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Impact of an Enduring War on Two Military Psychiatry Residency Programs

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Abstract

Four active duty military psychiatrists at different points in their careers were asked to reflect on the impact that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan had on their respective training in military psychiatry residency programs. The result is an inside look from four unique perspectives on how military psychiatry residency training adapted over time to prepare their graduates to practice psychiatry in a wartime setting as many graduates went to the front lines of war shortly after graduation. This article will provide an understanding of the challenges faced by these residency programs striving to meet the behavioral health needs created by war while balancing this with ongoing ACGME requirements, how those challenges were met, and the impact it had on residents.

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Notes

  1. http://www.goarmy.com/amedd/education/hpsp.html

  2. “Evacuation syndrome develops in combat or in field training exercises when through accident or ignorance an evacuation route, usually through medical channels, opens to the rear for soldiers displaying a certain constellation of symptoms and signs,” which then allows honorable escape from combat [13].

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Acknowledgments

Paulette Tucciarone, Al Tsai, Dennis Sarmiento, and Scott Moran formed the work group that resulted in the suicide response plan at the National Capital Consortium. Jarred Hagan was responsible for the creation and implementation of “Fifth Wednesdays.”

Disclosures

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there are no conflicts of interest. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of the Navy, Department of Defense, nor the US Government.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, Fort Campbell, KY, USA

    Rhianon M. Groom

  2. Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Russell B. Carr

  3. Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, HI, USA

    Stephanie L. Leong

  4. 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, KY, USA

    Michelle B. Hornbaker-Park

Authors
  1. Rhianon M. Groom
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  2. Russell B. Carr
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  3. Stephanie L. Leong
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  4. Michelle B. Hornbaker-Park
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rhianon M. Groom.

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Groom, R.M., Carr, R.B., Leong, S.L. et al. Impact of an Enduring War on Two Military Psychiatry Residency Programs. Acad Psychiatry 39, 354–359 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-015-0284-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-015-0284-2

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