Emerging Voices
Caitlyn Fitzgerald,
Psych MD
What was your path to mental healthcare?
I have known since I was in high school that I wanted to be a psychiatrist because I loved hearing the stories and histories of those around me. I majored in Psychology at NYU and then performed as a Teaching Assistant in the behavioral sciences while in medical school. Due to financial difficulties, I had to take a gap in my medical school training and during that time I was lucky enough to find employment as a mental health tech on a child and adolescent psychiatry unit. It was there that my love for adolescent psychiatry grew. Although some may argue that child psychiatry is too "Sad" of a field to enter I felt quite the opposite - seeing the resiliency of the youth hospitalized and their ability to overcome the psychosocial stressors they were dealt was inspiring. Everyday working on the children's psych unit wasn't always easy but it was always rewarding and it never felt like work. Since that experience I have tailored my education as a general psychiatry resident to pursue adolescent psychiatry, in particular adolescent addiction treatment, and am set to start a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry fellowship this July at the University of Miami; I couldn't be more excited or grateful.
How will this scholarship help you?
I believe that all of us together can do so much more than all of us individually. This scholarship will give me the opportunity to not only further my education from those at the top of the field but afford me the chance to make lifelong connections and mentorship. I am hopeful that if given this award, I will be able to use the knowledge I obtain not only in my own day to day practices but that I can disseminate it with peers as well in my residency so that all patients in our community psychiatry program can be treated according to the newest up to date guidelines. I am also hoping to hear different clinical insights and practical applications which cannot be found in typical textbooks. Lastly and most importantly, I am hoping to connect with those who have experience and expertise in adolescent psychiatry and addiction psychiatry, whom can offer guidance on how I can best strengthen my educational pursuits and discuss with me the different career opportunities available.
What are your academic and/or career goals?
Although I do love direct clinical care and patient management I also love learning about new treatment options and providing education to others in the field. I hope that one day I will be asked to present at Psych Congress Elevate. I am preparing for that now by seeking out all opportunities afforded to me so that I can be considered the top in the field of adolescent addiction. As such I have achieved several awards from various different psychiatric organizations including a child psychiatry fellowship from the American Psychiatric Association Foundation (APA), Educational Outreach Award from the Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) and the John Renner Award from the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP). All of these ventures have helped shape my experience as a psychiatry resident, through mentorship and education, and motivated me to pursue a career in adolescent addiction psychiatry. I hope that one day I can be medical director of my own adolescent substance use treatment center as treatment for youth is so sparse yet so desperately needed. I would also love to become more involved in the psychopharmacology and clinical research behind addiction treatment so that I can gain the insight and experience necessary to speak on such topics at national conferences like Psych Congress Elevate.
What does “exceptional patient care” mean to you?
Exceptional patient care means going above and beyond to make sure your patients know they are supported, heard and cared for by their physician. It means flexibility. If your patient is late it means accommodating them to the best of your ability because life happens and your appointment may be the only time that they feel truly cared for during that day. It means having an open mind. All too often in psychiatry we have patients with dual diagnoses of substance use and mental illness; being an exceptional provider means caring for the whole patient - missteps and all - to help reduce harm from substance use without judgement. It means being a team player. Not one person can do everything that it requires to help a patient with all the struggles they may be facing. It means reaching out to social services, therapists and case management to help coordinate care to assure that all available supports are provided so that the patient has the best chance at flourishing. And last but not least, providing exceptional patient care means having the ability to provide self-care and having self-awareness. When we are burnt out and feeling low we are not able to give our best effort to our patients which is what they truly deserve.