Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship
About
The Addiction Psychiatry one-year fellowship offers a unique opportunity for those who successfully completed 4 years of psychiatry residency training and wish to expand their training in addiction. The specialized skills obtained during training provide preparation for substance use consultation, assessment, and treatment in any setting or locale. Our program provides extraordinary opportunities for fellows to expand their knowledge and care with a diverse patient population via a cultural, biological, psychological, and social framework.
During the training the fellow will experience multiple sites in the community, both in outpatient and inpatient bases. Committed faculty members provide didactics and supervision. The fellow is given the opportunity to co-chair and plan the Annual Hawai’i Addiction Conference hosted by the University of Hawaii Department of Psychiatry and Department of Family Medicine. There are also ample opportunities to pursue research, academia, teaching, and public policy making.
The program seeks to train fellows to work as specialized clinicians who are well-rounded in clinical work, scholarly research, community service, and teaching. We are looking for motivated and caring physicians who have the heart to take care of this vulnerable population.
The Addiction Psychiatry program began in our department on July 01, 1998, when the program received ACGME accreditation. Our program is long-established and nationally well-recognized, being the first such program established west of the Mississippi and having led in establishing a collaborative, ASAM-supported addiction medicine program (2001).
To be a leader in providing education and training of addiction psychiatry fellows by exposing them to:
- A broad spectrum of state-of-the art substance use care and treatment of patients.
- Development of new models of substance use care and treatment.
- Treatment of substance use for all patients including special populations with a commitment to the disadvantaged, indigent and severely mentally ill.
- Research in both psychosocial and neurobiological in the specialty area of substance use to include: epidemiology, special population research, cultural psychiatry and prevention and treatment intervention, community-action, and policy among the ethnic groups of Hawaii, Asia and the Pacific.
The philosophy of addiction psychiatry training program is based on the understanding that addiction is a chronic and complex disease that affects individuals physically, psychologically, and socially. It values a holistic approach that considers the underlying causes and co-occurring conditions of addiction. The program emphasizes treating addiction as a medical condition, not a moral failing, and encourages trainees to approach patients with empathy and respect. By integrating evidence-based practices and collaborating with other healthcare professionals, community organizations, and support systems, the program aims to provide comprehensive and individualized care that supports long-term recovery and respects the dignity of each individual.
To graduate competent addiction psychiatry fellows who can:
- Effectively evaluate and manage patients with substance use disorders.
- Assume diverse contemporary roles, including clinical services, administration, consultation, teaching, advocacy, policy making and research.
- Expand the provision of care within Hawaii’s health system of care.
Core Faculty
The faculty for the Addiction Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine programs are a diverse group of educators and clinicians who work collaboratively to:
- Educate fellows and other healthcare providers in resources, guidelines and best practices in the area of addiction.
- Create and change local and national policies and laws to expand and improve the treatment and support of patients with substance use disorders.
- Increase awareness and understanding of addiction as a medical condition to help reduce stigma and dispel myths and misconceptions.
William F. Haning, M.D.
Addiction Psychiatry
Program Director
Professor Emeritus
Queen’s Medical Center – Addiction Psychiatry
Angela Gough, D.O.
Faculty Supervisor,
Assistant Clinical Professor
Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction
Deborah Kissinger, M.D.
Director of Medical Education & Patient Care
Veteran’s Administration
Jon Streltzer, M.D.
Faculty Supervisor, Professor Emeritus
Queen’s Medical Center – Consult Liaison
Junji Takeshita, M.D.
Director of Medical Education & Patient Care
Queen’s Medical Center – Consult Liaison
Program Details
Curriculum
Our program is a member of the American College of Academic Addiction Medicine (ACAAM) and as such our fellows participate in the ACAAM National Addiction Medicine Didactic Curriculum. This is a weekly, Fellowship-Run didactic experience for fellows and faculty.
The live, 2-hour sessions are mapped to the American Board of Preventative Medicine (ABPM) addiction medicine blueprint as well as the ACGME medical competencies.
Conferences
Each year our program hosts the Annual Hawaii Addiction Conference (HAC). Fellows participate in the conference preparation by serving as co-chairs of the HAC planning committee and will also participate in the actual conference.
Rotation Schedule
Application
How To Apply
Each year, the University of Hawai’i Addiction Psychiatry Training Program participates in the National Residency Match Program (NRMP) to fill positions. We currently have one (1) PGY-5 position each year. Applications must be submitted through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). All applications are reviewed by members of the selection committee only after all documents have been submitted via ERAS.
The following documents are needed to complete your ERAS application:
- ERAS Application Form
- Personal Statement (outlining the following)
- Who you are
- Reasons you are interested in addiction psychiatry
- Reasons you are interested in our program
- Your personal goals
- At least three (3) letters of recommendation, preferably four (4) with two (2) from psychiatrists
- Dean’s letter / Medical School Performance Evaluation (MSPE)
- Official Medical School Transcript
- Complete USMLE / COMLEX Transcripts (see below)
- ECFMG certification (if applicable)
All interviews are conducted virtually. Interviews are by invitation only through ERAS (Thalamus) and invites will be released in about October.
Additional Information
- All non-U.S. citizens applying to the University of Hawaii’s Addiction Psychiatry program must hold a J-1 visa.
- International Medical Graduates (IMGs), whether foreign-born or American-born, are required to hold the standard Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certification. See the ECFMG website for more information.
- Hawaii Residency Programs, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.
Fellows
Our program is proud to have fellows from diverse backgrounds and with various residency training including internal medicine, OB/GYN, anesthesiology and family medicine.
Benefits & Salary
Contact
Addiction Medicine and Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship Programs
University of Hawaii Psychiatry Residency Programs
1356 Lusitana Street, 4th Floor
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Sarah Burns – Administrative Assistant
PHONE: (808) 586-7425
FAX: (808) 586-2940
Email: sburns@hawaiiresidency.org
