From COVID connections to ongoing relationships, Dr. Kathe relates his evolving journey through organized medicine from residency training to ensuring that trainee voices are heard in Pennsylvania and across our country.
Finding My Place in Organized Psychiatry
By Kirklan Kathe, MD
If you had told me at the start of residency that I would be continuously involved in organized psychiatry, I probably would have been skeptical. Like most interns, I was focused on getting through the day and figuring out what kind of psychiatrist I wanted to become. When I became my program’s resident representative for the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society (PaPS) and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) several years ago, I saw an opportunity to connect residents from multiple programs and build community as Philadelphia emerged from COVID.
That led to helping with the Philadelphia Chapter of PaPS Residents Committee, where the first order of business was just getting people in the same room, even if at first that room was on Zoom. With the support of our chapter, we organized annual, and then semiannual events where residents from different programs could unwind, swap stories, and realize they were not going through training alone. Word spread, and what started as a small group grew into events fully booked by residents from across the city. Once people felt connected to each other and to PaPS, many wanted to stay involved. What I found was a community that believed advancing and shaping the future of mental health care was not something to defer until after graduation. It was something we could begin right now.
Currently, as the District Branch Resident-Fellow Member Representative, the goal is to ensure trainees across Pennsylvania have a seat at the table. One focus has been connecting residents to opportunities such as APA Foundation’s national fellowships, which welcomed their largest class ever this year with over 200 fellows. These fellowships give early-career psychiatrists the chance to develop leadership skills, attend national meetings, and engage with the most exciting developments in the field.
Connecting trainees to advocacy has been just as important. Initially I joined our state government relations committee, and soon being involved with PaPS and the APA made it possible to attend events like the Federal Advocacy Conference, which this past year drew its largest turnout ever, with psychiatrists from across the country meeting lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Our patients depend on policymakers who understand the realities of mental health treatment, and that requires nonpartisan engagement from clinicians at every career stage.
With general training complete and fellowship already coming to a close, I am excited to be presenting on a panel at the APA Annual Meeting in San Francisco this May. Trainee voices belong in these spaces, and are welcomed in meetings like these where the next generation of psychiatrists can learn, grow, and move the field forward. If you are a resident looking for a reason to get involved, consider this your invitation.
Dr. Kirklan Kathe, MD, is a fellow in forensic psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his psychiatry residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, where he was a chief resident. Dr. Kathe became involved with the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society (PaPS) through the State Government Relations Committee and by leading the PaPS Philadelphia Chapter Residents Committee. He now serves as the Resident-Fellow Member Representative on the PaPS Executive Council. His professional interests include medical education, LGBTQ+ mental health, forensic psychiatry, and mental health advocacy.