On behalf of the Department of Psychiatry, we welcome your interest in the Mount Sinai Medical Center Residency Training Program.

The mission of our program is to train competent psychiatrists who hold the highest academic, clinical, ethical and professional standards. Our goal is to enable our residents to pursue careers in research, clinical care, or education, while they obtain board certification by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. In addition, we aim to contribute to expanding postgraduate medical education opportunities in Miami-Dade County, which will produce competent psychiatrists who are able to relieve the state physician shortage — especially in the field of mental and behavioral health.

This program will provide the residents with comprehensive training in psychiatry, in both inpatient and outpatient settings, following the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requirements for training in psychiatry. Upon the successful completion of this program, residents will be eligible for certification in general psychiatry through the examination provided by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN).

Your responsibility will be to gain the experience, knowledge and skills necessary to integrate the pathophysiology of disease with caring for your patients. We expect all of our residents to be self-directed learners who are willing to reach their highest potential and show genuine compassion for each patient and his or her family.

Sincerely,

Jose Cruz Jr., MD
Program Director, Allergan Foundation Psychiatry Residency Program
Schottenstein Family Chair for Behavioral Health

The clinical core curriculum in psychiatry includes the following:

• Inpatient Psychiatry
• Emergency Psychiatry
• Primary Care/Internal Medicine Rotation
• Neurology Rotation
• Child Psychiatry Rotation
• Addiction Psychiatry Rotation
• Geriatric Psychiatry Rotation
• Consultation Liaison Rotation
• Outpatient Psychiatry Rotation
• Community Psychiatry Rotation
• Forensic Psychiatry Rotation
• Administrative Psychiatry Rotation
• Elective Psychiatry Rotations

The curriculum is managed, modified, and evaluated by the program’s Residency Management Team (RMT), comprised of the department chair, program director, associate program director, senior medical educator, and program coordinator. Residents play a very active role in determining curricular offerings. Monthly evaluations of rotations and their components result in frequent modification of the curriculum.

The program director and associate program director will meet every other week with all residents as well as with each individual resident at least semiannually, to elicit residents’ concerns and ideas, and to identify any hospital systems issues. Program leadership maintains an “open-door policy” at all times, welcoming impromptu discussions of any concerns by residents in a nonthreatening, constructive atmosphere.

Residents and faculty are evaluated on a regular basis, and feedback is given in a timely manner. All evaluations of residents, faculty and rotations are reviewed by the program director as they are received; problems in any area are addressed immediately. Residents review their file in its entirety at the semiannual meeting with the program director or associate program director. Faculty members are given feedback by the program director as needed, with attention to protecting resident confidentiality.

The transition from first-year resident to second-year resident is reflected by increased responsibility in decision-making and patient care. First-year residents are closely supervised by more senior residents and faculty, gradually becoming more independent as the year progresses. This process evolves throughout the program, ensuring that residents are fully prepared for independent medical practice upon completion of the program.

Residents are expected to take an active role in planning their rotations, within the boundaries set by the ACGME, so that their individual needs and interests are met. Program leadership makes every effort to help residents with the pursuit of their career goals, directing them toward appropriate faculty members based on their particular interests. A formal mentoring program in which all residents are automatically assigned a mentor is in place.

Yearly Program Goals

PGY-1 Goals

• Receive initiatory/introductory working knowledge of general psychiatry and primary care, such as internal medicine/family medicine and neurology
• Provide initiation to the essentials of psychiatric practice through series of didactics, seminars, and clinical teaching and supervision

PGY-2 Goals

• Develop initiatory and introductory specialty knowledge, skills and milestones
• Improve supportive and supervisory roles for lower-level residents and medical students
• Introduce advanced knowledge in psychiatric methods of care, DSM-5 knowledge, developmental stages of life, and introduction to research in psychiatry
• Achieve the goals and objectives for required level rotations under supervision through diverse settings, to be involved in consultation liaison, to improve inpatient psychiatry knowledge and skills, to accomplish participation in the didactic program, and improve research endeavors

PGY-3 Goals

• Enhance competencies acquired in the first two years and develop mastery of assessment and management of resistant-refractory disorders, special populations, and more complex psychiatric cases/scenarios
• Provide care to a panel of patients in the outpatient psychiatry setting, providing continuity of care and developing a therapeutic alliance and long-term relationships with their patients
• Achieve advanced training level milestones

PGY-4 Goals

• Complete psychiatry residency training and prepare for post-residency career
• Develop advanced experience in a psychiatric subspecialty through electives
• Become familiar with psychiatric administration

Resident Meetings

• Journal Club
• Grand Rounds
• PRITE Review
• Individual Mentorship
• Program Director Supervision
• Movie Club
• Culture Club

Didactic Elements of the Program

At the conclusion of the one year of training, the learner should be able to do the following: 

• Perform detailed psychiatric and medical history; conduct interviews to perform a mental status examination; and know indications for appropriate laboratory and psychological investigations or consultations with other professionals
• Demonstrate basic knowledge of the DSM-5 diagnostic, case presentation, and formulation skills appropriate for level of training
• Develop a differential diagnostic framework appropriate for first-year residents
• Acquire basic knowledge and skills of civil commitment of psychiatry patients
• Understand the theory and clinical standards of assessing and managing inpatient psychiatric patients and acquire knowledge and skills assessing (physical, laboratory, and radiological assessment) essential for medical causes of psychiatric syndromes
• Be familiar with neurologic examinations to use them for localization in the nervous system
• Acquire basic knowledge and skills to review and manage acute neurological disorders, and achieve primary care rotations
• Acquire introductory knowledge of psychiatric treatment modalities, psychological, pharmacological, physical, and rehabilitative
• Achieve the goals and objectives for introductory required rotations under supervision through diverse settings

Under supervision, the resident will be able to gather medical information from multiple sources, assess cognitive functioning, communicate with members of the health care team, order appropriate diagnostic studies, and start utilizing both pharmacologic and psychotherapeutic interventions to enhance patient care. Residents start developing skills to manage patients from a biopsychosocial perspective, to perform complete psychiatric assessments with attention to primary co-morbid medical conditions. Residents are expected to generate a differential diagnosis, propose and introduce a thorough patient evaluation, and develop a plan of treatment, all under the supervision of the attending psychiatrist. Residents will know about collaboration in patient care and will participate in group and family therapy sessions, and will learn psychotherapy modules.

