A Day in the Life of a Doctor: Daily Routine of a Psychiatry Resident

In a recent episode, I shared a day in the life as a doctor in training to become a board-certified psychiatrist. I shed light on my role's daily routines, challenges, and fulfillment. Listen here to the whole episode.

Psychiatry Residency

Psychiatry residency spans four years, each offering distinct learning experiences:

• PGY-1 (Intern Year): Divided between six months of inpatient psychiatry and six months of off-service rotations (e.g., neurology and medicine).

• PGY-2: Focuses on subspecialty psychiatry rotations like addiction, geriatric, and child & adolescent psychiatry.

• PGY-3: Emphasizes outpatient psychiatry with long-term medication management and psychotherapy.

• PGY-4: Features elective time and continued outpatient psychiatry.

Each program has unique structures, so residents’ experiences differ.

A Typical Day in the Life as a Doctor in Psychiatry Residency

Morning Routine

I begin my day early, waking up at 5:15 AM to manage household responsibilities, prepare for her day, and spend time with my toddler:

• Prepping daycare supplies.

• Reviewing Anki flashcards while drinking my morning coffee.

• Morning skincare routine and self-care

  
  

By 7:15 AM, I'm out the door to drop my daughter off at daycare before my commute to work.

Clinical Responsibilities

Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry (On-Service Rotation)

My typical day as a resident doctor on the consultation-liaison service involves working with patients referred by hospitalists or emergency physicians. Here’s a snapshot:

1. Morning Report (8:00 AM): A collaborative briefing with residents, medical students, and attendings to discuss new and ongoing cases.

2. Seeing patients (8:30 to 11 AM):

   • Reviewing charts, vitals, labs, and imaging.

   • Independently seeing patients to assess and create a treatment plan.

   • Writing detailed notes and preparing for case presentations.

3. Rounds (Around 11:00 AM): Presenting cases to attending psychiatrists and doing walking rounds.

4. Lunch (Usually around 12 or 1 PM)

5. Afternoon Tasks (After lunch until 5 PM):

   • Addressing new consults.

   • Usually, some downtime to perform administrative duties like logging hours and completing evaluations.

   • Personal study or preparation for upcoming didactics if administrative duties are done.

The day concludes at 5:00 PM with a handoff to the night float resident.

Evening Routine

After picking up my daughter, evenings are filled with family time, followed by personal pursuits like strength training, working on First Line, or spending time with my husband. I always make time for Duolingo lessons and Bible reading before heading to bed.

Learning in Residency

A day in the life of a doctor also includes lifelong learning. It's important to integrate learning into your day as a resident. Here's how I fit it in:

• Morning Study: Anki flashcards are incorporated into my daily routine.

• During Work: I review UpToDate and psychiatry texts to solidify clinical experience.

• Commutes: Listening to psychiatry podcasts for topic-specific insights.

By weaving education into my routine, it doesn't seem like a huge effort to learn something new every day.

Reflections on Psychiatry as a Career

Psychiatry offers a unique intersection of medicine and human experience. I have always found psychiatry extremely fulfilling, requiring intellectual curiosity and a holistic approach to patient care. Consultation-liaison psychiatry, in particular, fosters teamwork and collaboration across disciplines.

Final Thoughts

My experience as a psychiatry resident showcases the balance of clinical excellence, lifelong learning, and personal well-being. Whether you’re a medical student, a prospective psychiatry resident, or simply curious about the field, I hope this provides a glimpse into this meaningful career path.

To hear more about my experiences, subscribe to the First Line and follow along on your favorite platform. Here is the link to Spotify.