2026 Virtual Series: Navigating Your Career Path: Considerations for a Lifelong Career in Psychiatry
About this Series:
Psychiatry is a fulfilling career path with numerous avenues for practice. Psychiatrists can focus on certain settings, such as inpatient or outpatient, work in specialized systems, such as the VA or corrections, or create their own combination of numerous contracts and practice settings. With so many options, it can be difficult to choose a particular path or determine the best path forward when looking to change career paths or jobs. Join IPS for our next virtual series as we explore “Navigating Your Career Path: Considerations for a Lifelong Career in Psychiatry.” We’ll be joined by experienced panelists who will lead us in learning about considerations when transitioning between positions, all things private practice, best practices for testifying in commitment proceedings with a focus on outpatient commitment processes, and working in specific, specialized clinical systems. Whether you’re looking for advice for locating your first job, your fifth job, or information about opening your own practice, our panelists will be able to offer considerations and answer questions based on their personal experience.
Session 1: Transitions Between Positions
January 15, 2026 | 6:30-7:30 PM (CST)
Panelists discussed hiring red flags, considerations when changing career positions, U.S. visa dos and don’ts for international psychiatry members and much more.
About Our Panelists:
Adrienne Adams MD, MS graduated from Wayne State School of Medicine where she received the Distinguished Medical Student Award from the Department of Psychiatry during her 4th year. She completed her General Psychiatry residency and Child and Adolescent fellowship at University of Illinois-Chicago and was Chief Fellow for the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry residency. She received her master’s in clinical research from Rush University, Graduate College in 2012. Dr. Adams joined the faculty at Rush University as an Assistant Professor where she has worn many hats including interim inpatient medical director, CL director, outpatient medical director, and fellowship training director for 14 years. In August 2020 she was promoted to Associate Professor, in psychiatry, worked in the medical college as an advisor for the class of 2022, course facilitator within the graduate college for the Interpersonal Education Section (2017-2021). In 2021, she joined the UIC and Rockford campus as a visiting Associate Professor, the co-director for the Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation Jay G. Hirsch Medical Student Fellowship, UIC- Rockford campus, and the first African American female medical director for Rosecrance Griffin Williamson campus. She joined Endeavor Health as the Director of their new Residency Program in 2024. She has always been an advocate for child issues and has been interviewed by WGN Radio 720, Chicago Tribune, PBS local affiliate, WGN podcasts, and a panel discussant with the honorable Speaker of the House Welch and the CBS local news. Annually, she attends Advocacy Day on the Capital where she promotes mental health issues on the national level. She has also served on the Local Arrangements Committee for the 2008 and 2019 AACAP Annual Meeting in Chicago where she was the Chair for the Monitors Board. She became a Distinguished Fellow in AACAP (2019), and in APA (2021). She has held nationally elected positions in AACAP and AADPRT. Within Illinois Psychiatric Society (IPS) she has served as co-chair for the Health Equity and Antiracism Committee (HEAR-C), treasurer, and currently as IPS President.
Ryan Finkenbine, M D is Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria. He oversees the departments’ mission to provide excellent clinical care, education, research and outreach to the community. After a nearly four-decade career in medicine, he will be retiring soon to spend time with his family.
Sudhakar Shenoy, MD, FAPA earned his medical degree from Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, where he graduated as valedictorian. He completed his psychiatry residency and child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield, Illinois. He is board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) in both psychiatry and the subspecialty of child and adolescent psychiatry.
Before residency, Dr. Shenoy participated in research training at Harvard Medical School, Virginia Commonwealth University–Medical College of Virginia, and the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in India.
Dr. Shenoy’s journey to medicine was shaped by a personal experience: as a child, he survived a life-threatening accident that required multiple surgeries. The scarcity of medical resources in India initially made it difficult to access timely care, but the compassion and skill of the physicians who ultimately treated him left a lasting impression. This experience remains a driving force behind his commitment to providing exceptional care for his patients. As an International Medical Graduate (IMG), Dr. Shenoy is deeply committed to serving medically underserved areas (MUAs) and health professional shortage areas (HPSAs).
