Residency Program

Our educational program is invested in community representation — especially in recruiting trainees — to best serve our patient populations by providing comprehensive, individualized treatment. This approach greatly benefits from diverse training experiences across multiple institutions to ensure that our trainees are prepared to practice anywhere. 

We also believe that our communities deserve clinical and scholarly interventions that demonstrate excellence and humanism. This is achieved through training that is intentionally rigorous, yet still prioritizes learning relative to service, and treats resident physicians with compassion and respect.

In all facets of your life, you, the resident, are a human being first. The wise, gratifying, healthy and sustainable pursuit of physician training toward the practice of psychiatry must be a mindful and soulful expression of your humanity and performed in this order — not in its reverse.

We understand that being a resident can be challenging and, at times, a stressful transition. Our program has resources and mechanisms in place to help you care for your personal needs, to develop a community of support that will be sustained beyond residency training, and to promote your successful development as a competent, caring physician.

The results of residency training may be best exemplified by the number of trainees who remain within the department as faculty members after graduation. Through reviewing our faculty bios, you will find that over 50% completed their residency training at this institution. We believe this speaks to the culture of our program, the rewarding nature of our clinical work, and the opportunities for professional growth that exist within our department and community. 

We are also proud of our trainees who continue their journey in other ways and are confident in their preparedness. This is exemplified by our 100% fellowship match rate and examples of numerous graduates who have used their skills to practice not only as physicians but as leaders, educators, administrators and policymakers.

The University of Arizona Health Sciences and College of Medicine – Tucson model and promote excellence in therapeutic innovations in primary and specialty patient care throughout the state, with a complex that consists of six interconnected buildings and adjoining structures on a 48-acre site just north of the main University of Arizona campus. Included are the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and the Arizona Health Sciences Library and Learning Resource Center. In addition to these facilities are the University of Arizona Cancer Center, Children’s Research Center, Banner – University Medical Center Tucson, Sarver Heart Center, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Biosciences Research Building, Diamond Children’s Medical Center, outpatient clinics, as well as clinical and basic science research sites.

Psychiatry residents rotate through several hospitals during the course of their residency. The following is a list of our most significant training institutions.

Banner – University Medical Center South

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Banner – University Medical Center South is a comprehensive medical center that includes an emergency department, a state-designated trauma center and the Behavioral Health Pavilion. They are an Arizona Department of Health Services-accredited Cardiac Receiving Center and a Nurses Improving Care for Health system Elders-designated, senior-friendly hospital. The hospital is staffed by Banner – University Medicine physicians and is managed by Banner Health under an operating agreement with Pima County. This is the largest psychiatric inpatient facility in Tucson with a 66-bed capacity. Their specialty services include inpatient and outpatient behavioral health, treatment and education for diabetes, innovative geriatrics care and comprehensive orthopedics.

Banner – University Medical Center Tucson

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Banner – University Medical Center Tucson is nationally recognized for providing exceptional patient care, teaching future healthcare professionals and conducting groundbreaking research. Also located on the campus is Diamond Children’s, recognized for its specialized pediatric services including neonatal and intensive care, emergency medicine and cancer therapies. Banner – University Medical Center Tucson is Southern Arizona’s only Level I Trauma Center, meaning they care for the most critically injured patients. The hospital is consistently listed among the nation’s top hospitals in the prestigious Best Hospitals ranking by U.S. News & World Report. Their nurses’ innovative, safe and thoughtful care has been recognized with Magnet® designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Their specialty services include comprehensive heart and cancer care, advanced neuroscience techniques and a multi-organ transplant program.

Southern Arizona VA Health Care System

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The VA Medical Center located in Tucson is the “flagship” for the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System (SAVAHCS), which serves over 150,000 veterans located in eight counties in Southern Arizona and one county in western New Mexico. This 283-bed hospital provides training, primary care and sub-specialty healthcare in numerous medical areas for eligible veterans. SAVAHCS also provides our veterans with the best quality care at seven community-based outpatient clinics located at Safford, Casa Grande, Sierra Vista, Yuma, Green Valley, and Northwest and Southeast Tucson. SAVAHCS has affiliations with over 70 academic institutions and plays a vital role in Arizona healthcare education as the principal affiliate with the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine – Tucson, Nursing and Pharmacy. Each year over 700 physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals from educational institutions across the country receive training at SAVAHCS. Virtually all SAVAHCS staff physicians hold faculty appointments at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson.

