Annual Publication 2025 FINAL 05292025 accessible - Flipbook - Page 56
PSYCHIATRY IS TOPS FOR
RECRUITING GRADS INTO GME
BY PAUL JONCICH
KIRK KERKORIAN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT UNLV PSYCHIATRY RESIDENTS AND RESIDENCY PROGRAM ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
T
ake a look at the number of Kirk Kerkorian School
of Medicine at UNLV graduates who stay in town
for residency. Now look at those matriculating
into residencies within the Kirk Kerkorian School
of Medicine. That’s where you will see what
leadership considers a “positive trend” within
one particular department.
Since the school began awarding medical degrees in 2021, the
department of psychiatry and behavioral health’s residency
program has taken on more Kirk Kerkorian graduates (21) than
any other graduate medical education (GME) program within the
school. Family medicine (13) and internal medicine (12) have the
next largest totals. While there have only been 昀椀ve graduating
classes to date, the success warrants a closer look at what the
department is doing right.
56 KIRK KERKORIAN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT UNLV
PHOTO: JULIAN FOX
First, it should be noted that psychiatry as a specialty is becoming
increasingly popular among medical students. According to the
Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), applications
to psychiatry residency programs were up modestly this year
nationwide. But why do so many local grads choose this particular
program?
Psychiatry and behavioral health chair Lisa Durette, MD, explains
it this way: “I attribute our success in recruiting residents 100%
to Mason Jahnke [MD], our vice chair of education, who runs the
clerkship, and to Shayna Davis, our administrative assistant, who
helps coordinate the entire student experience.”
One of the components of the medical student experience in
psychiatry is Dr. Jahnke’s commitment to collaborative learning.
“It’s the belief that whether you’re a 昀椀rst-year med student or
