Rob Oldham, M.D.

Current Role: Graduated 2008. Currently Preventative Medicine Resident

Hometown: Knoxville, Tennessee

Undergraduate Education: University of Virginia

Medical Education: University of Alabama, Birmingham

Background Information

I was one of the few who came to medical school knowing that I wanted to be a psychiatrist. I have many interests outside of medicine, and psychiatry is the specialty that has most contact with “the outside world”. I love working with real people, with all of their vulnerabilities and resilience. I also try to pay close attention to the environment and systems that impact the patient and the care he or she receives.

Interest in Psychiatry

Psychiatry gives me a unique opportunity to try to understand my patients on multiple levels of complexity. The ambiguity that still exists in the field is also a great opportunity. I like the idea that we haven’t figured everything out yet, and hope that I can play a small part in advancing the way we think about people with mental illnesses.

Interest in VCU Residency

I think that the psychiatry residency training program at VCU offers a unique opportunity for trainees to learn in a challenging, but safe environment. The diversity of clinical experiences is virtually unmatched in its richness. We get to see lots of different patients in a wide array of settings. Our outpatient clinics also offer a great environment that encourages personal growth and experimentation. We are an international center for research in biological psychiatry, yet the training program does still has a strong emphasis on psychotherapy and the art of clinical practice. Resident research is not required, but there are countless opportunities for research and just about any other possibility for those who are so inclined.

For instance, I am very interested in mental health policy and administration, especially within academic and community settings. As a resident, I have been fortunate enough to serve as Chair of the Resident and Fellows Section (of the American Psychiatric Association), on the Board of the Medical Society of Virginia, as Co-Chair of VCU Housestaff Council, and on the VCU University Council. I have been able to take graduate courses at VCU’s prestigious Department of Health Administration. I have also been named as a GlaxoSmithKline fellow through the APA, and as a part of that program, I serve on the Council on Psychiatry and Law. In addition, I try to keep active in community service and research work. I stay very busy, but feel supported by my program and the great colleagues who surround me.

Future Plans

I am still undecided, but am considering fellowships in addiction and forensic psychiatry. I am also interested in doing further training in psychodynamic psychotherapy and in staying involved with mental health administration and policy in some capacity.

Other Comments

What is nicest about VCU Psychiatry is that all of these excellent programs are tied together by a diverse array of fabulous people and in a very friendly and comfortable work environment. I was initially worried that VCU’s location in Richmond might be a negative. On the contrary, my wife (who is from Southern California) and I have fallen in love with this city. It has just about every cultural opportunity you could need (everything else is accessible with an easy weekend jaunt to DC), but in a very manageable and affordable setting. We hope that you will consider coming to join us!