Quality of Life
Resident Well Being
We believe that residents are first and foremost human-beings. We recognize that resident well-being is essential for optimal learning, competent and compassionate clinical care, and the smooth functioning of the residency program and department as a whole. For this reason we have devised a series of experiences which nurture a sense of collegiality and enhance our residents' spiritual and emotional health.
An Enlightened Call Schedule
We have a real night-float system!!! Therefore, no 24 hour call and on weekdays call is only from 5pm to 10 pm. You can find a more in depth discussion of this topic on the Call Duties page.
Weekly Resident Conference
Each Thursday residents meet for free lunch and to discuss any pressing residency related issues. The chief residents are in attendance and when appropriate the program directors will attend. This allows us to address small problems residents face before they become big problems for everyone.
On-Ward Group
Inpatient wards at Stanford are very challenging intellectually, but emotionally as well
Psychiatry Residency Selection Committee
Residents are asked to participate in this committee that is involved in all aspects of recruitment and selection of new psychiatry residents. We do everything possible to insure that the residents selected for admission are a "good fit" with our program.
Big Brother/ Big Sister
Our program strives for close and collegial contact between residents and faculty. The mentorship program allows faculty and residents to meet informally, one-on-one to discuss career goals, research interests, or personal pursuits. Our hope is that the resident and faculty person will form an early mentor relationship that can be built upon throughout the four years.
Retreats
Each year the department sponsors a weekend long retreat for residents only (i.e. no faculty), often on the beach in Santa Cruz. The emotional goal is to have fun. However, the premise of the retreat is to systematically review all aspects of the program, and make recommendations to the chairman and training directors. Of course, significant others are welcome to join in for the purely social and recreational activities.
Weekly Process Group
As with many activities here at Stanford this group is purely voluntary. It provides a safe environment for residents to explore their own interpersonal dynamics and how these affect interactions with patients.
Hospital-Wide Activities
Resident Education Committee
Graduate Medical Education Committee
This house-staff association represents our interests
Housestaff Dinners
Supported by hospital benefactors
Free Tickets to cultural events
Tickets to stanford lively arts (See web site)
Golf-Course Lottery
It was good enough for Tiger Woods
House-staff gym and Stanford Athletic facilties
Healthy body, healthy mind, need we say more.
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Salary & Benefits
Annual Salary 2004-2005
| PGY1 | $45,444 |
| PGY2 | $48,199 |
| PGY3 | $51,162 |
| PGY4 | $53,917 |
| PGY5 | $57,112 |
Monetary Benefits
Moving Costs: Incoming housestaff are given a $3,000 moving allowance.
License & Boards: The entire cost of USMLE III and obtaining initial medical licensure in California (approx. $800) is paid for by the Office of Graduate Medical Education.
Educational Costs: Housestaff are provided a $1,000 for educational expenses (e.g. computer, meetings) each year of residency.
Vacation
Interns have two pre-scheduled vacations of 14 days each. Residents are allowed three weeks of vacation plus a "reading week" each year. These vacation days are scheduled individually by a resident, at her discretion. The Hospital believes that personal time away from the residency program is important to the welfare of House Staff, so unused personal time off does not accumulate from year to year and there is no provision for pay in lieu of time off.
Other Benefits
Free 56K dial-up access using Stanford as your ISP
Free Prescriptions (NO co-pay!)
Dental insurance for the house officer had his or her children is provided, with the spouse's dental insurance available at the house officer's expense.
Disability insurance, malpractice insurance, and sick leave benefits are also provided to housestaff
Stanford. Lab coats, their laundry and pagers are provided gratis
Use of Stanford athletic facilities, libraries, academic computer software discounts, etc.
Free emergency room service charges, ambulatory and ancillary services, and clinic professional fees.
Hospital and major medical insurance for each house officer and his or her dependents are provided.
100% discount on portions of Stanford Hospital charges not covered by insurance with a co-pay.
Maternity
Stanford Psychiatry is a family friendly residency program. (See Lifestyle Section). Time off and customization of residency training schedule is regularly and easily arranged through the residency training director. However, any pregnant House Staff member should notify either Dr. Taylor or Dr. Safer as soon as possible after discovery of pregnancy to facilitate scheduling changes and leave. Stanford Hospital provides up to four (4) weeks per year with pay less any applicable state disability benefits. In addition, the individual has the option of taking available personal time off for an additional three (3) weeks at the end of the period. Additional disability leave must be authorized by a physician.
For individuals from out-of-state who are considering Stanford or any other training program in California, the following are the minimum legal entitlements under state law:
In accordance with California law, a female employee must be granted an "unpaid" Pregnancy Disability Leave for a period of time up to four months during which the employee is incapable of performing her job duties because of medical disability resulting from normal pregnancy, delivery, or post-childbirth recovery, as verified by a physician. The sick leave policy will apply during this extended period of disability.
Sick Leave
House officers will be granted twenty days of sick leave (4 weeks) per year if needed. Salary will continue, offset by state disability or worker's compensation benefits. House officers will not accumulate sick leave credit, and no additional compensation will be paid for unused sick leave.
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Frequently Asked Questions & Myths
Can I have a life during residency?
Residency is hard work. However, a few key features of our program mitigate needless suffereing you might be exposed to elsewhere. First, we use a "night-float" system for call (i.e. NO 24 hour psych call). Second, the workload and intensity decreases with succeeding year of residency These combine to allow you to acquire a variety of psychiatric experiences and actively persue life outside of work (Link to the description of the rotations by year and to the call points system).
Is it realistic to have a family during residency?
