Applicant Information

How to Apply 

To apply to the program, please review the resident selection criteria and contact your medical school Dean’s office or the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) ​

The program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).​

We will require verification of all post-graduate training from previous program director(s).​

Applications are reviewed by a selection committee composed of the program director, residents in the program, and two other geriatric psychiatry faculty members.

Applications are always accepted.

Selection Criteria

​1.  The MSU Geriatric Psychiatry Residency Program is governed by the rules of the Residency Review Committee for Psychiatry, an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)  institution created for the accreditation and review of U.S. Psychiatry Residency Programs.​

2.  The MSU Geriatric Psychiatry Residency Review Committee and its subgroup, the Geriatric Residency Selection Committee, supervise the selection of all geriatric psychiatric residents in the MSU program.​

3.  Applicants must have a permanent visa or be a U.S. citizen in order to qualify for residency training in the MSU Geriatric Psychiatry Residency program.​

4.  Only unsanctioned individuals or entities will be employed or contracted. The term "unsanctioned" refers to those individuals or entities not included on the Office of Inspector General (OIG) Exclusion List or General Service Administration (GSA) List of Parties Excluded from Federal Programs.​

Applicant Eligibility Criteria

  • Graduation from a U.S. or Canadian medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)  ​
  • Graduation from a U.S. osteopathic medical school accredited by the American Osteopathic Association​
  • Graduation from a medical school outside the U.S. or Canada with a current, fully valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates​

  • A minimum of two years training in adult psychiatry from an accredited program​

  • USMLE or COMLEX score of 75+ (Step 1, 2, and 3)​

  • Passing of Clinical Skills Assessment Exam​

  • A full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in the U.S.​

  • Federal DEA license​

  • Grade point average of 3.0+​

  • Aptitude for geriatric psychiatry as demonstrated in personal statements​

  • Expert written and oral command of the English language (personal statement, application, letters of recommendation)​

  • Evidence of a commitment to geriatric psychiatry as a career​

Application Documents

1. MSU Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship Application​

2. 3 Letters of Recommendation​

3. Medical School Transcripts/diploma sent directly to the residency office from the institution​

4. Official USMLE/COMLEX score report​

5. Verification of Residency training from the program director​

6. Personal Statement​

7. ECFMG Certification (if applicable)​

8. Dean's Letter from Medical school​

9. Evidence of a commitment to geriatric psychiatry as a career

Salary & Benefits

Annual Salary and Time-Off Allotments 

July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023 

  PGY5
Salary $63,629

Vacation Days: 20

CME Days: 5

CME Reimbursement: $1,000

Residents are appointed as instructors at Michigan State University. A competitive benefit package is provided, which includes health insurance, dental coverage, disability insurance, malpractice insurance, and travel and death benefits. Vacation days are accumulated according to the program year of July through June. 

Fellowship Contacts

Deborah Wagenaar, DO, MS​
Program Director​, Geriatric Fellowship 
Phone: (517) 353-4362 
wagenaard@msu.edu  

Jordan Sturgill
Fellowship Program Coordinator
Phone: (517) 353-4362
sturgi13@msu.edu