Child and Adult Psychiatry Combined Track
The Child and Adult Psychiatry Combined Track was initiated in 2018 and allows applicants to match at the same time into both Adult and Child/Adolescent Psychiatry.
This track is co-directed by Adam Brenner, M.D., the Program Director for Adult Psychiatry, and Kathlene Trello-Rishel, M.D., the Program Director for the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship.
Adult Psychiatry training is typically 4 years long but can be shortened to 3 years if the resident is moving on to Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship training, which is 2 years. This “fast tracking” results in completion of both Adult and Child/Adolescent training in a total of 5 years. The combined track option allows applicants to match into both programs on a “fast track” simultaneously.
The benefit of this option is that applicants who are certain their future will include Child and Adolescent Psychiatry do not need another cycle of applications and interviews in 3 years. An additional advantage to the combined track is the opportunity for a more integrated and longitudinal approach to both adult and child outpatient experiences.
Psychiatrists who graduate from a Child and Adult Psychiatry Combined Track are qualified to treat children, adolescents, and the full range of adult patients. They are our most flexible providers and thus also an ideal way to address Texas’ psychiatry workforce needs.
View a Day in the Life of a Track Resident
"My interest in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry began at the same time as my interest in the human mind itself. I am fascinated with the processes of learning and development and how understanding them can help build toward a kinder and more compassionate world. The CAP fast track allowed me to establish a foundation in this rapidly expanding world as early as possible. I am grateful to UTSW for creating an atmosphere of inquiry where I have the opportunity to work with such thoughtful and talented mentors and peers."
"My decision to pursue UT Southwestern's child and adult psychiatry combined track was significantly influenced by my evolving interest in psychiatry, which first took root during my third-year psychiatry clerkship. There I discovered the improvement in quality of life and social functioning that could be gained by high-quality psychiatric care. When I rotated through pediatrics and, later, a child psychiatry unit and witnessed the unique challenges and vulnerabilities that children face, I realized the impact early intervention and specialized care could have on a child's life. UT Southwestern's access to excellent faculty mentors with diverse patients, clinical sites and psychiatric illness solidified my choice of training program. I have been allowed to grow into my own psychiatrist with guidance and mentorship along the way and thus far have received a well-rounded education. I'm glad to have chosen UT Southwestern and excited to see where the combined track takes me!"
"My interest in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry stemmed from my exposure in medical school. There I had the opportunity to rotate in various CAP settings and witnessed the significant impact that adequate mental health care at an early age can have on young developing individuals. I chose the UTSW Child & Adolescent Psychiatry track because it provides trainees with a wide array of experiences at different clinical sites ranging from rotations at a state hospital to an eating disorder unit. These unique experiences I believe will help me become the child psychiatrist I want to be."
"When I was growing up in rural Texas, the closest child and adolescent psychiatrist was hours away. I saw my community impacted by this lack of service, so I went into medical school knowing I wanted to be a child and adolescent psychiatrist. I was selected to be in the inaugural class of the Child Track, and I have been so happy with my choice. It allowed me opportunity to get in-depth child exposure prior to starting fellowship, as well as get to know the Child faculty on a more intimate level. However, the best part of the Child Track is knowing that I was getting to stay in one place for 5 years while training at a top program with ample and unique opportunities in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry. Knowing that my spot in fellowship was already reserved gave me additional freedom and time during residency to explore my specific interests within the field and help grow my foundation for future success. As I am now finishing my training, I feel I have had excellent training and am prepared to see and treat a wide range of psychopathology in both children and adults."