Psychiatry
Important Update!
It is now official that Atrium Health and Wake Forest Baptist have merged and that part of this merger will be the establishment of the first medical school in Charlotte. We are thrilled to be on the forefront of establishing a new medical school and are excited about the academic possibilities this will create for our faculty and residents.
See here for more details.
Message from our Program Director
Susan Gray, MD
Director of Residency Education
Welcome to the Sandra and Leon Levine Adult Psychiatry Residency Program at Atrium Health - Carolinas Medical Center!
Our training environment is a special and unique place. As one of our residents said, we can go toe-to-toe with any of the legacy programs in the southeast when it comes to number of beds, number of training sites, diversity of patient population and overall breadth of training experience. But we are different. We have a big medical system in which to train, but we are a small, intimate program only accepting a few residents a year. We can give each resident individual attention, making sure that everyone is thriving and living up to the fullness of their potential. If you are someone who enjoys working one-on-one with an attending or being in a small seminar for didactic learning but also wants to have a vast range of clinical experience, then we are the program for you.
We are also different because we are not a long-time established program and continue to innovate, grow and change at a rapid pace. Our program offers an excellent opportunity to lead and participate in the creation of something - the program itself! We are fortunate to attract residents and faculty who believe in our mission and the mission of Atrium Health, “to improve health, elevate hope and advance healing – for all.” In turn, our residency culture reflects these values around hope and healing for all people, especially those members of our community that are marginalized. We are looking for people who are eager to play a role in this emerging culture and understand that their place in the fabric of our medical system is critical, especially in carrying forward these values.
Additionally, we believe that training isn’t about trying to force physicians into an already established mold of what a psychiatrist should be. It’s about you becoming the best person you can be and in so doing, becoming the best doctor and psychiatrist you can be. We have all the requisite clinical sites but also unique opportunities in telemedicine, collaborative care and other rotations built around the future of medicine. We have a large volume of patients to make this happen, but more importantly, we have incredible faculty at each of those sites who are invested in training their future colleagues. Please join us in this rich academic learning environment and in our work here at Atrium Health of providing excellent psychiatric care and leadership in the field.
We look forward to meeting all who are interested in our program!
An Inside Look at the Psychiatry Residency Program
One-on-One Training and Diverse Experiences: A Resident’s View
Variety, Opportunity and Community: Our Faculty’s Perspective
Where You Will Train
Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center
Residents will train at Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, including Atrium Health’s free-standing, dedicated psychiatric emergency room, the only one of its kind in the Charlotte region. This ER is for children, adolescents and adults experiencing a mental health crisis and is located at Atrium Health Behavioral Health, a facility of Carolinas Medical Center. Our residents also work closely with medical students as we are the primary site for The University of North Carolina School of Medicine - Charlotte campus.
Learn moreWhat Residents are Saying About the Psychiatry Residency Program
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“I chose the Sandra and Leon Levine Psychiatry Residency program because it provides a wide variety of learning opportunities and diverse training experiences. It was apparent from my interview experience that this program strives to ensure residents have a supportive work environment and resident wellness is fostered. I chose our program because I knew my educational interests would be promoted and that I would be encouraged daily to be the best resident, colleague and psychiatrist.”
Mihika Batavia, DO
Undergrad: University of South Alabama
Medical School: DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine -
“What absolutely thrilled me when joining the residency at the Sandra and Leon Levine Psychiatry Program was also that it meant I would become intertwined in a family of providers who embody compassionate mental health care. Residents and faculty alike enjoy both teaching and learning from one another, exuding a culture that appreciates individual strengths, supports and guides professional growth, and thrives on teamwork.”
Kristi Wragg, MD
Class of 2022
Undergrad: Saginaw Valley State University
Medical School: Central Michigan University College of Medicine -
“I had the opportunity to do an acting internship in Charlotte during my fourth year of medical school. During that rotation, I was consistently impressed by the knowledge and inquisitive nature of the residents, their collegiality with one another, and the teaching provided by the attending physicians. I was also impressed by the breadth of the curriculum—especially the opportunities for training in administrative roles and practical aspects of medicine such as contract negotiation. Our smaller class size enables plenty of direct interactions with attending physicians, close relationships with my co-residents, and a dynamic program that adapts to provide us with the best learning environment.”
Laura Paschall, MD
Class of 2023
Undergrad: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Medical School: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Meet theTeam
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James C. Rachal, MDChairman, Medical Director, Behavioral Health Charlotte
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Susan M. Gray, MDDirector of Residency Education
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Rodney A. Villanueva, MDAssociate Director of Residency Education
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Sean Butterbaugh, MDChief Resident 2022-2023 Academic Year
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Laura Paschall, MDChief Resident 2022-2023 Academic Year
With a nationally and internationally-renowned team of physicians in psychiatry who serve as faculty, our residents have access to a breadth of experience and knowledge in the program. See the full list of physicians and their specialties here.
Program Curriculum
Our residents train in an environment of self-motivated, inclusive professionals who are committed to providing exceptional behavioral health care to all of their patients. In the program, residents will train with faculty in a wide range of behavioral health presentations with the goal of treating patients with empathy and modern psychiatry techniques. Residents may also participate in educating our communities about mental illness and substance use disorders, encouraging early mental health screenings and wellness. Clinically, our residents benefit from training in a large healthcare system and have unique experiences in the following:
- Telepsychiatry
- Behavioral Health Integration
- First Break Psychosis Program
- Assertive Community Treatment Team
- Private Practice
- Brain Stimulation (ECT/TMS)
- Addiction with Waiver Training
- Behavioral Health Residential Program
Application Criteria
The following is a list of requirements for our program:
- Completed Application through ERAS
- National Resident Match Program (NRMP) number
- Personal Statement
- Three current letters of recommendation (within the year)
- USMLE and/or COMLEX transcripts - (must pass Step 1 and Step 2 CK and CS on first attempt)
- USA Citizenship, Permanent Resident status or J-1 or H1B Visa only
- 6 months of U.S. clinical experience
- ECFMG certificate (IMGs only)
- Our program's own supplemental application
Our recruitment committee will evaluate each completed application.
Learn moreHelpful Links
Partial hospitalization for behavioral health can be a "bridge" between inpatient and outpatient care. Residents will learn how to care for patients that need care for mental illness or a substance use disorder that may be more intensive than intermittent therapy but less intensive than the 24-hour care the patient would receive staying in the hospital.
The only one of its kind in North Carolina. Providing care in a psychiatric emergency is a special skill that stands apart from providing services an in inpatient or outpatient setting. Learning to do that in a psychiatric emergency is a special experience that you can only have here at Atrium Health if you are planning on doing residency in the Carolinas.
Residents may select from the following electives during their time in the program:
| PGY2 and PGY4 Month Long Electives | PGY3 Longitudinal Electives |
| Reproductive Psychiatry | Psycho-Oncology |
| Psychopharmacology | Residential Treatment |
| Hospital Administration | Private Practice |
| Private Practice | Psychotherapy Enhanced Caseload |
| Rural Psychiatry | Child Consults |
| Child Partial | Child Partial |
| Research | BH Davidson Outpatient |
| Medical Student Education | VA Psychology Services |
| Addiction Psychiatry | Extended First Break Clinic |
| Forensic Psychiatry | |
| Eating Disorders |
Away electives are allowed and we encourage residents to create new electives to meet their educational needs if they have not already been established.
Residents will have a variety of experiences in each of their years in the program, where they will rotate through several Atrium Health facilities in the Charlotte region.
Learn moreIn addition to the many educational and career benefits of the Psychiatry Program, residents will receive financial benefits as well.
Learn more