San Mateo County Psychiatry Residency Training Program

Our program emphasizes clinical excellence, leadership development, and personalized training to foster each resident’s growth as a psychiatrist. We devote an entire day per week to protected time for didactics and continue to seek innovative teaching and learning techniques. Our teachers are experts in the field and come from within our own system as well as from major academic centers in the area. We favor learning in small interactive groups and often use a round table tutorial or case discussion format.

Our community of residents is the heart and soul of our program. We see our residency not only as a communal forum for learning but also as the spring board for each resident’s individual professional growth. We care about the health of our residents, and do our best to ensure they are heard and respected. Residents learn together through small work groups and, as they become more senior, in sharing their knowledge by teaching junior residents. Ultimately, we hope to foster a bond between residents that will continue long after their training days in San Mateo are over.

“My journey at the San Mateo psychiatry residency training program was full of gratitude and excitement! Our residency program is exceptional in preparing the next generation of leaders in the fields of community psychiatry, advanced  psychopharmacology and psychotherapy. Our training program provides plenty of room for focusing on individual  interests, be they personal or educational, such as the PGY4 fast track Public Psychiatry Fellowship in conjunction with UCSF, which I was part of and thoroughly enjoyed. In short, this training program has afforded me many opportunities for personal and professional growth.”

—Farah Zaidi, class of 2017, UCSF Public Psychiatry Fellowship class of 2017, Hospital Psychiatrist at San Mateo Medical Center

“There is a humanism about this place that permeates among staff, nurses, doctors and patients. I can’t imagine a better place to have done my psychiatry residency training. In addition to the spirit and the people, you get a variety of rotation settings which I believe is a big advantage to the training here – county, Stanford, UCSF, Kaiser, jails, schools and more.”

— Siya Mehtani, class of 2018, fast-track UCSF Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellow, APA/SAMHSA Minority Fellow

“While on Inpatient Psychiatry, I have had the distinct privilege to care for some of our most vulnerable populations in a compassionate and humanistic capacity. My attendings have nurtured my goals to provide patient-centered care plans, and combined with close supervision, I feel strongly that my training as a resident physician has been nothing short of excellent. I feel truly fortunate to have chosen San Mateo for my residency program.”

— Juan Lopez, PGY3, APA/SAMHSA Minority Fellow

“San Mateo County provides a unique opportunity to train in community psychiatry while also having the flexibility to pursue academic research, teaching, and leadership opportunities. Residents have the time and support to delve into areas they are passionate about and to make significant contributions to our residency program, the county mental health system, and to the greater field of psychiatry. I feel very lucky to have been at a program where these opportunities are so encouraged and supported.”

—Karen Bos, class of 2014, UCSF Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship class of 2016