Psychiatry Faculty
Letter from Our Program Director
Program Director
The Department of Psychiatry at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center has been my second home since 2001 when I began my own psychiatry training journey. I am so proud to now be the Program Director in the same Department that has supported and shaped my career. Spend a few minutes on our website and I think you’ll agree - we have something very special here.
Our residency training program offers a firm foundation of clinical and educational experiences coupled with diverse elective opportunities to help prepare you for a career in mental health. We support wellness, scholarly projects and provide many leadership opportunities to trainees. We are innovators and collaborators in residency education. I also like to think we do it all with a creative flare!
Most importantly for anyone contemplating training with us, each member of our Department, from our Chair Dr. Lackamp to our first-year trainees, is committed to excellence in residency education. Our faculty genuinely cares about teaching and mentorship. We have knowledgeable, dedicated academic administrators. Our trainees are talented, kind, passionate and supportive. Simply put, our psychiatry residency is the best.
My personal philosophy as training director is that it is my job to see that each individual resident is taken as far along their path of professional development as possible during their time with us. Nothing makes me happier than seeing our residents succeed both within the program and after graduation.
So, if you are looking for a dynamic residency program, then University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center is the place to train. I look forward to hearing from you.
Katie Cerny-Suelzer, MD
Program Director
(she/her)
Letter from Associate Training Director
Thank you for your interest in our program! In my new role as Associate Program Director, it is my great honor to help you develop into the best psychiatrist you can be. To choose psychiatry is to directly confront the problems of human suffering in the context of medical care. We utilize the tools of medication, psychological therapies, medical procedures, and social interventions to help individuals transcend trauma, fight addiction, and minimize the impact of mental illness, to live their best lives. Psychiatrists are experts in collaboration with patients, and we understand the power of empathy. We also seek to understand the scientific evidence for what we do. Humanity and rationality are balanced in the mastery of our trade.
As a former graduate of our Residency Training program, and our Community Psychiatry Fellowship, I have had the benefit of watching our program develop since 2006. I stayed on as faculty, to supervise residents in psychotherapy clinic, and in the community setting, as well as teach the majority of our Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Curriculum. I also direct our Transitional-Age Youth Initiative (TAY), where we develop clinical innovations and research for young adults age 17-29.
Over the past 14 years, I have seen astounding growth and development. At University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University, we believe the strength of our program is based on several principles. First, we believe that the best training is a combination of depth and breadth of experience. Our trainees see individuals of diverse populations in clinical settings ranging from community to hospital-based, child to geriatric, veterans, forensic populations, women’s health, individuals with intellectual disability, transitional youth, addiction, etc. Second, we understand that residency is an arduous time, with challenges to cohesion and personal well-being. Thus, we strive to build a culture in which trainees are empowered and supported, and we provide opportunities to participate in the process of development. We continuously gather feedback, and residents serve as leaders in residency to graduate as leaders in medicine. We believe that long careers require training in self-care and wellness, and discipline to maintain a balanced life and career. Finally, we seek to provide a safe anti-racist, and anti-sexist environment that values diversity and participation. Allowing that we are not perfect in this regard, we strive to evolve as an organization in policy and personal responsibility to reduce harmful disparities.
There are many fine training programs in psychiatry, and we know that you have difficult choices to make. In exploring programs, we hope you will find the University Hospitals / Case Western Reserve University Department of Psychiatry to be welcoming, as well as a place where you can develop a personalized path toward your maximal development as a clinician, a scholar, and as a compassionate human being.
Andrew Hunt, MD, MHA
Associate Program Director
Clinical Faculty
We have more than 200 clinical faculty members who share their expertise across all areas of psychiatry. This includes our core faculty at UH Cleveland Medical Center, as well as affiliated faculty members at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center and throughout the community.