Whole Health Clinic

The Whole Health Clinic (WHC) offers medical and behavioral health services with a fully integrated behavioral health and primary care team in one location — inclusive of physicians, psychiatrists, nurses, recovery coaches, peer supports, medical assistants and therapists.

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The critical work WHC provides for its members has garnered numerous awards, including Arizona Medical Association’s 2020 Distinguished Service Award, a Silver Award from the American Psychiatric Association’s 2019 Psychiatric Services Achievement Awards and Banner Medicine’s 2018 Amazement Award.

The WHC is also home to the Early Psychosis Intervention Center, a community mental health program offering specialized treatment for persons 14-32 who are early in the course of a psychotic illness, such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective, psychosis not otherwise specified and bipolar disorder with psychotic features.

Other Partnerships

• Crisis Response Center (CRC)
• Counseling and Psych Services at the University of Arizona
• Sierra Tucson

Average Call Volumes

• PGY-1: 16-18 weekend day shifts per year
• PGY-2: 14-16 weekend day or night shifts per year
• PGY-3: 12-14 night shifts per year
• PGY-4: 0 weekend/night shifts per year

Call Descriptions

PGY-1 Call is spread primarily between the Banner – University Medical Center South campus and the SAVAHCS. Call during the first year is during the day and will not include any overnight responsibilities. At the SAVAHCS, residents cover the inpatient unit. At South campus, they are responsible for covering the ED and any acute psychiatric issues on the general floor or the psychiatric floor. Shifts at the VA are usually eight to nine hours while shifts at South campus are 12 hours. There is on-site attending coverage at both sites. 

PGY-2/3 Call is spread primarily between the Banner – University Medical Center Tucson campus and Banner – University Medical Center South campus. Residents on call at the Banner – UMC Tucson campus will also cover SAVAHCS psychiatric admissions over the phone and place orders via remote access. Shifts will include both day and overnight shifts of 12 hours. However, PGY-3s typically take the majority of night shifts. Residents are responsible for follow-ups and new evaluations, which usually consist of acute psychiatric emergencies or consults that may arise on the medical or surgical floors, as well as the ED. Attending coverage will be available over the phone or in person depending on the site and time of day.

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Salaries for 2025-2026

• PGY-1: $66,500
• PGY-2: $69,000
• PGY-3: $72,000
• PGY-4: $76,000

Benefits

• Free Housestaff Counseling: Visit the link to make an appointment. This free service is available to all employees and their household members, is confidential and available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
• Partners in Medicine provides support, connections and resources to spouses, partners and families.
• ​Subsidized membership to the gym at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson
• Annual resident orientation mixer and annual resident retreat
• Vacation time: 20 working days per year and up to six national holidays
• Conference time: Four working days per year (PGY-2 to PGY-4)
• Sick time: Separate from vacation time
• Step 3 time: Two working days (PGY-1)
• Ample conference and book allowance
• Access to ABPN Board Prep and PRITE preparation
• Medical and dental insurance
• 401k/403b
• Free parking
• Generous meal cards
• Professional liability insurance
• Short and long-term disability insurance
• Legal plan
• Various employee discounts

For up-to-date information regarding salary and benefits, please visit Office of Graduate Medical Education.  

While there is a set of core experiences and education that all psychiatry trainees are exposed to, we also support individual interests and needs. We encourage a broad range of elective opportunities in the fourth year where the residents design their individual year. Additionally, PGY-3s have the opportunity to choose between a Southern Arizona VA Health Care System and Whole Health Clinic community-based track. A child and adolescent specialty track is also available. 

