JACKSONVILLE, NC – A psychiatry resident in the Combined Military-Civilian Psychiatry Residency Program (CMCPRP) at Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune is making the move from civilian to military personnel, commissioning as a Naval officer on June 6, 2025.

Dr. Andrea Karsten is the first civilian in the program to commission during tenure as a resident. The CMCPRP, established in 2023, is a partnership between NMCCL and NOVANT Health that puts residents through four years of clinical training in psychiatry.

Karsten’s inspiration to join the Navy following her first year in the residency program started at home.

“I feel like I bring a unique perspective to the program being a civilian, a mother, and a military spouse, and now as an active-duty military psych officer I also get a chance to walk in their shoes, which helps me provide even better treatment,” Karsten said.

For Karsten, pursuing a career in psychiatry began during her time as a medical student.

“I knew when I was a medical student doing rotations that talking to patients and listening to their entire stories, not just what brought them in that day, was therapeutic for them,” said Karsten. “It felt good being the person they could seek out to offload their past traumas or stressors, so that’s how I knew psychiatry was a good fit for me.”

After graduating from medical school, Karsten applied to the CMCPRP; following the interview process, Karsten matched with the program. According to program officials, the breadth of patient interactions sets the program apart from others.

“Our partnership with NOVANT Health allows our residents to work with inpatient and geriatric psychiatry patients at NOVANT Health, and child/adolescent, traumatic brain injury, and neurology psychiatry patients here at the medical center,” said Patrick Threatt, NMCCL residency program coordinator.

The residency program, which welcomed its first group of residents in June of 2024, offers the group flexibility that’s not common to some residency programs.

“In civilian residency programs, especially ones attached to big name hospitals, the fast-paced environment can make it more difficult to find a work-life balance,” said Karsten. “But because this program is new, it’s not resident dependent, so it’s easier for someone with a family at home to adjust and thrive.”

After completion of her residency program, Karsten will go through Officer Development School and join the active duty ranks as a psychiatry officer with Navy Medicine.