UC Davis Psychiatrist Awarded Third PRMS-Endowed Fellowship with GAP: Guest Blog
As part of PRMS’ ongoing commitment to behavioral health, we invited Ivy Song, MD, PGY-3 psychiatry resident at the University of California, Davis, to be featured as our guest blogger this month and share her goals as the new PRMS Fellow in Child Psychiatry with the Group for Advancement of Psychiatry (GAP).
In my personal and professional journey, finding my voice and telling an authentic story has been a recurring theme, leading me to develop an interest in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. During my second year of general psychiatry residency at the University of California, Davis, I applied to be part of the GAP fellowship's Child Psychiatry Committee. Among the various fellowships available, I was drawn to the GAP fellowship for its unique hands-on experience working on different writing projects. My dream is to share the unique stories of different groups through writing and other creative channels, illustrating that despite our differences, ultimately, we all wish to be heard and included. It is my honor and privilege to be selected as a GAP fellow for the Child Psychiatry Committee for the 2023-2024 term.
My experience with the GAP fellowship began even before the first meeting. I was warmly welcomed by the fellowship leadership in a personable manner and connected to other co-fellows. During in-person meetings, I not only met like-minded trainee leaders, but also collaborated on cutting-edge topics with renowned psychiatrists in the field.
The projects are focused on innovative approaches to popular topics of the time – social media, teenage depression, and self-diagnosing mental health conditions, to name a few. The committee not only writes academic papers but also blog pieces for general audience education. Our recent work, “Parental Support for Generation Z: What is Helpful and What is Not,” was published in Psychology Today’s GAP Blog. It warms my heart that this piece reaches a broader audience and provides concrete, actionable steps for parents, aligning with my goal as a future child and adolescent psychiatrist. We are currently working on other pieces targeting both academic readers and families, with the theme of mental health information posted on social media.
Being part of the GAP fellowship played a significant role in my journey to become a child and adolescent psychiatrist. Through working on these projects, I not only solidified my career vision but also met and connected with outstanding mentors. We worked on committee-related projects and shared common academic interests outside of the committee. Together, we published work on using live theater to teach parents and families facets about mental health within Asian American families. I am certain that the mentorship and friendship I forged during the fellowship will continue to be part of my future career.
During my application process for child and adolescent psychiatry fellowships, programs showed a keen interest in my experience as a GAP fellow, and I was successfully matched at the University of California, Irvine for the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry fellowship. I am excited to start this new chapter of my journey this summer and am grateful to have been selected to be part of the GAP fellowship, as it has enriched my experience as a trainee. I could not have done it without the generous support from PRMS.
PRMS is pleased to support a Fellowship in Child Psychiatry with GAP, the leading think tank for mental health. Interested in learning more about a GAP Fellowship? Visit https://www.ourgap.org/gap-fellowship to learn more about the application process.
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