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Central Wisconsin Residency Program

Medical College of Wisconsin Central Wisconsin Psychiatry Residency Program

We are an ACGME accredited program that is part of an initiative of the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) to develop medical resources in the underserved areas of the state of Wisconsin. MCW established the MCW-Central Wisconsin Medical School Campus in Wausau with a class of 26 students in 2016 and graduated its first class in 2019. The Central Wisconsin Psychiatry Residency Program is another step in the direction to provide resources where they are most needed throughout the entire state.

 

Why become a resident at MCW?

As a major academic medical center, and the largest research institution in the Milwaukee metro area, the Medical College of Wisconsin is a distinguished leader in the advanced training of physicians, researchers, pharmacists and health professionals. Together with its top-tier partner institutions, the Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals (MCWAH) puts you at the forefront of advancement that’s improving the vitality of society.

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A Message From Our Director | Robert Gouthro, MD, Assistant Professor

Robert Gouthro, MD

Building on the Medical College of Wisconsin’s (MCW) community education focus, the MCW Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health opened the doors of two rural-based Wisconsin psychiatric residencies in 2017. Although both residencies have their own identities, they share a similar goal of educating tomorrow’s psychiatrists in the locations where they are most needed. Being the rural-most MCW psychiatry residency, the Central Wisconsin Psychiatry Program is fully geared toward instilling the knowledge base and ability needed to care for the mental health needs of patients in rural areas and beyond. Such a defined focus will not decrease a prospective applicant’s educational opportunities; but, rather quite the opposite. Graduates of our program have the practical experiences needed to be psychiatric providers--functioning and lending consultation to other disciplines and serving in geographic areas of most any size. A broad-based psychiatric training allows our graduates to care for a wide range of diagnoses in settings which may not have access to psychiatric specialists.

Unsurprisingly, given its name, the Central Wisconsin Psychiatry Program is based in the communities of Central Wisconsin: Wausau, Rhinelander, Ashland and Tomah. Given the collaborative relationships with our sister programs, specialized rotation opportunities include training in Milwaukee and Madison. With the variety of training opportunities, the program offers a tremendous balance of small, big, community, and academic settings.

If you are interested in the opportunity to train and serve in areas of need and to draw upon the wealth of resources of the Medical College of Wisconsin; if you would like a big city educational experience yet desire to live in a smaller city with strong schools, easy access to a wide variety of outdoor and recreational activities, an emphasis on quality of life and community, we invite you to consider the Central Wisconsin Psychiatry Program.

Learn more about Dr. Gouthro

Our Mission

  • We are committed to educating exemplary psychiatrists.
  • We enhance our communities by providing outstanding psychiatric care in the rural and urban settings we serve.
  • We respond to the needs of the medically underserved.
  • We strive to create an inclusive learning and work environment that promotes the dignity and respect of our residents, faculty, staff, patients, and communities.
  • We strive to be responsive to the changing needs of the communities that we serve.
  • We strive to prepare clinicians to be culturally competent, to provide culturally competent clinical care and to promote culturally responsive research.

A Day in the Life of a Rural Psychiatry Resident

Alexandra Reischman, MD, PGY-3, Chief Resident, shares her experiences as a resident in the MCW-Central Wisconsin Psychiatry Residency Program.

Program Information

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Living and Working in Central Wisconsin

Central Wisconsin's cultural diversity, activities and attractions offer something for everyone.

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How to Apply

The Central Wisconsin Psychiatry Residency Program at the Medical College of Wisconsin accepts applications through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).

We do consider and accept qualified IMG doctors. We review a number of items on the application. Successful applicants to our program often have USMLE scores above 200 (or comparable COMLEX) and have passed on their first attempt. We also look at prior psychiatric experience at the residency level and evidence of a command of the English language. Evidence of a passion for a career in psychiatry and a social conscience are also valued. There are no absolute cut-off points, but these are factors we consider in reviewing the hundreds of applications we receive each year. There are some specific requirements listed below. After the entire application is reviewed, and, based on the application’s merit, an applicant would be selected to interview for our program. Our department does not routinely offer observership, externships or pre-match positions.

For application to our program, we require via ERAS:

  • Application
  • Four (4) letters of recommendation
  • Dean’s letter
  • Transcripts
  • Personal statement or letter of intent
  • CV
  • USMLE Step I and Step II transcripts or COMLEX steps 1 & 2 transcripts
  • We accept J-1 and H-1B visas.

Although the Wisconsin Northern & Central (WiNC) GME Consortium in partnership with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine is willing to pursue an H-1B visa on your behalf, there is no guarantee that it will be successful. WiNC’s ability to continue to claim H-1B exemptions for applicants remains unsettled. On April 28, 2011, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) stated it is reviewing its policy on H-1B cap exemptions for non-profit entities (like WiNC). Until further guidance is issued, USCIS is applying interim procedures to allow organizations like WiNC to pursue H-1B cap exemptions. Unless determined to be exempt, H-1B petitions are subject to a statutory limit that would make the visa process availability and timing very unpredictable for those pursuing a GME program through WiNC affiliates that accept visa holders.

Applicants must have an appropriate visa to begin Graduate Medical Education with WiNC. If a candidate does not obtain an appropriate visa that permits WiNC to employ him/her on the designated start date, the training position will not be held and may be offered to another candidate.

Benefits, Conditions & Terms of Employment

The WiNC housestaff stipend levels for the academic year 2023-2024:

PGY1 - $65,405
PGY2 - $67,568
PGY3 - $69,680
PGY4 - $71,625

Additional Benefits

  • Paid Time Off - 4 weeks
  • Education Leave - 5 days (beginning in the PGY1 year)
  • Health Insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • Liability Insurance
  • Life Insurance
  • Short and Long-Term Disability Insurance

Learn more about program benefits from WiNC

Contact Us

MCW-Central Wisconsin
1900 Westwood Dr., Suite 3100
Wausau, WI 54401-4106
 

 

CENWISPsychiatry@mcw.edu

 

Maps and Directions (PDF)

MCW-Central Wisconsin Google map location

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