Profile: Cristopher Dobbelstein

dobbelsteincr@upmc.edu

Christopher Dobbelstein, MD, completed his combined internal medicine / psychiatry training at Rush University Medical Center in 2008 and fellowship training in psychosomatic medicine at George Washington University in 2009.  He is board-certified in internal medicine, psychiatry, and psychosomatic medicine.  He is an Assistant Professor in Psychiatry at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Dr. Dobbelstein spends approximately 80% of his time as the Medical Director for Psychiatric Services for UPMC St. Margaret where he practices psychosomatic medicine in the community hospital setting.  He spends the other 20% of his time providing primary care for patients with severe mental illness in a clinic at WPIC dedicated to this purpose.  In his role as medical director of this clinic, Dr. Dobbelstein is using collaborative systems to improve the medical care for this vulnerable population.  Dr. Dobbelstein is also an active educator, supervisor, and mentor for residents in both psychiatry and family medicine/psychiatry.

Dr. Dobbelstein says he loves what he does; he says he felt compelled to train in med/psych because he would have felt deficient if he had done anything else.  He feels that combined training was a challenge (though worth it), and he advises students contemplating combined training to talk with actual doctors who have completed combined training.  Overall, he says, “I love that my perspective as a combined-trained physician allows me to help my patients and trainees in a uniquely complete way.”