Committee Members: Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Faculty

Duration: One or two months, full time

Months Offered: All year

No. Of Students: 1 per rotation

Prerequisite: Third Year Curriculum

Contact Person: Lisa Karabelnik, M.D. at (phone) 545-8662; (FAX) 545-8661.

Goals and Objectives:

1. To gain appreciation of the multifaceted aspects of serious illness, both medical and psychiatric.

2. To develop the clinical strategies necessary for conducting a therapeutic interview of the pediatric inpatient or outpatient and family; for generating a differential diagnosis; and for developing a long-term problem-oriented treatment plan.

3. To enhance the skill of physician self-observation, in which the student strives to recognize both helpful productive and counterproductive emotional reactions which affect course of medical illness.

Program Description:

The Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Section at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, the Emergency Psychiatric Service, the Pediatric Consultation/Liaison Service, and Outpatient Ambulatory Services represent the services which contribute to this elective. Clinical hours are routinely held between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Regularly scheduled activities include the following:

Monday: 10:00-11:00 a.m. Consultation/Liaison Rounds

Tuesday: 8:00-9:00 a.m. Pediatric Grand Rounds

Wednesday: 8:00-9:00 a.m. Psychiatry Grand Rounds, Child and Adolescent Didactics

Friday: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon Child & Adolescent Didactics, Braceland Building, Institute of Living

Proposed Activities and Responsibilities:

1. With support of close supervision:

(a) To conduct interviews of the patient and family.

(b) To develop an assessment and working diagnosis.

(c) To develop and follow-through with a treatment plan which is brief and focused on the solution of a specific problem.

(d) To write a consultation which is accurate, clear and helpful.

(e) To enhance the skill of physician self-observation.

2. To participate in individual supervision with child and adolescent faculty.

3. To choose a topic of interest as the focus of a literature search and brief presentation.

Facilities that will be available:

The clinical settings for pediatric psychiatry encompass each service at CCMC which provides treatment to children, adolescents, and their families. These include the inpatient pediatric service, the outpatient pediatric and psychiatry ambulatory and specialty clinics, and the emergency room.

Formal Teaching:

One to one teaching will be provided during scheduled hours each week, in addition to clinical case supervision. Weekly teaching conferences will also be available at CCMC and Hartford Hospital and include Psychiatry departmental grand rounds and case conferences.

Amount and Type of Supervision:

One to one supervision will be provided on a daily basis and on a selective basis. This intensive format is designed to provide each student with the opportunity to learn at her or his own pace. Supervision will focus on two major areas: concrete clinical skills and the more elusive task of physician self-observation.

Readings:

Jellinek & Herzog. (1990). Psychiatric Aspects of General Hospital Pediatrics.

Lewis & Volkman. (1990). Clinical Aspects of Child and Adolescent Development.

Greenspan, S. (1991). Clinical Interview of the Child. 2nd Edition, American Psychiatric Press.