The PGYI program is designed to provide residents with the medical experiences and skills that are most relevant to psychiatric practice. Residents spend four months on medical services along with PGY I residents in other programs. Residents will do these rotations at either Newton Wellesley Hospital or a combination of Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Brigan & Women's Faulkner Hospital in Boston. PGY1 residents also rotate for two months on the Neurology Consultation Service at either Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center or Brigham and Women’s Hospital.  PGY 1 residents who are likely to enter a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship may elect to complete one month of neurology at Boston Children's Hospital

Residents spend one month on a rotation in substance abuse at the Brigham and Women's and Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospitals where they learn about detoxification, intensive inpatient treatment,inpatient consultation, and long-term outpatient management of these problems. As part of this program, they are also exposed to self-help groups.

Residents spend four months rotating at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center where they learn about the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of acutely ill psychiatric patients. Two months of this rotation are spent on the Deaconess 4 Inpatient Psychiatry service, and two months are spent alternating between the  Emergency Psychiatric Service and Night Float call on the Deaconess 4 Inpatient Psychiatry Service.  Additionally, PGY 1's spend one month at the Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital Acute Psychiatric Inpatient Service.