He is the founder and Medical Director of Downtown Psychiatry Chicago, a private practice clinic in the heart of Chicago. Clinically, he is passionate about understanding the brain’s complexities and tailoring treatments that help patients thrive.
Dr. Shenoy is also a dedicated advocate for psychiatry and patient care. He currently serves as the Early Career Psychiatrist Trustee-at-Large on the American Psychiatric Association’s Board of Trustees, a nationally elected position he will hold for a three-year term.
Session 2: All Things Private Practice
February 19, 2026 | 6:30-8:00 PM (CST)
Panelists discussed considerations for opening, running, and closing a private practice, strategies to help build a practice over time, processes for obtaining DEA licenses in multiple states, and more.
About Our Panelists:
Dr. Arana is co-founder and chief executive office of Meridian Psychiatric Partners, PLLC, a multidisciplinary private practice group composed of 30 psychiatrists, 1 advanced practiced nurse, and 31 psychotherapists. Their offices are located in Chicago, Evanston, Lake Forest, Oak Park and Oakbrook Terrace. Dr. Arana completed his general psychiatry residency at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He is a board-certified psychiatrist who specializes in reproductive psychiatry, the care of women and birthing individuals before, during and after pregnancy.
Charles D. Cash is a healthcare attorney and risk manager. He contributes to publications and speaks nationally on risk management in the practice of psychiatry. His professional interests lie at the intersection of the law and psychiatry. Prior to joining the Risk Management Department at PRMS, he served as an Assistant Public Defender for several years in the Mental Health Division of the Maryland Office of the Public Defender. Mr. Cash received his law degree from Quinnipiac College School of Law and his Master of Laws in Health Law from DePaul University School of Law. He is a member of the bar of Maryland.
Amber May, MD, is cofounder of the Illinois' premier private medical-psychiatry clinic, Northshore Wellness Center, and a double board-certified child, adolescent & adult psychiatrist. Northshore Wellness Center opened on April 1, 2024 with a vision to offer the most comprehensive, cohesive, and innovative medical and mental healthcare available. Services include psychiatric care, family and lifestyle medicine, and real-time collaborative teamwork. NSWC is dedicated to enhancing clients’ social, occupational, and academic success through accurate diagnosis and alleviation of inattention, impulsivity, anxiety, depression, and medical issues. The clinic supports individuals, sibships, parent-child dyads, and entire families for a one-stop medical home. The inspiration for Northshore Wellness Center came from our desire to bridge the gap in comprehensive medical workups for mental health. Prior to NSWC, she cultivated a wonderful private practice, at The Bloomberg Institute, and all of her patients joined her at her new location. She served as the Medical Director of UIC's Comprehensive ADHD Clinic (CAC) and Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry until October 2020, when she transitioned to volunteer faculty to continue teaching and supervising at UIC. She graduated from the UIC Adult Psychiatry Residency and the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship during which she served as Chief Fellow. She earned her medical doctorate degree at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine (2012) and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology with a specialization in Neuroscience at the University of Chicago (2007). Dr. Amber May has been an active member of various professional medical organizations since medical school, most importantly ICCAP and IPS.
Denita Neal, JD, joined the PRMS risk management team as Senior Risk Manager in January 2025, returning to the company (2007-2011) after serving as Director of Risk Management at hospitals in Mississippi, Georgia, California, and Washington, DC. Denita earned her nursing licensure during her service in the U.S. Army Reserves and worked in direct patient care for several years before earning her B.A. in English from the University of Memphis, and later, her Juris Doctorate from Howard University School of Law. She currently contributes to the PRMS risk management team through research and writing of risk management articles and phone consultations with insured psychiatrists.
Robert Channon, MD, Retired, Private Practitioner
Lisa Korman, MD, Private Practitioner
Naomi Levy, MD, Private Practitioner