The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington, the highest ranking school in the "U.S. News" study, offers programs for residents in psychiatry. It prepares clinicians to provide care throughout the Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho region. The university claims that its programs are designed to foster intellectual curiosity through its research program. Students are encouraged to take advantage of collegial relationships and consult primary care physicians in the treatment of mentally ill patients. They are also taught to recognize the unique needs of individual patients, especially the disadvantaged.
The University of North Carolina's Department of Psychiatry ranked second in the "U.S. News" study. Its missions include teaching, training, research and clinical care. It is especially dedicated to the education of residents, preparing them for leadership roles in their fields. Through its research program, the university aims to make an understanding of the causes of mental illness a primary concern. The research program focuses on molecular, cellular and genetic approaches to mental illness. It advances research through clinical investigations and population-based outcomes.
Ranking number three in the "U.S. News" study of medical and psychiatric education, Oregon Health and Science University's Department of Psychiatry describes its mission as encompassing education, research, clinical practice, scholarship and community service. The university has fellowships in geriatric psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, addiction, PVAMC mood disorders, forensics, psychosomatic medicine and sleep medicine. Psychiatry students at the university collaborate with internationally respected specialists in several areas of psychiatry.
At the University of California, San Francisco, 10 percent of students each year choose to study psychiatry. The school's Department of Psychiatry is fourth in the "U.S. News" study. All students participate in clinical rotations, and at the end of medical school choose a specialty and apply to residency programs in the chosen specialty. A minimum of five years is needed to complete a subspecialty in child, forensic or geriatric psychiatry. Even for students who do not choose psychiatry as a career path, psychiatry is still an integral part of the university's curriculum. The university's special-interest groups are the Psychiatry Interest Group, the Brain Interest Group, the Redfield Group and the Mental Health Advocacy Group.