How can anyone believe that interest in psychoanalysis is waning? This year there were almost twice as many applicants for The American's Resident Fellowships as last year (sixty as compared to thirty-five). As in previous years, brochures describing the program were sent to residency training directors and psychiatry department chairs and were handed out at meetings of the American Psychiatric Association and the Association of Residency Training Directors. This year society presidents, chairs of education committees, and (most important) residents and child fellows themselves received brochures. Six residents have already announced their intention to apply next year.
This large group of applicants was of superb quality. It was even more difficult than usual to narrow the field, but eventually fifteen fellowships were awarded—five more than last year. The broad geographic distribution of the applicants was once again impressive. They came from eighteen states, and this year, for the first time, applications were received from Canada. Once again, the applicants came from a wide variety of backgrounds: a former rabbi, two people pursuing graduate degrees in the humanities while in residency, five professional musicians, six poets, a public radio writer and producer, a pharmacist, a pediatric dentist, a pediatrician, three members of the armed forces, several computer experts, a child of Hispanic migrant workers, and two former Fulbright scholars. Approximately equal numbers of men and women applied for and won the fellowships.
Of the new Fellows, three are foreign-born (Russia, Turkey, and Italy), and three are foreign-trained; one is African-American, one is gay, and one is in the armed forces. They are in residency training in nine states and one Canadian province. Five are already analytic candidates. During their fellowship year, each will be assigned a mentor; all of their expenses will be paid at the December meeting of The American and next summer's IPA Congress in San Francisco. Fellows will receive subscriptions to JAPA TAP, the International Journal of Psycho-Analysis, and the IPA Newsletter, and books from Yale University Press, Jason Aronson, International Universities Press, and The Analytic Press. A former Fellow will serve as a sponsor for each new Fellow.
The past year has gone exceedingly well for the 1993-1994 Fellows. At the meetings they presented clinical material in special workshops, and one wrote an article for TAP (28/1) detailing his experiences at the December meeting. Pedro Dago has been awarded an APA Minority Research Fellowship, Ben Bennett and Russell Geoffrey hold GAP Fellowships, and Justin Richardson holds both a Ginsberg and an APA
Burroughs-Welcome Fellowship. Once again, the mentoring program gets much of the credit for making the year so successful. Mentors included George Allison, Ronald Benson, David Carlson, Ralph Engle, Gerald Fogel, Melvin Mandel, Gerald Melchiode, Sheldon Roth, Jorge Schneider, and Anna Wolff.
The former Fellows organization has been very active, publishing a newsletter and providing additional mentoring for the new Fellows. Several former Fellows now serve on committees of The American. At the meetings, former Fellows now chair the meetings of the Programs for Residents, at which current Fellows present clinical material. Of the ten 1992–1993 Fellows, Sarah Atkinson, Jane Dulay, Rachel Seidel, Beverly Stoute, Amy Tyson, and Susan Vaughan are now in analytic training. Jennifer Rosenberg and Joanne Donker plan to apply as soon as the circumstances of their lives permit.
Two initiatives have been taken to expand the programs reach. All applicants, whether or not they are awarded a fellowship, are now assigned mentors in their geographic area. The mentors will meet with them, invite them to meetings, suggest readings, and in general bring them within the orbit of psychoanalysis. The second initiative will extend eligibility for the Fellowship to psychologists in postdoctoral training or junior faculty positions. Fred Busch and Arnold Wilson have joined the Resident Fellowship Subcommittee with the specific mission to aid in this expansion of the Fellowship Program. Again, members of The American are urged to encourage qualified applicants to apply for the fellowships.
The Resident Fellowship Subcommittee (Elise W. Snyder, chair) of the Committee on University and Medical Education (Arnold M. Cooper, chair) includes Paul Dewald, Charles P. Fisher, Steven T. Levy, James L. Nash, Warren Procci, Harvey Schwartz, Melvin Singer, Miriam F. Tasini, Jerome Winer, and George Wohlreich.