Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship

The University of Michigan Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship is a one-year, clinical training program for psychiatrists interested in obtaining practical expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of substance use disorders.

The program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), and successful completion of the 1-year clinical track qualifies psychiatrists to apply for subspecialty certification in addiction psychiatry from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, once they have obtained their certification in general psychiatry.

What Sets Our Program Apart?

  • Excellent salary and benefits
  • Generous individual supervision
  • Elective rotation opportunities
  • Evidence-based teachings and learning
  • No call responsibilities
  • Conference time and travel stipend
  • U-M House Officers Association, resident run collective bargaining organization

5 Reasons to Choose an Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship

1. Most (at least 50% of) patients in a general psychiatry practice will have co-occurring substance use disorders. Yet, only 1 month of addiction training is required as part of general psychiatry residency programs. Thus, you and your patients will likely benefit from enhancing your knowledge, skills, and confidence in this area.

2. The work is rewarding because treatment is effective. Moreover, with the advent of novel medications, such as buprenorphine, the role of the physician in treatment has increased.

3. You will learn specialized skills in motivational interviewing and motivational enhancement therapy, techniques that were designed and developed for patients with substance use disorders, but have broader applicability for motivating patients with any diagnosis to make positive changes in their lives.

4. The patient population is under-served, so you will be doing your part to help.

5. The program lasts for only 1 year, after which you will be more marketable when looking for jobs or establishing a private practice.

Program Information & How to Apply

Clinical Rotations

Approximately 50% time is spent at the University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) and 50% at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Healthcare System in Ann Arbor.

UMHS time is spent at three sites:

  • The U-M Addiction Treatment Services serves both adolescents and adults in its intensive outpatient and regular outpatient programs, including ambulatory detoxification services and buprenorphine clinics.

  • Additional time is spent throughout the year rotating in (1) the high-risk obstetrics clinic treating pregnant women with substance use disorders, (2) the U-M Multidisciplinary Pain Clinic providing consultations for patients either with or at risk for substance use disorders in the course of their pain management, and (3) the general hospital in a consultation-liaison role for patients with substance-related disorders.

  • Fellows also rotate at the VA outpatient Substance Abuse clinic for approximately 16 hours per week.

The combination of these 2 services (UMHS and VA) offers fellows exposure to a broad range of patients with substance use disorders in a diverse patient population in both hospital and community based settings.

Didactic Program

The didactic program includes three regular weekly events: Core Lecture Series, Journal Club, and Grand Rounds.  Fellows select and present an article at Journal Club at least once monthly.

The Core Lecture Series, presented by the faculty, focuses on etiology and pathophysiology of addiction, including neurobiological and psychosocial aspects of addiction; pharmacology of specific drugs (alcohol, anabolic steroids, cannabis & synthetic cannabolic, cocaine, amphetamines, cathinones, and other stimulants, hallucinogens and related drugs, inhalants, nicotine, opioids, & sedative-hypnotics); screening, assessment, and diagnosis; use of withdrawal rating scales; urine drug teating and other biomarkers of use; level of care placement criteria; distinguishing substance-induced from independent co-occurring psychiatric disorders; management of intoxication and withdrawal; evidence-based pharmacological and psychosocial therapies; 12-step and other mutual self-heal groups; special populations; and medical comorbidities.

In Journal Club, a recent or classical article of interest is selected, presented, and discussed with attention to research methodology and generalizability to clinical practice.  Faculty and trainees alternate in selecting articles and leading the discussion with fellows.

Grand Rounds is hosted by the Department of Psychiatry and highlights the work of outstanding scholars from the university and other academic institutions, related to topics across the psychiatric spectrum, including addictions.  Staying current as a general psychiatrist is vital to being an excellent addiction psychiatrist.

Supervision & Mentorship

Each rotation is supervised by a faculty mentor, who provides on-site, real-time supervision.  In addition, one hour per week of individual supervision with the Program Director is scheduled to discuss cases and readings, and to provide career guidance.

Eligibility

Qualified applicants will have completed (before starting the fellowship) an accredited psychiatry residency in the U.S. and have passed all necessary examinations to obtain a physician’s license in the State of Michigan. Training licenses will not be accepted. Applicants with J1 visas will be considered.

Benefits and salary levels are outlined in the House Officers Agreement which can be found at: UMHS Bargaining Agreements

For more information about the sub-specialty of Addiction Psychiatry can be found via the: American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry

How to Apply

The U-M Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship Program will utilize the electronic residency application service (ERAS) and national residency matching service (NRMP Match) to recruit for the 2024-2025 academic year.

For more information on the application process please visit individual program websites, the ERAS website, and The NRMP Match.

For questions, contact:

Taylor Hyde, Program Administrator: [email protected]