Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

PSCR 950.  Psychiatry Clerkship.  4 Credits.     

The required four-week basic Psychiatry Clerkship is intended to familiarize students with the diagnosis and treatment of major psychiatric disorders. Effective interviewing and diagnostic skills, and competent performance of the mental status examination is emphasized. Students have an active closely supervised role in the diagnosis and treatment of both hospitalized and ambulatory patients. Clinical experience is accompanied by a didactic schedule of lectures, seminars, and practical-interactive learning sessions. Prerequisite: Basic Sciences.

PSCR 975.  Neuropsychiatry Clerkship.  0-8 Credits.     

The required eight-week clerkship is intended to familiarize the student with the diagnosis and treatment of major psychiatric and neurological disorders. The psychiatric portion of the clerkship includes: (1) The closely supervised treatment of hospitalized and outpatients with psychiatric conditions. (2) Regularly held informal seminars with clinical faculty members emphasizing effective interviewing and discussing patient care. (3) Didactic review of behavioral science, diagnostic criteria and medico-legal aspects of psychiatry. The neurological portion of the clerkship includes: (1) An active, closely supervised role in the diagnosis and treatment of both hospitalized and ambulatory neurology patients. (2) Regular practical learning sessions emphasizing competent performance and interpretation of the neurological examination. (3) Didactic review of lesion localization and major categories of neurological diseases. Prerequisite: Completion of Phase I (Years 1 and 2).

PSCR 978.  Child Psychiatry/Adolescent Psychiatry.  2-4 Credits.     

The course will familiarize students with common psychiatric diagnoses and therapies for children and adolescents. Students will observe and participate in the evaluation and treatment of children and adolescents in inpatient and outpatient settings. They will attend staffing, family meetings and relevant conferences. Faculty will provide supervision and a written evaluation. Prerequisite: PSCR 950.

PSCR 979.  Advanced Studies in Psychiatry.  2-4 Credits.     

This course allows students to expand their knowledge and experiences in psychiatry with rotations of their own choosing. Experience can be modified to fit the individual's interest and needs. All students will have the core experience (attendance at Grand Rounds, Journal Club and readings assigned by clinical supervisor). Students may choose one training site for two to four weeks, subject to availability of supervision. Scheduling should be arranged with the psychiatry clerkship director. Supervisor's evaluation comprises 100% of the grade. Faculty will provide supervision and a written evaluation. Prerequisite: PSCR 950.

PSCR 980.  Geriatric Psychiatry.  2-4 Credits.     

The student will experience caring for elderly and often medically ill patients with psychiatric symptoms and diagnoses on an acute geropsychiatry hospital unit, in outpatient settings. Experience will be gained in assessing and managing complex medical and psychiatric conditions in elders. Objectives include: 1) Increase awareness of the common psychiatric conditions in elders; 2) Improve ability to assess, diagnose and treat common psychiatric conditions in elders who commonly have comorbid medical conditions; 3) Understand the impact of the elder's environment on psychiatric symptoms and the necessity of managing the elder within the context of the psychosocial environment, especially the family unit; 4) Improve ability to manage complex pharmacotherapy. Teaching methodology includes bedside clinical rounds, geropsychiatry small-group discussions, lectures and assigned readings. Patient contact would include elderly patients with common psychiatric conditions - affective disorders, dementias, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders and comorbid medical conditions, acute care hospital geropsychiatry unit, and outpatient clinic. Faculty will provide supervision and a written evaluation. Prerequisite: PSCR 950 and INMD 975.

PSCR 981.  Consultation/Liaison Psychiatry.  2-4 Credits.     

The objective of this course is to increase the student's knowledge and skills in evaluating patients with both psychiatric and medical illnesses in inpatient and outpatient settings, making recommendations, and communicating with referring physicians. These objectives will be met by direct patient contact, individual supervision, assigned readings and attendance at conferences. Faculty will provide supervision and a written evaluation. Prerequisite: PSCR 950 and INMD 975.

PSCR 983.  Clinical Addictionology.  2-8 Credits.     

This elective is designed to increase the student's knowledge of substance use disorders in adolescents, adult life and later life and detoxification rehabilitation methods and family treatment in these age groups. The student will be exposed to a basic core experience of treatment educational therapy conducted by various members of the staff. The student will attend staffing three days each week and participate in a therapy group with one counselor on an ongoing basis. Patient care and management, treatment planning and family interactions will become familiar to the student. Prerequisite: PSCR 950 and INMD 975.

PSCR 985.  Clinical Psychopharmacology.  2-4 Credits.     

The purpose of this elective is to obtain intensive and in-depth experience with the medical management of a variety of psychiatric disorders. During this rotation, the student will come in contact with patients suffering from a variety of psychiatric disorders and will gain further experience with a medical-model approach to the management of these disorders. The student will learn basic pharmacokinetics principles which are broadly applicable to the pharmacologic management of patients with both psychiatric and nonpsychiatric disorders. The student will learn pharmacodynamic principles and clinical neuroscience principles which are of special relevance to clinical psychopharmacology. Effort will be made to tailor the elective to maximize the exposure to a particular area or diagnosis, based on student interest. The student may choose to be involved in ongoing clinical psychopharmacology research, including an exposure to drug development and testing. Faculty will provide supervision and a written evaluation. Prerequisite: Pharmacology (2nd year) and PSCR 950.

PSCR 987.  Outpatient Psychiatry.  2-4 Credits.     

The objective of this course is to increase the student's depth of knowledge regarding psychiatric disorders as they present in an outpatient setting. Emphasis will be on clinical skills including the psychiatric interview and diagnostic process and gaining a longitudinal perspective on psychiatric illness. In addition, the student will be introduced to psychotherapy theory and skills. Students will attend departmental academic events, teaching conferences and participate in intake evaluations performed by psychiatry residents. They will also participate in observing a selected number of ongoing cases in conjunction with residents. Students will evaluate patients for intake early in their rotation and follow these cases throughout their rotation. Faculty will provide supervision and a written evaluation. Prerequisite: PSCR 950.

PSCR 995.  Special Topics in Psychiatry.  2-4 Credits.     

This elective is designed to provide clinical and/or research experience in topics of special interest not otherwise represented in the curriculum (e.g. forensic psychiatry, sexual disorders). The student will design, in consultation with department faculty, specific objectives, reading assignments and the mechanism for course evaluation. Faculty will provide supervision and a written evaluation. Prerequisite: Medical Basic Sciences and departmental consent.

PSCR 998.  Subinternship in Psychiatry.  4 Credits.     

This course is designed to expand the student's experience in general psychiatry by having them assume supervised, clinical responsibility equivalent to that of an intern or PGY-1 resident. Students will perform and dictate initial history and physical examinations, formulate diagnoses and treatment plans, write orders to be reviewed and countersigned, dictate discharge summaries, participate in the evaluation and intervention of psychiatric emergencies, attend scheduled rounds, conferences, and PGY-1 didactics. Prerequisite: PSCR 950, INMD 975, SGRY 975, senior standing.