Menninger Welcomes Inaugural Class of Yudofsky Chief Residents

During the summer of 2019, Menninger was excited to welcome its inaugural class of Yudofsky Chief Residents. The Stuart C. Yudofsky, MD, Endowed Residency in Psychiatry was established by Menninger in 2018 to recognize Dr. Yudofsky’s many contributions to the field of neuropsychiatry, as well as his patients and The Clinic. The former chair of Baylor College of Medicine’s psychiatry department, Dr. Yudofsky played a key role in Menninger’s affiliation with Baylor in 2002. More than $1.6 million was donated by donors and friends to support the residency named in his honor.

 

Hank Sahin, MD, a fourth-year psychiatry resident, is one of Menninger's first Yudofsky Chief Residents. Originally from Dallas, Dr. Sahin prides himself on being a Texan all the way down to his cowboy boots. When the time came to apply to residency programs, Dr. Sahin knew two things — he wanted to specialize in psychiatry, and he wanted to stay in Texas.

 

Residency training occurs after graduation from medical school and is required for certification by the American Board of Medical Specialties. The Texas Medical Center is the largest such center in the world and is home to many of the nation’s leading residency programs for medical school graduates. In partnership with Baylor, each year Menninger trains approximately 20 of the college’s psychiatry residents.

 

Dr. Sahin received his medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center’s McGovern Medical School in Houston, but ultimately elected to pursue his residency at Baylor College of Medicine.

 

“I wanted to develop a different way of looking at things,” he says. “That small step of going across the street from UT to Baylor really expanded my knowledge as a psychiatrist.”

 

Before becoming a Yudofsky Chief Resident, Dr. Sahin completed a clinical rotation at Menninger during his second year of residency on the Comprehensive Psychiatric Assessment Service. During the rotation, he worked with patients to stabilize their conditions, provided comprehensive diagnostic services and developed his skills in acute care. He’s now further honing his psychiatry skills on the Compass Program for Young Adults. He says he’s never felt more confident and competent as a physician.

 

Along with an immersive clinical education, the Yudofsky Chief Residents are empowered to develop their leadership skills. Under the mentorship of Neil Puri, MD, medical director of the Center for Brain Stimulation as well as Menninger 360, Dr. Sahin is receiving management training and learning what it takes to lead an interprofessional clinical team. He also is providing guidance and mentorship to junior residents.

 

“I can’t emphasize enough how unique Menninger is for psychiatrists,” Dr. Sahin says. “Most inpatient care is limited to crisis stabilization; whereas, at Menninger, we have the time and the resources to dive into core issues that are impairing patients’ mental health, their relationships with themselves and their relationships with other people. I feel more prepared than ever before for a career in psychiatry.”