FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

No second look or open houses for Match 2023 cycle

• We have checked with the GME office, and the campus will follow AAMC guidelines regarding in-person visits. 
• There are no in-person visits this year.

Current Call Policy

• There are no current plans for residents to do 24-30 (overnight) hour in-house calls on primary Nebraska Medicine Psychiatric Services.
• Weekend rounding is expected for all inpatient, including consultation-liaison, rotations. Residents will be given at least one weekend free of any call or rounding duties whenever possible.
• For other rotations, the resident will be on the home department or institution's call schedule and follow ACGME policies regarding clinical and educational work hours.

Psychiatric Emergency Services

• Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES) is a full clinical service with dedicated faculty and staff that operates 24/7 and is not dependent on trainees.
• PGY-1 residents will do one required month of Emergency Psychiatry; PGY-4 residents will also be required to do one month of Emergency Psychiatry.
• While on the PES rotation, resident PES shifts will run Monday through Friday, noon-8:00 PM. The resident is excused from clinical duties during Wednesday didactics (noon-5pm).
• For junior residents, there will be required evening experiences in the PES:
  • PGY-1 residents will alternate covering Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 5pm-10pm; each intern will do approximately one shift a week. The resident assigned to PES for the month will preferentially take Wednesdays and extend their usual day by 2 hours.
  • PGY-2 residents will cover Tuesday and Thursday from 5pm-10pm; each PGY-2 resident will do approximately one shift every other week.

Moonlighting Requirements

• The Program Director must approve all moonlighting activities.
• Residents may not moonlight in the first year.
• Resident must be full-time and in excellent academic standing with the training program.  
• Resident's total score must rank in the top 50th percentile on the annual PRITE compared to all US General Psychiatry Residents.
• A full state medical license is required for any moonlighting activities. (Temporary Educational Permits do not fulfill this requirement.)
• Hours spent moonlighting count towards resident clinical and educational work hours, and the total hours must not exceed 80 hours per week, averaged over a 4-week period.
• UNMC provides professional liability coverage for moonlighting residents.

Vacation and Leave

• 20 working days of vacation per academic year
• 5 days per academic year of paid professional leave for approved meetings and board exams
• 12 days of sick leave in the first and second year; 180 days after 24 months of employment
• Parental leave is available for birth/adoption of a child.
• Residents are eligible for FMLA immediately upon employment with UNMC.

Travel Stipend

• The department provides a $1,200 travel stipend yearly for professional organizational dues and approved conference-related expenses.
  • The stipend does not carry over from year to year.
  • The department may increase the stipend if the resident has an accepted abstract or obtains organizational leadership requiring attendance.
• Similarly, there is a $300 annual educational allowance. This can be used to purchase board preparation materials.

USMLE Step 3 or COMLEX Level 3 Exam

• Per institutional rules, all residents must pass USMLE Step 3 or COMLEX-USA Level 3 to advance to the PGY-3 level. A one-time extension of the requirement for up to 6 months can be granted; however, the house officer cannot advance until the condition is met. 
  • Residents are strongly encouraged to take the exam by the end of their PGY-1 year.
  • If the requirement is not met, the house officer will be dismissed.

Support for Child and Adolescent Fellowship Training

• Residents interested in child and adolescent psychiatry will have the full support of the residency to "fast-track" (i.e., begin the two-year fellowship as a PGY-4.)
• The main pediatric psychiatry experiences will come from the full-day outpatient clinic during the PGY-3 year.
• Additionally, residents will likely encounter pediatric patients during their Emergency Medicine (PGY-1) and Rural Rotations (PGY-2.) If desired, pediatric patients may be scheduled as part of the Experiential Psychotherapy clinic during PGY-2, pending supervisor discretion.
• The program will support resident membership in AACAP (using travel or educational stipend) and encourage attendance at the October annual academy meeting.

Benefits

• Residents receive comprehensive group health, dental, optical, and life insurance options.
• Malpractice insurance.
• $8.00 meal card per day provided by the Nebraska Medical Center
• Central house officer lounge with complimentary food on weekends in University Tower, Room 3441.
• Reimbursement for travel to and from required training sites more than 75 miles from the Medical Center.
• Preferential eligibility for parking.
• Tuition credit of 15 credit hours/year for employee and immediate family to UNO, UNL, UNK, and UNMC.
• Free workout options, Clarkson Wellness Center, Lied Exercise Room, and Bellevue Medical Center (excludes Student Life Center)
• House Officer Assistance Program, a cost-free and confidential program for all UNMC House Officers and their partners. Contact Susan Smith, RN, BS, CEAP (402-559-5323, After Hours 402-559-4000)
• House officer salaries increase each year
• Explanation of Health Benefits