Dr. Ralph Menezes
Program Director

Thank you for your interest in the psychiatry residency program here at Loretto Hospital. Ours is a new program having received accreditation from the ACGME in April 2020. We were successful in recruiting four residents to PGY-1 positions starting July 1, 2020. Despite being the newest psychiatry residency program in the Chicagoland area we have recruited experienced faculty and staff to help train our residents to become competent and knowledgeable psychiatrists.

Psychiatry has evolved into a unique position in medical specialties. It is now recognized as one of the primary specialties, and the need for well-trained psychiatrists is evident in the recruitment efforts of medical centers, universities, outpatient mental health centers and even the Armed Forces. The advances in knowledge about the neurobiological underpinnings of major psychiatric illnesses have led to more effective treatments that can ameliorate even the most disabling psychiatric conditions. Complex medical illnesses that have psychiatric manifestations or be affected by co-occurring psychiatric illnesses need diligent psychiatric investigation and care.

Loretto hospital is 177 bed acute care community hospital, which has a medium sized psychiatric service which includes 57 inpatient beds and an outpatient clinic staffed with psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers. Loretto Hospital also has a chemical dependency program with both in-patient and out-patient levels of active research department is currently conducting clinical trials. Residents will have the opportunity to rotate through all these areas with supervision and develop clinical skills that will be useful in whatever subspecialty of psychiatry they choose to practice in.