Research Assessment 6

Date: November 3, 2016

Subject: Finding that Forensic Fellowship
Source:
"Finding That Forensic Fellowship." Clinical Psychiatry

News. MDedge, 14 June 2011. Web.

27 Oct. 2016.
Assessment:
This article details the thought process one should go through while applying to forensic
psychiatric fellowships. It points out many aspects to consider that one might not think of
originally. It is to inform those looking into the forensic route and have a more complete
understanding.
I learned about the perks of different types of programs. It is similar to when you apply to
a university, yet it differs in certain ways. The bigger schools with a strong reputation usually
have a large amount of certifications and published works, giving them their high reputation.
These are better for those looking for a more academically focused learning. They are also
usually run under a single guru which can be limiting. Often times one can tell where someone
has had their training from the phrasing in their report writing. This can give a one sided view
since often only one school of thought is taught under their direction. On the other hand smaller
schools can be beneficial in the fact that those there are often volunteers, meaning they and
extremely interested in helping students grow since they are giving up their time and possible
income. They also usually have more than one head, leading to a variety of learning. Since they
are less well known they can be less academically based. I discovered that, like for ones
undergraduate, the type and size of school you go to depends on the type of person and the
environment you learn best in.
Another aspect I discovered was how to think about the logistics of the situation. I
learned that location is key since the laws vary from state to state which would affect ruling and
interpretations. There is also the consideration of commute. Many campuses have multiple
locations where you would meet including the main university, hospitals, jails, prisons, and court
houses.
One thing that surprised me was that you get a salary during your fellowship. Some
programs will alo reimburse you for your travels and expenses to attend there. This will make
additional schooling years more enjoyable since I will already be in debt from medical school.

Through this article I will continue to think more about how I will go about receiving my
forensic psychiatry education. I now know more about the process and aspects to obtaining my
education. This will allow me to plan more about where to go and what path to take. It will also
make me think more about where I would like to live and do my practice later on and bring that
into my consideration for schooling since location is a key aspect. Also, I learned that there are
more programs out there than I thought. Although, the forty programs are very selective and only
a few people get accepted each year. The competitiveness is similar to the direct-entry medical
programs I have been looking into. Knowing this will allow me to look further into the different
possibilities and consider all the different options and scenarios.

Finding That Forensic Fellowship

Publish date: June 14, 2011

It may seem early, but spring is the right time of year to start thinking about finding a
fellowship. You know you're interested in forensic psychiatry and you've already broken
the news to your spouse and family that for the next academic year, if all goes well, you
will be evaluating murderers, arsonists, psychotic killers and future insanity acquittees.
Your family members have resigned themselves to the fact that dinner conversation may
turn to bizarre and possibly bloody topics.
How do you find the forensic fellowship that is right for you?
First, start early. Forensic psychiatry fellowships start accepting applications in the early
spring, at the end of the third year of residency. Plan to have your application packet
completed and submitted by the end of June. The applicant interview season runs from
July through September, sometimes later depending on the program, but the majority of
the programs have their slots filled by November. There are forty accredited programs
nationally, most with at least two training slots (four in some rare larger programs), but
there will be many more applicants than available positions. And with many states
facing budget crises, some programs are cutting positions.
Your program choice will involve personal considerations as well as discussions with a
spouse or other family members, but Id like to offer some additional factors to consider.
There are no clear criteria or outcome measures to sort out the first tier from the second
tier programs. After some preliminary investigation you'll learn that certain programs
have reputations for being the best or are more competitive to get into than others.
These big name programs often have well-known directors, people with lots of
publications to their credit or who have held office in the American Academy of
Psychiatry and Law (AAPL), the professional organization for forensic psychiatrists.
The problem with these "big name" programs is that they are run by a single guru.
Learning from a guru can be an advantage because you will have access to professional
connections that will help you advance quickly within the profession, but the problem
with this is that your training may be confined to a single dominating philosophy.
Forensic reports from programs like this are so uniform that someone can tell where you
trained by the phrases you use, and that's a problem. Second tier programs without a

single guru may give you a broader exposure to a diversity of opinions and approaches.
This is good for a student who enjoys seeking out a variety of opinions and who likes a
lot of feedback on a given case, but may be frustrating for someone who gets confused by
conflicting advice. The perfect forensic fellowship is one which fits your preferred
learning style.
The perfect forensic fellowship is one which has strong institutional support from its
affiliated university. There are a number of ways to assess this. Strong institutional
support is indicated by paid full time faculty, adequate administrative resources, and
good working relationships between training sites. Poor institutional support is
indicated by frequent turnover of program personnel or program directors. Newer
programs may initially rely upon volunteer faculty; this may be an indicator that the
program is not strong in scholarly activity or publishing. However, volunteer faculty
teach for the enjoyment of working with students. They sacrifice professional time---and
income---to work with you. That dedication could be worth the tradeoff if you aren't
planning a career in academia.
For forensic psychiatry in particular, program location is important. If you know the
geographic region you want to work in after training, look for a program in that region.
Forensic training means learning the law of the land, and laws vary between states.
Moving to a new state means you will have to learn the statutory and case law for that
state, as well as any administrative procedures governing your work.
While we're on the topic of location, consider logistics and commute time. Forensic
fellowships may have three or four different training sites: a primary academic
institution, a forensic hospital, a court house and a jail or prison. The amount of time
you spend driving between all these locations will be a significant influence on the
quality of your life as a fellow. Does the program reimburse for travel expenses like gas
or mileage? What about parking?
You may already have a specific interest in a certain aspect of forensic psychiatry: the
treatment of sex offenders, or civil forensic work, or juvenile forensic evaluations. Be
sure to ask about opportunities to pursue extra training or experience in these areas.
Most programs are good about telling applicants about the "special perks" of their
programs since these are usually their best selling points, but if these aren't mentioned
be sure to ask. Are there opportunities to attend conferences (and get reimbursed for
conference costs!)? Are there chances to teach residents or medical students? How
about opportunities to do independent study or research projects?
The last and least important factor to consider is salary. Salaries will vary quite a bit
depending on program location, but most are generally consistent with the cost of living

in that area. Don't base your program choice upon salary: no amount of money is worth
a year of misery in a program you don't enjoy.
Finally, a word about safety: don't worry about it. In spite of the fact that you will be
working with very sick or potentially violent people, forensic psychiatry programs are
keen on safety. To the best of my knowledge, no forensic psychiatry fellow has been
significantly injured during the course of their work.
For a list of forensic psychiatry fellowship programs visit the American Academy of
Psychiatry and Law website athttp://aapl.org/fellow.php.
Dr. Annette Hanson is a forensic psychiatrist and co-author of Shrink Rap: Three
Psychiatrists Explain Their Work. The opinions expressed are those of the author only,
and do not represent those of any of Dr. Hanson's employers or consultees, including
the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene or the Maryland Division of
Correction.