Maria Macaluso, DO

A day in the life of a PGY-2 resident

My name is Maria Macaluso, and I’m a PGY-2 psychiatry resident at LVHN. Here’s a look at what a typical Wednesday looks like during my rotation in our Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP).

My day starts around 6:00 a.m. After getting ready, I make myself a cup of coffee (a necessity!) before heading out the door around 7:00 a.m. I usually arrive at the hospital by 7:30 a.m. and spend the first part of my morning reviewing charts for new admissions and catching up on any updates for our current patients so I’m prepared for the day ahead.

Around 8:15 a.m. our interdisciplinary team meets to discuss each patient’s progress, barriers to discharge, and ways we can best support a successful transition out of the program. One of my favorite aspects of the PHP is working alongside therapists, social workers, nurses, and psychiatrists to create individualized treatment plans for each patient.

The first therapy group begins at 8:45 a.m. These morning process groups give patients the opportunity to discuss challenges they’re facing while receiving support from both the therapists and their peers. I’ve had the chance to actively participate in these groups by offering feedback and learning therapy techniques such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). As someone who enjoys developing my therapy skills, this has been one of the most rewarding parts of the rotation.

On most afternoons, I work with our attending psychiatrist during medication management appointments and help facilitate psychoeducation groups, giving me additional opportunities to build both my psychopharmacology and teaching skills.

Wednesdays, however, are a little different because we have our protected didactic time. We spend the afternoon at Muhlenberg participating in resident education, which typically includes a case conference or Grand Rounds presentation, lectures on a variety of psychiatric topics, board review, and group supervision with our Program Director, Dr. Martin. While I always learn something new during didactics, my favorite part is getting to catch up with my co-residents. Having dedicated educational time together each week is something I really appreciate about our program and serves as a great opportunity to learn from one another while staying connected despite being on different rotations.

We usually finish around 4:30 p.m., which leaves plenty of time to enjoy the evening. I like to unwind by taking a long walk or heading to a workout class, often with one of my co-residents! Afterwards, I usually make dinner and end the day by reading a good thriller or catching up on whatever TV show I’m currently watching.

While this is just one day in my life as a resident, it reflects the variety of experiences that are part of our training at LVHN. We are fortunate to have two dedicated PHP rotations during our second year, along with additional experiences in Psychiatric Emergency Services, Inpatient Psychiatry, Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and many other areas of psychiatry. One of my favorite things about residency at LVHN is the balance between diverse clinical experiences, protected educational time, and a genuinely supportive group of co-residents and faculty.