• Psychiatry Research
• Child & Adolescent Track
• Medical Education Track
• Integrative Psychiatry Program
• Neurotherapeutics
• Perinatal and Reproductive Psychiatry 
   

Psychiatry Research

The Department of Psychiatry offers unique opportunities for active research involvement with close mentoring by our productive research faculty. Research opportunities can begin as early as the PGY-1 year and are tailored to individual interests and training needs. The department prides itself in introducing research methods concepts to residents during didactics. This allows residents to become critical thinkers and knowledgeable consumers of peer-reviewed advances in psychiatric medicine. Residents develop this expertise through didactics, clinical supervision, presentation at journal club, working on a quality improvement project and preparation of a Grand Rounds lecture for the department.

Current departmental research initiatives include work in the areas of PTSD, treatment-resistant depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, wellness among Native American youth, pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder, collaborative care for depression in primary care and oncology settings, and insomnia and related sleep problems. Residents interested in working with other medical departments across the college or departments and schools across the University of Arizona are encouraged.

Child & Adolescent Track

The Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CAP) Track is an opportunity for residents who are interested in caring for pediatric patients to further develop their clinical skills while receiving support from pediatricians and CAP faculty. This is a great opportunity for residents considering a child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship as part of their future training. The track includes one month of inpatient pediatrics and pediatric neurology during PGY-1 year, the opportunity to participate in an outpatient CAP consult clinic during PGY-3 year and specialized CAP mentorship throughout training. 

Medical Education Track

Education is a core component of academic medicine and we believe that residents should have the opportunity to develop as educators as well as clinicians. Interested residents may participate in the Medical Education Track for enhanced training in this area. The track consists of a focused lecture series and unique opportunities for residents to participate in clinical teaching, didactic teaching and mentorship.

Integrative Psychiatry Program

The University of Arizona is the nexus of integrative medicine and our residents are automatically enrolled in the Integrative Medicine in Residency (IMR) curriculum. Core elements of this experience include a mind-body skills group built directly into PGY-1 didactics and integrative psychiatry lectures throughout residency. Elective opportunities in the PGY-4 year include in-depth module-based training in integrative medicine, direct clinical application of integrative psychiatry and participation in case conferences using integrative approaches.

Neurotherapeutics (ECT, rTMS, intranasal esketamine)

Banner Health’s Center for Interventional Psychiatry and Neurotherapeutics (CIPN) provides evidence-based, innovative and patient-centered consultation, diagnostic services and treatment for difficult-to-treat psychiatric illnesses. We are one of a few specialized centers in the world focused on treatment-resistant brain conditions. Therapies include repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and intranasal esketamine (SPRAVATO). Opportunities for residents include learning to perform consultations on patients with treatment-resistant depression and related conditions, working with faculty physicians in the evidence-based administration of ECT, rTMS and esketamine, and engaging in scholarship to improve patient care and advance understanding of treatment resistant conditions and the mechanisms by which these interventions work.

Perinatal and Reproductive Psychiatry

The Perinatal and Reproductive Psychiatry Clinical Track (PRPCT) fosters engagement, learning, and advocacy for this specialized population. Residents engaged in this track use multiple modalities for learning and participate in diagnosis, treatment and prevention of psychiatric illnesses specific to both perinatal periods and — more broadly — women’s mental healthcare across the lifespan. Opportunities include unique subspecialty half-day clinics, tailored supervision, specialized didactic topics and networking. The PRPCT is adjustable to fit the needs and interests of each resident; we have a diverse, robust and welcoming group of residents and faculty passionate about this specialty.

Resident life in Tucson is very rewarding both within and apart from the residency. Residents meet weekly in the department to discuss resident issues and to socialize, and a journal club is held monthly to review and discuss articles. Many trainees choose to participate in a voluntary weekly group psychotherapy experience offered by the department, and they regard it as a rewarding, insightful experience. We have an annual retreat that focuses on team building and learning from co-residents, which provides an opportunity to reflect on the year.

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Outside of the hospital, residents remain cohesive and sociable. Happy hour is typically arranged several times per month and provides the opportunity for socialization at one of Tucson’s many local restaurants or breweries. In addition to an orientation retreat at the beginning of the academic year, an additional resident-coordinated retreat allows for barbecuing and relaxing on a larger scale. There are opportunities to interact with residents and trainees from other local programs, including an annual mixer with Phoenix psychiatry residents, hosted by the Arizona Psychiatric Society.

