Psychiatric Residency Identity Crisis: Resolution Through Group Process

Abstract

A time-limited group process experience for the purpose of expediting the natural course of group process in a first-year resident group facilitates group cohesion for learning purposes, accelerates the role-identity as psychiatrist, and assists the residency training director in enhancing each individual resident’s learning according to his learning deficit and psychological need.

A faculty advisor resists the role of therapist, and follows the group process experience with didactic material. The experience resolved some regression and transference and did not encourage the residents to become patients by continuing as a therapy or sensitivity group. The group briefly explored the dynamics of adolescent rebellion and a desire to divide the faculty while supporting each other with such problems as providing psychotherapy, becoming a member of a treatment team, and so on. Afterward residents became cotherapists in treatment groups. Advantages of this approach are discussed.