The Psychiatry Residency Program at Mississippi State Hospital trains residents to become knowledgeable, skillful, and compassionate psychiatrists, with a particular commitment to serving Mississippi's underserved and rural communities. Led by Program Director Dr. John Norton and Associate Program Director Dr. Sal Dakhlalla, the program is sponsored by the Mississippi Department of Mental Health.
The idea for the program was born in March 2019, at the American Psychiatric Association's Advocacy Day in Washington, DC, out of a simple observation: Mississippi had too few psychiatrists, and most physicians stay in the state where they train. With support from the Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce, Mississippi State Hospital became an ACGME Sponsoring Institution in January 2020 and received full accreditation for its psychiatry residency program on February 12, 2021.