Cydney Terryn, M.D., recently joined the UAB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology as an assistant professor in the division of child and adolescent psychiatry. She earned her bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology and her medical degree from Florida State University (FSU), where she completed her third- and fourth-year clerkships at the Sarasota Regional Campus.
Terryn completed her residency in psychiatry and a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at UAB. An advocate for wellness, she founded the resident wellness committee in the general psychiatry residency and served as chief resident for quality improvement and wellness. She also served on two Graduate Medical Education committees at UAB - wellness and patient safety.
Before UAB, Terryn worked in campus recreation at FSU and as a personal trainer.
Learn more about her journey and what inspires her work.
What inspired you to pursue a career in this field?
Terryn: I have a strong passion for preventive care. In medical school, I saw how people’s mental health affects their overall health and their ability to care for themselves and others. I wanted to learn more about this area and spend more time in it so I could make the biggest difference in my patients’ lives. I was also impressed by the skill my psychiatry preceptors showed in their exams and patient interactions, and they inspired me to pursue psychiatry.
What is your primary area of expertise within your field, and what sparked your passion for it?
Terryn: There are many aspects of psychiatry that interest me, but because I completed a child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship, I consider that my primary area of expertise. It is an underserved area of medicine with great need. Every adult was once a child, and I felt my training would not be complete without learning more about child development, family dynamics, and mental health treatment during childhood and adolescence.
What aspects of your new role here are you most excited about?
Terryn: Definitely medical education - teaching medical students, residents, and fellows. I am also excited to work in different settings at UAB and with different patient populations.
What are your goals for making an impact through both your teaching and patient care in this role?
Terryn: My hope is to provide individualized care, considering the whole person through the biopsychosocial model and using lifestyle change, alongside other treatment options, to help patients meet their mental health goals. In my teaching, I want to create a learning environment where people feel safe and can grow. I also pride myself on putting sustained effort into my life outside of medicine, and I hope to inspire others to do the same.