Formal didactic sessions are held every Thursday afternoon, with attendance being mandatory and protected from clinical responsibilities. Didactics consist of longitudinal series and case conferences appropriate for the stage of learning for each residency year.

The curriculum provides systematic instruction on normal development and behavior, neuroanatomy and physiology, psychopathology, psychopharmacology, psychological theory, psychotherapy, and additional specialized seminars to cover the depth and breadth of current psychiatric knowledge. Journal club, lunch with the training directors, and resident only meetings occur monthly.

Ample resources are available for individual study and individual and group learning activities are embedded in the curriculum. Feedback for all didactic sessions is requested from the residents both in the form of anonymous reviews of individual seminars as well as an overall review of the curriculum by residents at the annual resident retreat. 

All residents are assigned an enrichment supervisor each academic year. Residents have the opportunity to meet weekly with their supervisors for mentorship and academic discussions. Additionally, in years three and four residents have a psychotherapy supervisor with whom to discuss cases and strengthen knowledge in psychotherapy. 

Psychotherapy is considered an essential component of the resident experience and is obtained through didactics, supervision and through clinical experience conducting psychotherapy during the outpatient years.

This experience provides a perspective on the nature of the psychotherapeutic process and a basis for the understanding of a variety of therapeutic modalities (Psychodynamic, CBT, IPT and others). In year two, residents go through psychotherapy boot camp (supportive, cbt, psychodynamic) in preparation for taking on therapy cases in their third year.  

Quality Improvement (QI) training provides trainees with a structured, hands‑on framework to identify gaps in mental health care and implement meaningful, measurable changes. At our program, the QI didactic series—taught by Adel El Sayed, MD—equips residents with practical skills in project design, data analysis, and systems-based thinking.

Each spring, residents and fellows showcase their work at a dedicated QI symposium, highlighting innovations that enhance patient safety, clinical efficiency, and the overall experience of care. Together, these experiences foster a culture of continuous improvement and empower residents to shape the systems in which they practice. 

Psychiatry residents have the opportunity to engage more deeply with their training community by joining a variety of trainee-led committees.

The Process Improvement Committee helps residents develop and carry out their QI projects and hosts the annual QI symposium.

The Recruitment Subcommittee helps shape interview‑day experiences and contributes to strategies for attracting a highly qualified applicant pool.

The Research Subcommittee supports scholarly activity by connecting residents with mentors, promoting research opportunities, and fostering a collaborative academic environment.

The Wellness Subcommittee focuses on cultivating a supportive culture by organizing activities and initiatives that promote resident health, balance, and resilience.

The Community Outreach Subcommittee strengthens connections with the broader community through service projects, educational events, and advocacy efforts.

Together, these committees empower residents to take active roles in shaping their program and making meaningful contributions beyond the clinical setting.  

The Andrew Weil Integrative Psychiatry training track at the University of South Florida is a specialized pathway within the psychiatry residency for select residents seeking to develop advanced skills in holistic, evidence‑informed mental health care. Created in association with the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, the track exposes residents to a broad range of integrative approaches—including mind‑body practices, lifestyle medicine, nutrition, and complementary therapies to complement their grounding in conventional psychiatric training.

This track reflects USF Psychiatry’s commitment to expanding resident education through innovative, patient‑centered models that incorporate the best of both traditional and integrative medicine. 

All of our residents engage in scholarly activity through activities like leading journal club, teaching conferences, presenting grand rounds.  Many of our residents also publish manuscripts, present posters and serve on local, regional, and national organizations.

There are numerous opportunities for residents to get involved in research with the support of our research and scholarly activities subcommittee, which includes access to research funding, mentoring, and support from the RISE office.  For residents with a specific research interest, faculty mentorship is available to help residents learn how to apply for grants. A research track can be developed on a case-by-case basis.  

Clinical Practice Exercise 

All residents complete an annual Clinical Practice Exercise (CPE) to assess the development of clinical skills, medical knowledge and decision making. Residents are observed while conducting a diagnostic interview and faculty observers provide feedback on the resident's ability to elicit relevant clinical data, to develop a differential diagnosis, a formulation and their delineation of a treatment plan.  

Psychiatry Residency In-Training Examination 

Every year all residents sit for the Psychiatric Residency In-Training Examination (PRITE). The PRITE allows residents to be compared to their peer group at the residency as well as national level. Progressive improvement throughout training is expected, and results are used to provide educational feedback to the resident and the training directors, not only in regard to the individual's performance but also in terms of monitoring the effectiveness of the program's didactics. 

Board Certification 

Graduating residents are well prepared to take the specialty examination offered by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. We have a board review seminar series included as part of the PGY4 curriculum and graduates are encouraged to sit for boards at their earliest opportunity. Over the past 5 years, 100% of all graduates from this program have taken and passed the ABPN psychiatry certification.