front row: Carlos Barrios, MD, Adrienne Adams, MD Training Director, Second Year Fellows Robin Shapiro, MD, and Christine Choe, MD. middle row: Christine Herrmann, APN/CNS, First Year Fellows Iram Qazi, MD and (not pictured) Arshdeep Jawandha, MD, Craigan Usher, MD, David Anderson, PhD. back row: Louis Kraus, MD Section Chief, Peter Fink, MD, Shirley Congenie Fellowship Coordinator, and Amer Smajkic, MD.

Letter from the Fellowship Director

Your choice of a child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship is a wise one. National studies and Presidential Commissions have substantiated the magnitude of emotional, behavioral and developmental disorders in the nation’s children, adolescents and their families. 16 to 20% of the population of children and adolescents has some disturbance and 4-7% has a significant functional impairment. There are approximately 6,500 child and adolescent psychiatrists in the United States and over 15 million children and adolescents who are in need of the special expertise a child and adolescent psychiatrist can give. The National Center for Health Workforce Information and Analysis of the Bureau of Health Professions created models showing that the demand for child and adolescent services will increase by 100% between 1995 and 2020; however, it projected the increased number of child and adolescent psychiatrists to 30%. (AACAP Steering Committee on Workforce Issues)

At Rush University Medical Center, our faculty, fellows and students have much to offer you. In our fellowship program, you enter into an educational contract that involves a mutual exchange. We will provide an environment that is supportive, respectful of diversity, intellectually stimulating and receptive to change. You will be encouraged to ask questions, meet challenges and to explore a wide variety of opportunities. We ask that you bring compassion, an open mind, a willingness to listen to the ideas of others and to engage actively in learning. Our goal is to challenge you to become the best physician and child psychiatrist that you can become. We welcome your interest and invite your questions about our fellowship program.

Our Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Training Program at RUSH is a two-year ACGME accredited program. We recruit two fellows per year. Trainees receive specialized training in the delivery of skilled and comprehensive medical care to children and adolescents with a wide range of psychiatric disorders. Clinical experiences include a continuum of care encompassing inpatient, residential, outpatient and consultative services. Complementary didactics provide a formal educational experience that ensures a thorough knowledge of psychiatric disorders of childhood and adolescence. Teaching of medical students and general psychiatry residents is an integral part of the program. We are participants in the National Residency Match Program (NRMP).

Adrienne Adams, MD
Program Director