On July 4th, CAMH Education and the CAMH Student Centre welcomed the incoming class of psychiatry residents to CAMH. These future psychiatrists join the CAMH team for continued and comprehensive hands-on education as part of their medical training.
As Canada’s largest mental health and addictions teaching hospital, CAMH is a sought-after place for psychiatry residents to land. A mix of core (full time) and call (emergency room only) residents provide emergency room coverage, while the core residents also work in various units and services across CAMH.
“The CAMH residency program has a long history of training excellence,” says Linda Slodan, Manager, Interprofessional Education and Student Affairs. “It provides a rich and supportive learning environment led by a team that’s passionate about educating and mentoring students. Many of our staff psychiatrists are formed CAMH residents themselves.”
Each December, Chief Residents are chosen by CAMH's Director of Residency Training together with the Postgraduate Medical Education Team to lead, provide guidance and support the psychiatry residents at CAMH for six months or one year.
"The Chief Residents function as a liaison between administration, faculty and residents,” explains Dr. Shaheen Darani, Director of Residency Training at CAMH. “They supervise call coverage responsibilities and work closely with the Residency Training Director and the Postgraduate Medical Education team to identify problems in the residency and to seek prompt, effective and workable solutions.”
CAMH is proud to welcome Drs. Hanna Meng and Tamara Milovic to this important leadership role in postgraduate education.
A conversation with CAMH’s newest Chief Residents
How far along are you in your residency? Where did you study beforehand?
Tamara: I am currently in my fourth year of residency, on my chronic care rotation at CAMH. I completed my PGY1 year at McMaster University before transferring to U of T, where I completed my medical degree. Prior to medical school, I obtained an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Mathematics and an MBA at the University of Windsor.
Hanna: I am currently in my fifth and final year of residency at the University of Toronto. I received my medical degree from McMaster University.
What drew you to apply for the Chief Resident role? What does being Chief Resident entail?
Tamara: I wanted to be Chief Resident at CAMH because CAMH feels like home for me. I completed most of my training here and found it to be exceptional. As a resident, I felt incredibly well supported by my supervisors, colleagues and former chief residents, and I wanted future residents to have as positive of an experience as I did.
As chief residents, we wear many hats! We promote resident wellness, including scheduling resident lunch and social events. We organize academic duties, including grand rounds, lecture series, and teaching seminars for clinical clerks. We orient residents to their CAMH core rotations as well as call duties. Speaking of call, we also make the call schedule! In summary, chief residents advocate for the resident body, and try to foster positive educational experiences and a sense of community.
Hanna: My vision of the Chief Resident role is one of leadership and advocacy, and this is what initially drew me to it. It’s about promoting a sense of community and the support of resident wellness. It's also about providing representation for your colleagues and acting as a liaison between residents and faculty/administrators to effect positive change for the training experience.
You both have had previous rotations at CAMH. What CAMH service were you most recently working with? What’s on deck for your next rotation?
Tamara: I completed my PGY2 year at CAMH – I worked on the GPU/ACU, in the ER and at ACCESS CAMH doing outpatient assessments and crisis clinic. During my PGY3 year, I completed nine months of call duties in the CAMH ER. I even completed my clerkship rotation at CAMH as a medical student! I am currently working at the Downtown Central ACT Team at the CAMH Queen St. site, and hope to come back to CAMH in PGY5 doing a combination of inpatient, outpatient and ER work
Hanna: I just completed my Chronic Care rotation at CAMH on Unit 1-3 (Forensic General Rehabilitation Unit B), a male forensic treatment and recovery unit. This rotation really provided me with a breadth of exposures to both complex mental illnesses and forensic populations that really speaks to the quality of teaching and clinical experiences available at CAMH. I am excited to continue exploring this field during my current six month senior selective in the Forensic Service at CAMH.
Join us in wishing Drs. Meng and Milovic all the best in their new role as Chief Residents. And as one academic year ends and another begins, we would like to thank our former Chief Residents (2016-2017 year) – Drs. Bruce Fage, Suze Berkhout, and Chelsea Kaplansky – for doing such a fantastic job!