Resident Life
About Me: I am Kacy Smith and I’m originally from Texas. I am currently a PGY-4 and Chief Resident at UTHealth Houston. Outside of psychiatry, I enjoy running, spending time with my husband, son, cats, and dog, eating guacamole and chocolate (not together!), and talking about anything Disney World-related.
Why I Chose UTHealth Houston Psychiatry: I chose UTHealth Houston because of the incredible breadth of training opportunities and specifically the inpatient experience. We care for a diverse patient population across a wide variety of clinical settings, which gives residents exposure to nearly every area of psychiatry. I was also drawn to the people – the residents and faculty I met were welcoming, down-to-earth, and genuinely seemed to enjoy working together. As I’ve progressed through residency, I’ve especially appreciated the opportunities to get involved in education, leadership, and projects that allow residents to help shape the program.
Why I Love Houston: Food! There is an incredible variety of restaurants and things to do, while still being an affordable place to live compared with many other major cities. It’s also a great location to travel from – many cruises leave from nearby Galveston and incredible places like Belize, Cayman Islands, and the Bahamas are just a short plane ride away!
Long-Term Plans: I plan to pursue a career in inpatient psychiatry, and hope for opportunities to stay involved in teaching and mentorship
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About Me: Hi everyone! My name is Amira Bajracharya and I’m a PGY-1 in psychiatry here at UTHealth Houston. I grew up in Overland Park, KS and moved to Texas for college, where I got my bachelor’s in public health and Spanish at UT Austin. Hook em! I moved to Houston for medical school at McGovern and now I’ll be staying at this great program for residency. In my freetime, I love knitting, finding new matcha spots around Houston, and bringing my film camera everywhere I go to take pictures of my friends and wherever I’m visiting.
Why I Chose UTHealth Houston Psychiatry: Ever since I was a third year med student here rotating through HCPC, I have seen how amazing the residents and faculty are and how much wellness matters to the program! They are all so passionate about mentorship and teaching, and I felt so welcomed with everyone I worked with. Everyone I encountered, faculty or residents, were always ready to answer any questions you had or provide you with career advice. I was also drawn to the high acuity of patients you encounter at HCPC/Dunn, which made me feel like I would get well rounded training during residency to feel confident once I’m practicing by myself.
Why I Love Houston: I have lived in Dallas, Austin, and Houston and can confidently say Houston has been one of my favorite cities to live in Texas. We have some great museums here (shout out to the Natural Sciences Museum) and I love the emphasis on music in the city with there being so many places that do jazz nights, vinyl nights, or DJ sets. What has made my experience living here great though is the diversity and food scene. You can find practically any ethnic cuisine in Houston and it will be so authentic and well done, especially in the Chinatown and Hilcroft area. Highly recommend Momo House (iykyk) for some authentic Nepali cuisine, from a certified Nepali herself!
Long-term Plans: I love working with students and mentoring so I’m hoping to stay within academic psychiatry in the future. Right now, I’m very interested in women’s mental health and reproductive psychiatry and hope to integrate that into my practice. My ideal practice would be working inpatient and have an outpatient continuity clinic a couple times a week.
About Me: My name is Isabel Draper. I’m a PGY2 in the Child Track at UT! My professional interests include CAP, addiction, process improvement, and medical humanities. Personally, I am a native Houstonian and crazy chihuahua mom who is known for showing up to morning report with the products of my stress baking. My dogs, Kermit and Fozzy, often come with me on weekend adventures exploring different parts of Houston (they also supervise baking sessions after work). I’m also a big Astros fan and love going to games when I can.
Why I Chose UTHealth Houston: I chose UT for the opportunity to work and learn at HCPC, the largest academic inpatient psychiatric center in the country. I wanted to work with patients experiencing serious mental illness early in my career and follow their treatment journey in the inpatient setting. Additionally, I wanted to be able to rotate on an inpatient adolescent unit and work with youth in the foster care system.
Why I Love Houston: Everyone always says they love the food here, and the food is excellent. But the reason why the food is excellent is the diversity and vibrancy of this swampy, wonderful city. #HtownTillWeDrown There’s always a new corner of town to explore; the residents often do that together during our monthly end of rotation dinners (though in July, we did go to Chili’s because one of our coresident loves the triple dipper).
Long- Term Plans: I hope to work with adolescents, particularly those experiencing addiction. I’m not sure what setting I’d like to work in (inpatient, outpatient, consults, etc.) but am looking forward to my outpatient year in PGY3 to help me decide. Regardless of the setting, I imagine myself continuing to work on process improvement. I hope to use the skills I’ve learned and honed during residency to provide high quality, high value care to my patients.