YES The program recognizes that the years of internship and residency often coincide with a time in adulthood when residents are pursuing personal growth, establishing relationships and becoming parents. A quote from one of our current second year residents reflects this:
"The Stanford Psychiatry Residency Program is a family-friendly and personhood-friendly environment. My wife and I had our first child during my internship year, many of my co-residents are married, and quite a few have children. Many of us have active interests (athletics, acting, dancing, writing, meditation ,research) outside of psychiatry. Such things make us well-rounded individuals, and thus inevitably produce better psychiatrists. Our department knows this, and consistently supports us in nurturing our private lives." If you have questions about residency w/young kids/baby, please feel free to drop my email/page/phone to anyone.
--Adam Strassberg, PGY2
MYTH: I will never find a place to live
YES you will, it will just take a bit more leg work than in less desirable parts of the country. True, this one of the tightest housing markets in the United States, but that is because a whole lot of people want to live here and for good reason(s), As such,vacancies do not hang around, but they are there! The best advice is to start looking as soon as possible, cruise around, and look at as many places as you can, but be ready to pay a deposit when you find somewhere you like. If you are interested in living near the hospital then the first place to start is at the Graduate Medical Education office, located on the fourth floor of the hospital. Here you can access the Stanford listings database. Some other good information about apartments can be found at the Silicon Valley Apartment Guide and AptRatings.com .
Where would I live?
 Pal Alto Foothills |
The San Francisco Bay area offers of variety of living environment options from the semi-rural to the urban. (Bay Area Map)
The Peninsula-Palo Alto is home to Stanford and the epicenter of Silicon Valley, ground zero for high tech innovation in the world. The Palo Alto area is an energetic and vibrant community. People enjoy living here because it offers a lot of urban sophistication and cultural diversity while maintaining the comfort and safety of a college town. The booming economy has its plusses and minuses however. On the minus side, the cost of living is higher than in other parts of the country. On the plus side the booming economy here makes it easy for spouses and significant others to find employment and other opportunities for advancement.
  San Francisco |
The City (San Francisco)-Many of our residents and faculty live in San Francisco and commute to Stanford daily with little difficulty. If this is an interest for you let us know so that we can put you in contact with one of these residents for further details.
semi-rural-Other residents and faculty choose to live in the smaller communities in the adjacent Santa Cruz mountains or at the coast. A 10 to 30 minute commute from Stanford will place you in the Redwood Forest or the ocean.
 Santa Cruz |
MYTH: Stanford only cares about research
This is clearly wrong. True, the Department of Psychiatry has a strong commitment to research and is consistently among the best funded in the country (see Research ) We have the resources to support a wide range of residents' research interests, but only a third choose to take advantage of these opportunities. In other words, the majority of our residents will enter private practice. Therefore, we place our greatest emphasis on ensuring mastery of cutting-edge psychopharmnacologic and psychotherapeutic techniques. As a result our residents leave the program with a well earned and deserved confidence in their clinical skills.
MYTH: I won't have enough patient contact.
Nothing could be farther from the truth, NOTHING. Both the inpatient and outpatient experiences are intense, yet humane. These environments provide strong training in empirically supported psychotherapy and psychopharmacology. And after graduation, most residents eventually enter private practice, well prepared and autonomous. (See Clinical Rotations)
Where can I go to really escape the grind?
Blessed with a grand and inspiring natural landscape the Bay Area and Northern California provide the widest array of outdoor activities. The following should give a good general idea how close things really are.
 Stanford Art Museum |
On Campus: one can bike, rollerblade, visit the arboretum or Art Museum or just take a casual hike in the Stanford foothills
20 minute Drive: hiking in the mountainsand redwoods.
 Half Moon Bay |
1 hour Drive:you have Half Moon Bay , the Pacific Ocean & beaches to the west, camping in the Santa Cruz Mountains to the south (Visual hiking guide), San Francisco & Marin County to the north, Oakland, Berkeley to the east.
2-3 hour Drive: Wine tasting and wonderful Bed & Breakfasts in Napa County, pamper yourself at the Calistoga hot springs, go hiking and camping at Point Reyes nation seashore or take a drive down Highway 1 (aka Pacific Coast Highway, among the most beautiful in the world) toMonterey, Carmel and Pebble beach.
 Lake Tahoe |
4-5 hour Drive: you can go skiing in Lake Tahoe, hike Yosemite, enjoy an inspiring drive up the coast Mendocino, or down Big Sur .
Application Specific Questions: (Also See Application Procedure)
Do I apply using the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS)?
Yes. Applicants interested in PGY1 positions MUST use the Electronic Residency Application Service. For more information about ERAS, visit the ERAS Website . Moreover, we ONLY offer PGY-1 positions through the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP).
What is the deadline for applying?
Our application deadline for PGY-1 applicants is November 15. We review completed applications on a rolling basis. Applications for PGY-2 positions are accepted on a rolling basis and are usually determined by late December.
Is there a minimum USMLE score requirements?
None beyond passing USMLE scores. We are looking for demonstrably superior applicants who will make great doctors, not just great test-takers.
Does your program accept Foreign Medical Graduates (FMG)?
Since we are looking for the best PGY-1 candidates we will consider exceptional individuals trained outside the United States. However, it has been many years since an FMG was accepted as PGY-1 or PGY-2, who was not already a member of the Stanford research community.
Do you offer clerkships for visiting medical students?
Yes. Please See Med Student Catalog for details .
Will I be invited to interview?
We receive a large number of applications during the recruitment season and interview approximately 25-35%. When we have reviewed your application we will let you know whether or not we will invite you for an interview. We do appreciate the cost of travelling around the country for interviews. Therefore, if you have not heard from us and have an interview at a nearby program already scheduled we will try to accommodate you as best we can.
Do you have a limit on how many years it has been since I have graduated from medical school?
NO. Life experience and maturity are valued. If you are up to the rigors of an academic residency and have evidence of continuing medical education and training we encourage you to apply.
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