Emma, reading in a coffee shop.
Both the psychiatry and pediatrics programs have frequent social events, and we usually have a monthly Triple Board hangout as well. Recently our program has been to the Zoo and the Children’s Museum. We have a wine and cheese night coming up this fall as well!
Written by Emma Eckrote, MD and Talia Nasr, MD
