Brian Hurley, MD, MBA

I arrived at the MGH-McLean adult psychiatry residency training program from Washington, D.C. where I spent two years working as the National President and previously the Director of Student Programming for the American Medical Student Association (AMSA).  I graduated from the University of Southern California's M.D./M.B.A. program in 2008 and am  proud to have previously served as a coordinator for a variety of USC student organizations, including the Medical Gay and Lesbian Organization, Graduate and Professional Student Senate, and USC’s medical student body (go Trojans!). Before entering medical school I studied biochemistry, neuroscience, and political theory as an undergraduate at the University of California in Los Angeles (go Bruins!).  I am originally from Los Angeles, and matriculated to UCLA after graduating from the performing arts program at Van Nuys High School (go Wolves!).
 
I intend to pursue a career in addiction medicine that organizes systems of health care to serve stigmatized patient populations with justice and equity.  Within residency, this career pursuit has meant connecting with the rich clinical and research operations at the MGH and McLean hospitals that involve patients with substance use disorders.  Both MGH and McLean are leading hospitals in psychiatric care, so they can serve as an ideal place to explore and develop new cutting edge systems in mental health care delivery.  Boston itself has a deep history of providing care for addictive diseases, with world-class addictions faculty throughout Boston’s academic medicine community.  Over the next four years, I hope to cultivate these clinical, research, and leadership interests and will likely pursue an addiction medicine fellowship, policy fellowship, and/or out into academic medical practice.

PGY-1 life is fast, but has been a fantastic opportunity to learn the basics of medical practice.  Moving to Boston is not as tough as moving to Los Angeles, so I found the entire experience manageable.  I rent a small, inexpensive studio apartment in Allston (a Boston neighborhood with great Asian food), which is centrally located with a 15-25 min drive to the MGH, McLean, and Newton-Wellesley Hospitals.  I have been one of the lucky PGY-1s to start on MGH’s inpatient psychiatry unit.  I take ”The T” (MBTA Subway) to MGH each morning, which is about a 30 min commute.  A typical day on the unit begins by 7 am for pre-rounds, didactics from 7:30 to 8:30 am, then rounds from 8:30 am to 10:30 am.  The remainder of the mornings and afternoons involve finishing up care on existing inpatients and admitting new patients.  The day typically ends at approximately 6:00pm – and while weekdays are full workdays, I’m grateful we have our weekends to ourselves.  MGH-McLean recruits top residents and faculty – and on this rotation I feel very connected with the psychiatry department and the teaching activities that make this program a premier place to develop as a psychiatrist.