Psychiatry (child and adolescent)

Frequently asked questions

2011 interview dates are listed at the bottom of this page. Please read the full FAQ before contacting us to request a date!

About the program

How many fellows do you accept? We accept four fellows per year for a total of eight fellows altogether in our 2-year program.
What can you tell me about salaries, benefits, and program policies? Our fellows are employees of the McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University. Please follow this link for detailed information on policies and procedures (outlined in the Housestaff Manual), as well as stipends, benefits, and a sample program contract.
Do your fellows take call? Yes, fellows take at-home call an average of once every eighth night. For more information about call, please see the Emergency Psychiatry Service description.

Program eligibility

Do you accept applicants with visas? Northwestern University will sponsor a J1 visa. Unfortunately, we are not able to accept other visa categories.
Do you accept applicants outside the National Resident Matching Program? Matches are through the NRMP, with very occasional exceptions. We will accept up to one pre-match per year with an applicant who is completing general psychiatry training at McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University. If circumstances will prevent you from participating in the match, please call us to discuss your individual situation.
I spent some time in private practice before deciding to pursue child and adolescent psychiatry training. Would you still be interested in me? We are always interested in applicants with real-world experience in a variety of areas!
I am "off-cycle" and will not not be able to start a fellowship on July 1. Should I still apply? We may be able to accept applicants who are slightly off-cycle. Please call us to discuss the specifics of your individual situation.
Do I need to have passed all of my USMLE/COMLEX exams? Yes, although we are happy to interview applicants who have not yet received their Step 3 results if they anticipate getting the results by early to mid-December (before the match closes).

Application materials and mailings

May I apply through the Electronic Residency Application Service? Unfortunately, the child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship match is not currently supported by ERAS.
Does the application form have to be typed? No, but we request legible handwriting!
Do my letters of recommendation have to be mailed directly by faculty members, or can they be included with the packet I send you? Letters of recommendation, etc. can be sent to us directly from the faculty member or included in the materials you send us.
Can my materials be faxed? We prefer to receive materials by mail, but we will accept a fax under some urgent circumstances. Please contact the program coordinator at 773.880.4833 if you need to fax materials to expedite your application.
I want to send my materials by express mail, and I can't send them to a P.O. box. Do you have another address? We don't need to receive materials by express mail unless you're in a big hurry, but if you prefer to express them, you can still use our regular address. The “Box 10” is a physical location in our mail room, not a P.O. box.

Program interviews

How do I get invited for an interview? Application files are reviewed by members of the Education Committee when they are complete or very nearly complete. Once the Education Committee approves your application, the program coordinator will contact you to arrange an interview date. Applications must be complete before the date of the actual interview.
When are interviews scheduled? Our interview dates are listed at the bottom of this page. Dates are offered on a first-come-first-served basis to applicants whose completed files have been approved by our Education Committee. We regret that we cannot hold interview dates for applicants whose files have not yet been approved. We strongly encourage applicants to interview early in the season!
What is an interview day like? Interviews typically begin between 9 and 10 a.m., and we try our best to end before 5 p.m. (If you have specific travel constraints, please let us know so we can work around your schedule!) Each applicant meets with the training director, the division head, some members of the faculty, and some of our current fellows. Some Monday interview dates may also include a Multidisciplinary Case Conference, and some Fridays may include a Child Psychiatry Grand Rounds (Warren Wright Lecture) presentation; please feel free to request a visit on one of these days. We usually interview from one to three applicants per day, but other than a shared lunch with current fellows, each applicant has an individual schedule.
Do you cover accommodation or travel expenses for interviews? We regret that we are unable to do so, but please read our Visiting Chicago page for more information about hotel and transportation options.
Some of your faculty work in areas that are particularly interesting to me. Can I meet with them when I interview? We encourage you to ask! We can't guarantee the availability of specific faculty members other than the program director and the division head, but we will do our best to accommodate requests. If you identify specific interests, we may be able to schedule other individuals working in these areas for you to meet. Please mention any special interests when you confirm your interview date so we can plan ahead.