Washington, D.C. — The American Psychiatric Association Foundation today (APAF) proudly welcomed 116 future psychiatric leaders into the 2023 class of fellows, marking the largest class in program history. The APA Foundation Resident Fellowship Program complements psychiatric residency training by providing experiential learning, mentorships, and professional development opportunities.

Twenty-seven U.S. states and 80 medical institutions are represented in this class. The 2023 class is also the most diverse in fellowships history, with over 77% of participants self-identifying as people of color, 61% as women, and 24% as LGBTQ+.

“We couldn’t be more excited to add this impressive class into our community of fellows and fellowship alumni at this critical time in mental health care,” said APAF Executive Director Rawle Andrews, Jr., Esq. “This cohort has already proven themselves to be a valuable source of talent and innovation. The future of psychiatry is in good hands.” Each fellow is assigned to one of nine different fellowships, encompassing topics from child and adolescent psychiatry to psychiatric research to public psychiatry. They will join 61 second-year fellows for a total of 177.

Vedrana Hodzic, M.D., APAF’s director of fellowships, mentorship, and medical education, oversaw the recruitment of this year’s class. “It’s a privilege to play this role in the selection of my early-career colleagues for our Fellowship Program,” she said. “We are looking forward to working with and training these future leaders of our field.” The fellow alumni community includes thousands of practicing physicians, as the fellowships program was initiated over 30 years ago. Fellows sit on APA Councils and Committees, attend APA Annual Meetings, and take advantage of other opportunities to integrate closely into the field of psychiatry.

American Psychiatric Association Foundation

The American Psychiatric Association Foundation is the philanthropic and educational arm of APA. The APA Foundation promotes awareness of mental illnesses and the effectiveness of treatment, the importance of early intervention, access to care, and the need for high-quality services and treatment through a combination of public and professional education, research, research training, grants, and awards.

American Psychiatric Association

The American Psychiatric Association, founded in 1844, is the oldest medical association in the country. The APA is also the largest psychiatric association in the world with more than 38,000 physician members specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and research of mental illnesses. APA's vision is to ensure access to quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. For more information, please visit www.psychiatry.org.