Psychiatry Resident Voices

While we strive to prepare all of our residents for the next step of their careers, everyone has a different experience and has different takeaways on our program.

Some value the close camaraderie amongst residents. Some find the variety in training sites most helpful.

Here you'll find first-hand accounts from current and previous residents about their experience with the residency.

Ian Qian, MD

PGY-1 Resident

As a medical student at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, I met many residents and attendings in the psychiatry department with inspiring backgrounds and stories that motivated me to learn from them. I found that the University of Maryland attracts people who have a vested interest in building meaningful relationships with their colleagues and patients. In the few short months as a resident working with my peers and mentors, I feel that I am learning freely among friends who care about my wellness and growth.

After living and learning in Maryland since I was 4 years old, I find that there is still plenty to explore. There is a diverse selection of food in the DC-Maryland-Virginia restaurants. As a huge fan of music, venues and events, Baltimore constantly brings in amazing artists. With many of my friends and family scattered along the east coast and midwest, I can usually visit them with a short drive or flight. I am grateful that the flexibility of my PGY1 schedule during the on-service psychiatry rotations has allowed me to stay connected with my support system as I acclimate to residency.

Keith Gallagher, MD

2019 Graduate
Currently an Assistant Professor at Yale

I think the best part of training was the closeness I felt with my co-residents and mentors.

I think the program’s biggest strengths are the diversity of training sites, which expose you to just about any job you might do as a psychiatrist.

That combined with the quality of training and supervision leaves you feeling prepared to do just about anything.

Isabelle Seto, MD

PGY-4 Resident

Moving to Baltimore from out of state was simultaneously nerve-wracking and exciting, but I instantly felt at home with my co-residents, and exploring Baltimore with them (pre-COVID) has been a great experience!

Everyone in the department is very welcoming, and I've appreciated the efforts the training department has made to listen to resident feedback.

Regarding clinical experiences thus far, I've most enjoyed working at the state hospitals as the attendings there are very invested in teaching.

As someone hoping to work for the VA one day, I appreciate our program's opportunity to have a yearlong outpatient clinic there!

Jooyoung Lee, MD

2021 Graduate

I chose our residency training program because I was expecting to have a high-quality education for psychodynamic psychotherapy.

I am very satisfied by our unique psychotherapy teaching curriculum.

We have a great number of psychodynamically oriented supervisors and teachers. Our psychotherapy director Dr. Miller is a psychoanalyst, and this itself reflects how our program stresses the importance of psychodynamic teaching.

Caroline Quaglieri, MD

PGY-3 Resident

I wanted to be a resident at UMMC | SEPH because of the great variety of training opportunities here.

It's not common to find rotations in state hospitals, private hospitals, academic hospitals, the VA system, and community programs all within one psychiatry residency. Also, if you're considering pursuing a fellowship, there are so many excellent fellowships that are already well established and available here.

In addition, living in a city which is a travel hub, and easily accessible to Washington DC, NYC, and other areas up and down the East Coast makes it an ideal central location for travel, both personally and professionally.

Mari Faris, DO

2020 Graduate

What I loved most about the program was the training sites and the people!

Being able to rotate at different types of clinical sites was such a great learning experience and helped me to feel confident when moving onto the next phase of my training.

The program creates a friendly and supportive environment filled with wonderful friends and mentors!

Viviana Alvarez Toro, MD

2019 Graduate

My favorite part of residency was the friendships I made while at the University of Maryland!

I loved being able to share my passion for psychiatry with so many different people that were committed to the field.

I also really appreciated the diversity in training sites throughout the Baltimore area. It prepared me for “the real world” transitioning out of training.

Stephanie Kulaga, MD

PGY-4 Resident

What drew me to this program was the breadth of opportunities. I truly don't think I could've gotten that at many other places. It allowed me to discover new interests that led me down a more varied and exciting career path than I'd imagined. The exposure to high acuity here is also exceptional - by my second year I was comfortable working overnight in a busy downtown psych ER.

I've also come to love Baltimore and now consider it home. Over the last several years I've gotten to know a community beyond residency and am proud to be a part of this city.