Recovering Physicians in Addiction Psychiatry Fellowships: Perspectives of Fellows and Faculty

In this report, the authors describe the characteristics and experiences of recovering fellows in a university addiction subspecialty fellowship. Four stages of adjustment were identified: 1) initial adjustment, 2) role conflict, 3) role integration, and 4) graduation. From a faculty viewpoint, it is particularly important to separate clinical from educational responsibilities in dealing with recovering fellows. Despite some continuing conflict about treatment models, most fellows achieved their training goals and were able to successfully adapt to post-training practice. However, some fellows were unable to integrate personal recovery and professional roles.