Dr. Christopher Van Schenck is a board-certified psychiatrist with 16 years of experience in the field of psychiatry and neurology. He is the founder of Nolensville Psychiatry.
What motivated you to pursue a career in medicine?
I was blessed to have a father who was a pediatrician. I had such good memories growing up of shadowing with him at his office that I wanted to recreate that experience. I considered that with medicine I could combine my love for truth/good science with kindness and helping people. I enjoyed studying philosophy at the time so I considered becoming a philosophy professor but realized I could enjoy learning as well as a career in medicine. At the time I categorized the professions available to me into three divisions - Business, Law and Medicine (this was just how I saw it). I did not want to do anything that I thought would require me to be dishonest. I wasn’t passionate about selling any products. I thought at the time that being a lawyer would require me to be dishonest. I considered I could do medicine and have a clean conscience.
What do you wish you had known about the medical school application process before you applied?
I am filled with gratitude for my past and don’t believe in accidents. I learned after the first round of admissions from a family friend on the actual admissions board that my application was rejected because of quotas. If I would have known what a good experience medical school in Ireland would be, I would have gone for that right off the bat.
What was the biggest challenge that caught you off guard when you sat down to write the MCAT?
It is great to go down memory lane. That was so long ago. I remember being frustrated by the reading portion where you had to read a short essay and answer questions based on details. My personality is INTJ so I’m really good at getting the big picture (the forest) while later on filling in the details (the trees).
Did you have any setbacks or rejections during the med school admissions process, and what did you learn from those experiences?
I didn’t get any interviews during the first round of med school admissions. I decided to keep going anyway and use the time to attend a Master’s Program in Biomedical Sciences at Barry University in Florida. While at this program I was introduced to someone who had gone to medical school in Ireland though a program called ‘Atlantic Bridge.’ They were able to go to school over there for 5 years and had returned successfully. It was a breath of fresh air. I ultimately applied to the medical schools in Ireland, was accepted, and went to University College Cork instead of an American school. It was a great experience.
What led you to specialize in psychiatry? What advice would you give to someone looking to pursue your specialty?
Psychiatry combines my passion for analyzing the thoughts and behavior of people with medicine. I just love it. After graduating medical school, I thought I wanted to become a pediatrician like my father. I applied and was accepted to the Pediatric Residency program at Wake Forest University. It was a great program for my first year but pediatrics was not my thing. While working in the ED I noticed I was captivated by the psychiatric cases. I decided to take a test to check my psychiatric knowledge base. I scored very high. Students should remember that medical school is a time for absorbing different experiences and information. Get a feel for what it is like being around both inpatient and outpatient environments. It is okay not to like a subject. You may notice there is a subject that really captivates you – go with that. I remember loving learning about psychiatric medication but I had little interest in antibiotics. I remember absolutely devouring a book on psychiatric medication the first year of psychiatric residency in Gainesville, Florida.
What advice would you give to someone who’s looking to start their practice today?
If you want my advice, consider starting your own practice. I originally didn’t want to do the ‘business’ part of medicine. Instead, I sought to get hired into the system after residency. When you are an employee of a large group, you have little control over patient care. You are not working primarily for your patient. You are working for who pays you. If you take insurance – you work for the insurance company. If your boss tells you that you have to bill a certain code for insurance but also see a certain number of patients in a certain amount of time, there may be a moral conflict. Years working for groups were good in that I learned how the system runs and obtained guidance from those with more experience. It took me years to figure out that I wasn’t actually working directly for the patient (despite my intentions) but was working for the company. Quality of patient care is better now that I’m the boss. Since I control the entire schedule, I don’t have to rush. I can also take a day off when necessary. Patients book their own appointments online by prepayment. I can spend extensive periods of time with people and give people the care they need. I can even make a house call if I need to. I use an online scheduling program and my own HIPAA compliant communication system.
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