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Every year the American Psychiatric Association hosts the MindGames competition for all psychiatry residents, a national Jeopardy-style competition to assess psychiatric knowledge. In 2019, 125 psychiatry residency programs competed in the online qualifying exam. The Tucson MindGames Team qualified as one of the Top 3 teams in the nation. Our team included Sneha Venkatraman, Michelle Singh and Philip Lam. Many of our faculty and residents helped to support them along the way. Our team then competed in the annual live competition at APA Annual Meeting in San Francisco on May 18, 2019, and we placed second! The electrifying energy of the crowd during the competition was palpable. We are so proud of our MindGames team, and many residents and faculty came to cheer them on! We are so appreciative of our Department of Psychiatry for the encouragement and support of our residency program in this endeavor.

Twenty working days’ vacation and a night float system ensures residents have time to read, socialize, enjoy family life and develop interests outside of psychiatry. An average of 300 sunny days annually ensures good weather on most days off, providing ample opportunity to enjoy the abundance of outdoor activities surrounding Tucson.

Psychiatry residents at the University of Arizona experience well-rounded lifestyles and lifelong friendships while getting a great education, which is why residents from our program are in great demand locally and nationally by hospitals and communities seeking psychiatrists and by superior fellowship programs.

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Our residents choose to train at the University of Arizona for a variety of reasons, but most cite the variety of training experiences, collegial atmosphere and well-balanced biopsychosocial approach to patients as top reasons. We are invested in community representation in all manners when recruiting trainees and staff in our department, in serving our unique patient populations, and in providing comprehensive and informed treatment interventions. If you have any questions, drop us a line; we are happy to discuss with potential trainees everything our program has to offer!

As required by the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the following information is available to you on the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson Graduate Medical Education Office webpage and applies to all ACGME-accredited residencies and fellowships at the College of Medicine – Tucson. By continuing your candidacy in our selection process, you confirm that you have reviewed these documents and you further acknowledge that you meet all requirements for participation in the residency or fellowship program(s) in which you have applied:

• Example of employment agreement
• Stipends
• Benefits
• Professional liability coverage
• Disability insurance
• Health insurance
• Vacation and leaves of absence policy
• Eligibility and appointment policy
• Expected or required academic, educational or prior training credentials
• Pre-employment drug testing and background check

PGY-1 Applicants

Applications must be submitted through ERAS. Upon review of completed applications, we will contact suitable candidates to arrange interviews. We offer virtual interviews, which will include online chat rooms and videos with program directors, key faculty and residents. While the application deadline is December 1, our interview spots tend to fill up much earlier in the season.

To be considered for an interview, please note the following requirements:

• Common Application Form
• Personal statement
• Medical school transcripts
• MSPE (dean’s letter)
• Three (3) physician letters of reference
  • At least one letter from psychiatry

The Department of Psychiatry participates in the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS), a service of The Association of American Medical Colleges. For ERAS, our ACGME Program ID is 400-03-21-012.

Most of our ERAS applications are reviewed as soon as they release from ERAS. Please refer to ERAS for specific program application requirements. To be ranked for the Match, following interview an applicant must have successfully completed both portions of USMLE/COMLEX Step 2.

Information for Foreign Medical Graduates

We have had recent international medical graduates as residents. International medical graduates are welcome to apply to the program. International medical graduates must be certified by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) located at 3624 Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19104-2685. Phone: 215-386-5900.

When reviewing applications, we prefer applicants who have passed all USMLE exams taken without any failures. We also prefer applicants who have not been out of training for longer than five years. The program receives many more qualified applications than can be interviewed. Various factors affect the decision of whether to interview a candidate, such as clinical experience and interest in psychiatry, extracurricular activities, medical school performance, USMLE scores, dean’s letters and letters of recommendation.

To be considered for an interview, please note the following requirements:

• ECFMG certification prior to December 1 application deadline
• Must have had some clinical experience in psychiatry
• Some clinical experience in the United States encouraged
• Must have an excellent proficiency in both written and spoken English
• If necessary, J-1 visa only

While the application deadline is December 1, our interview spots tend to fill up much earlier in the season.

The application deadline is December 1.