"Emory’s Consultation Liaison Fellowship was my first choice for continuing my psychiatric training, and when I matched, I was thrilled. I knew it would provide me with a wide range of experiences, and it certainly did not disappoint. Between the University Hospital, The VA, and Grady you experience a variety of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as a spectrum of psychiatric illnesses. In the specialty clinics you get to treat patients you may not ordinarily get to at other locations, such as HIV positive populations or pre and post solid organ transplant patients. Each attending I worked with was engaging, challenging, and compassionate. Not surprising, so too were the residents. Each day I felt like a valued member of the team, while learning how to take care of the nuanced psychiatric problems consultation patients often present with. The one on one time with the Program Director, supervision, interesting didactics and other educational opportunities helped to prepare me for life as an attending, and fine tuning how to truly be a liaison and an educator. It was a very rewarding experience." - Natalia Miles, MD
“Participating in the Consultation - Liaison (formerly Psychosomatic Medicine) Fellowship at Emory University School of Medicine offered me an experience of variety that I had not previously been exposed to. That variety includes some aspects you might expect in any fellowship: exposure to outpatient and inpatient CL, rotations at different Atlanta hospitals (Emory University Hospital, Grady Memorial Hospital, and Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center), and training in different Psychosomatic Medicine subspecialties. What is unique about the Psychosomatic Fellowship training at Emory and what you might not expect is the thoroughness of training you receive in each subspecialty, exposure to multiple continuity clinics (Infectious Diseases, Oncology, and Organ Transplant), encouragement to participate in ethics seminars, and “How to Teach” seminars. Those are just a few of the reasons that drew me to the Consultation- Liaison Fellowship at Emory University. One of the most invaluable experiences has been the individualized attention from attending physicians I have received here. As the fellowship year comes to an end, I feel fully confident and prepared to advance as an early career Consultation Liaison Psychiatrist.” – Suparna Shivashankara, MD
“Four months at Emory Hospital, four months at the Atlanta VA Medical Center, and four months at Grady Memorial Hospital, from my perspective, the year has been quite a well-rounded experience. Combining the core hospital experiences with my time at IDP outpatient and the transplant outpatient service, I’m left with a sense of being more than ready to take on either academic or private practice consultative liaison psychiatry. Reflecting back just a little over a year ago, I remember in an abstract sense trying to determine if the opportunity cost of taking an additional year of training versus going straight into practice would be worthwhile. At this point, I have no doubt that I made the right choice. Comparing my skill set to that of a year ago, I see drastic improvements in both my knowledge base and general comfort level with approaching what ends up often being the most medically ill of psychiatric patients.” - F. Austin Boyer, DO
“The Emory Psychosomatic Medicine Fellowship program exceeded my expectations. Having mentors who specialized in diverse areas of Psychosomatic Medicine provided me with excellent integrative learning experiences in Infectious Diseases, Transplant, Oncology, Primary Care; I also had the opportunity to engage in treating OB/GYN patients. Within the three (3) hospital sites at Emory University Hospital, Grady Memorial Hospital and the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center, I was able to treat a very culturally, ethnically and socioeconomically diverse patient population. The environment created by the Program Director and the fellowship faculty was very friendly, and allowed for ample clinical practice, as well as 1:1 didactic sessions, interdisciplinary case conferences and Grand Rounds. I very much appreciated the eventual responsibility of a Junior Attending, supervising and teaching residents and medical students. Upon completion of the one-year fellowship program, I felt well-equipped with the knowledge and skills to function independently as a CL Psychiatrist within a large teaching hospital.” -Margaret Goracy, MD
“I participated in the first match through the NRMP Match Program for the Psychosomatic Medicine fellowship and was joyfully selected by my first-choice program at Emory University School of Medicine. I was immediately attracted by the limitless opportunities that the one- year fellowship would offer and eager to work with the dedicated physicians whom I quickly identified as mentors. During the fellowship year in Psychosomatic Medicine, I was exposed to many challenging and varied presentations at the 3 sites: Emory University Hospital, Atlanta VA Medical Center, and Grady Memorial Hospital. I pursued a special interest in transplant psychiatry and was exposed to electives in psycho-oncology, HIV/AIDS, Women’s Health, and the Medicine-Psychiatry Clinic. The research -oriented teaching afforded me opportunities to participate in case conferences, collaborate on a quality improvement project, and co-author published articles. As a junior attending physician, I led C/L rounds and taught residents and students. Grand Rounds and Didactics further enforced my learning. The site directors served as excellent role models, as did other faculty members who were equally inspiring and tremendous teachers. Moreover, the program director nurtured my creative interests and provided continuous guidance about developing my career during and after my fellowship concluded. The program coordinator provided continuous administrative support. The Psychosomatic Medicine fellowship at Emory University School of Medicine enriched my professional life tremendously. I was so inspired by the academic and collegial atmosphere that I decided to become a full-time faculty member to continue my professional trajectory within the field of Psychosomatic Medicine.” – Heather Greenspan, MD
"I was a resident in psychiatry at Emory University School of Medicine from 2006 to 2010. The Consultation-Liaison (C/L) rotations were my favorite rotations and my C/L attendings were among the best teachers and most well-versed psychiatrists whom I encountered. As a result, I knew that there would be no other place where I wanted to complete a C/L fellowship than at Emory. The breath and depth of Emory’s C/L fellowship is remarkable. I rotated through 3 hospitals, each of which provided unique training experiences. I routinely encountered rare and complex cases, and this increased my confidence is being able to skillfully manage whatever cases I was presented with. Other key components of the fellowship included the “How to Teach” seminar, didactics, and the opportunity to function as a junior attending. The Emory fellowship well prepared me for a career as a C/L psychiatrist!" - Clemlyn-Ann Pollydore, MD
"The Emory Psychosomatic Medicine program is an accredited fellowship abounding with new energy and enthusiastic leadership that provides an excellent experience for the budding consultation-liaison psychiatrist. I was exposed to a diverse and unique spectrum of clinical experiences. I also had the opportunity to participate in research, journal clubs, inter-disciplinary case conferences, and the invaluable "How To Teach" seminar. Being a learner-oriented program, the highly accomplished and highly motivated faculty ensured I was supported in my intellectual pursuits, generated enthusiasm for learning and teaching, and helped me to develop new clinical skills and refine existing ones. All of this occurred amidst an environment of incredible support, both professionally and personally, that not only began before I started the program, but also continues after I have graduated." – Smitha Murthy, MD