About Me: My name is Caroline Bay and I am a PGY-2 this year. I am also in the psychotherapy track. I am a Texas native but my family has been in Albuquerque, New Mexico for the past 15+ years! I did medical school at Baylor College of Medicine. I have two cats named Meelo and Egg. My hobbies include doing my nails, gaming, and attempting to grow expensive fruit in my backyard (pomegranate, fig, dragon fruit).
Why I Chose UTHealth Houston Psychiatry: I wanted a program that would prepare me for anything and everything as an attending. I was drawn to UTHealth Houston because our program offers the opportunity to train at the largest academic psychiatric hospital in the country. The number of “interesting” and “unique” cases we see here has strengthened my confidence that I will be able to care for even the most complicated cases when I graduate.
Why I Love Houston: The food here is incredible and cost of living is relatively affordable. We also have two airports so it’s super convenient to travel.
Long-Term Plans: I don’t know! Maybe inpatient, maybe outpatient, maybe both?!
About Me: My name is Ashley Jones. I’m usually watching a good show or movie, tinkering with my home media setup, or finding a new project to keep me busy. I love good food, good music, and spending time with people who don’t take themselves too seriously. I’m always down to learn something new, do something adventurous, or have a good laugh.
Why I Chose UTHealth Houston Psychiatry: I liked the strong sense of camaraderie among the residents and administration and how willing everyone is to support and help one another.
Why I Love Houston: They say everything is bigger and better in Texas, so I wanted to come experience it for myself! Plus, as a self-proclaimed foodie, I figured I’d happily take on the challenge of trying everything Houston has to offer.
Long-Term Plans: I’m keeping an open mind, but I lean towards doing research into Alzheimer’s dementia, and working with older adults.
About Me: Hello! I’m Cristina Abraham, a PGY-1 psychiatry resident and graduate of McGovern Medical School. I was born and raised in Dubai, UAE, before moving to San Antonio, Texas, with my family when I was 10 years old. As an undergraduate, I studied international relations and spent several years working in advocacy/consulting before making a complete career change and pursuing medicine. Although I’ve had the opportunity to live in many different places, I consider Texas home, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be completing my residency in Houston.
Outside of medicine, I’m an avid gardener and especially enjoy creating native plant gardens in my front yard. I’m also a big horror movie fan and can often be found at the theater catching the latest horror release. I have always enjoyed exploring the world around me, and while residency has made traveling a little more challenging, I still try to plan at least one big trip each year. Most of my remaining free time is spent with my partner and our rescue cats, or catching up with family.
Why I Chose UTHealth Houston Psychiatry: UTHealth Houston Psychiatry was my first-choice residency program, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of this community. Training in the Texas Medical Center offers an extraordinary breadth of clinical experiences, with patients coming from across the country and around the world. We have access to the expertise and resources needed to care for everything from common psychiatric conditions to rare and medically complex presentations. I was looking for a program that would challenge me clinically while giving me a strong foundation in the fundamentals of psychiatry. I wanted the opportunity to develop confidence caring for a broad range of patients and to learn from cases that would push me to think critically and continue growing throughout residency. Ultimately, I want to feel super confident in my ability to care for my patients once I finish residency and begin practicing on my own!
Just as important to me was finding a community where residents genuinely support one another. From my first interactions with the psychiatry department as an MS3, I was struck by how welcoming and kind everyone was. I believe this is one of the most important elements of a strong residency program, and one of my top reasons for wanting to stay at UTHealth Houston for residency.
Why I Love Houston: As a foodie, I think Houston’s incredible diversity of restaurants and cuisines is hard to beat. On Friday nights, I love exploring Bellaire and trying new East Asian restaurants in the area. So far, I’ve never been disappointed! Also, if you are a fan of Indian cuisine, Hillcroft is the place to go for authentic South Asian food and groceries.
When I want to get out of the city for a bit, I love going to Sam Houston National Forest for a hike or overnight camping. It is incredible to have such a beautiful forest so close to the city that offers calm and quiet during the (occasional) chaos of residency. Heat permitting, I also love going to Galveston on weekends as it’s the perfect opportunity to unwind by the beach, breathe in the salty air, and try some delicious seafood.
Long-Term Plans: I’m hoping residency will help clarify this question for me! I love the intensity and variety of inpatient psychiatry, but I also value the opportunity to build long-term relationships with patients in the outpatient setting. Ideally, I’d love to find a career that incorporates a little bit of both. I’m particularly interested in working with women, young adults, and individuals from immigrant communities. I’m excited to see how my interests continue to evolve throughout residency and where this journey ultimately takes me.
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