Residents will be evaluated by the generalist faculty who participate in psychiatric rotations. In addition, competency-based evaluations will be completed online through the MyEvaluations system.

A system of learning and training that balances service and education is stressed. Our program curriculum includes a far greater number of didactic sessions than the minimum required by the ACGME. A reasonable workload and excellent ancillary support services in the hospital ensure residents have the opportunity to regularly attend these formal learning activities.

Jadiyer Acosta, MD
Medical School: Instituto Superior de Ciencias Médicas de Villa Clara, Santa Clara, Cuba, 1996
Residency: General Psychiatry, Larkin Community Hospital, Florida, 2017

Yanko Enamorado, MD
Medical School: Universidad Iberoamericana, Dominican Republic, 2010
Residency: General Psychiatry, Cooper Hospital of Rowan University, New Jersey, 2014
Fellowship: Electroconvulsive Therapy, Emory University School of Medicine, Georgia, 2017; Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hofstra/Northwell, New York, 2016

Robert Martinez, MD
Medical School: Florida International University, Florida, 2016
Residency: The Zucker School of Medicine/Northwell Health at Mather Hospital, Port Jefferson,  NY 2020

Maribel Rodriguez, MD
Medical School: American University of Antigua College of Medicine, Antigua 2016
Residency: Psychiatry, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Florida, 2022

Rogelio Suarez, MD
Medical School: Instituto Superior de Ciencias Médicas, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, 1990
Residency: General Psychiatry, Larkin Community Hospital, Florida, 2017
Fellowship: Family Medicine, Guantánamo, Cuba, 1995

Melissa Verzura D.O
Medical School: Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine at Nova Southeastern University, 2018
Residency: Psychiatry, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Florida, 2022

Dakydra Thompson
Residency Coordinator

MSMC Psychiatry Program Faculty and Residents.

PGY-1

Emma Bennett, MD  
Medical School:  Florida International University, Florida

Marnie Ruiz, MD
Medical School:  Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Illinois

Omar Shahbaz, MD
Medical School:  Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE), Dominican Republic

PGY-2

Beatriz Errasti, MD
Medical School: Universidad de Ciencias Medicas de la Habana, Cuba

Melissa Hernandez, MD
Medical School:  Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Urena Escuela de Medicina, Dominican Republic

Nicole Pabon, MD
Medical School:  Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine, Bayamon, Puerto Rico

PGY-3

Nicolas Biaggi, MD
Undergraduate: Florida International University, Florida
Medical School: Albany Medical College, New York

Carlos Cueto, MD
Undergraduate: Florida International University, Florida
Medical School: New York Medical College, New York

Ideen Kiafar, DO
Undergraduate: University of Southern California, California
Medical School: Nova Southeastern, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Florida

PGY-4

Brian Bender, MD
Undergraduate: California State University, California
Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine, Dominica

Yakov Niyazov, MD
Undergraduate: Hunter College, New York
Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine, Dominica

Liliam Santiesteban, DO
Undergraduate: Florida International University, Florida
Medical School: Nova Southeastern, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Florida

Graduates

Class of 2023

Stephane Degraff, MD
Clinical Psychiatrist at Spectrum Health Lakeland Medical Center, Michigan

Michael Flowers, MD
Clinical Psychiatrist at James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital, FL

Class of 2022

Leisha Quinones, MD
Fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, FL.

Nicole Redondo, MD
Fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, FL.

Maribel Rodriguez, MD
Clinical Psychiatrist for the Psychiatry Group Practice at Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL.

Melissa Verzura, DO
Clinical Psychiatrist for the Wein Center for Alzheimer’s disease and Memory Disorders at Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL.

Current Psychiatry Residents Group Photo.

Psychiatry Residency Program 2024 Graduates.

General

Three positions are offered at Mount Sinai Medical Center’s Psychiatry Residency Program each year.

Mount Sinai Medical Center participates and accepts applications only through Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). In addition, your application will only be considered if you are enrolled in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). You must contact your medical school for delivery of your application, transcripts, Dean’s Letter, and faculty recommendations to our program via the internet.

NRMP#: 1105400C0

Program ID#: 4001100323

Required Documents for Application

• Letters of recommendation: three recommendations required
• USMLE scores of 170 or higher on both parts
• Pass Clinical Skills Assessment (test administered by the ECFMG)
• Current and valid ECFMG Certification
• Applicants must have passing scores on the USMLE Step 1 to obtain an interview
• Applicants must have excellent English comprehension and speaking skills
• Only J-1 visas are accepted for training

Interview Process

Upon receipt of the completed application, our selection committee will review all materials. Invitations for interviews will be offered via email from Dakydra Thompson (program coordinator).

Inquiries may be directed to Dakydra Thompson, via email at  Dakydra.thompson@msmc.com

Final confirmation for appointment shall be subject to a satisfactory health examination conducted by the medical center’s Employee Health Services Department. The physical examination will include a screening test for the presence of non-prescribed substances, alcohol and nicotine products. Offers of appointment to prospective employees who test positive for nicotine will be rescinded.

Thank you for your interest in our Psychiatry Residency Training Program.