PG I Year

Fundementals of Psychiatry (The so-called "Crash Course") This intensive 2 month course provides introduction and overview of the primary psychiatric disorders and their treatment. Emphasis is placed on essential knowledge necessary for immediate interactions with psychiatric patients and their families, safe pharmacological management of patients, and Emergency department clients.To download current syllabus click here.

Psychiatry Drill-down Series A 9 month seminar series that provides greater in-depth coverage of fundemental material introduced in the crash course. Residents examine the major domains of modern psychiatry, receiving instruction in core areas of assessment, clinical psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, research and neuroscience. The course is team-taught by basic and clinical faculty, providing ample opportunity for residents to interact with many of our faculty.To download current syllabus click here.

Interviewing, Listening, and Being Psychotherapeutic This course will afford residents the opportunity to see several clinicians interview patients with emphasis on diagnostic interviewing and aspects of psychotherapy (e.g., developmental issues, issues of sexuality, etc.). Residents will interview patients and review audio-tapes and transcripts of sessions with patients. The course leader and the other residents will critique these interviews.

Inpatient Case Conference at John Dempsey Hospital Residents present patients from their team who are interviewed and then discussed by the faculty. The emphasis is on interviewing techniques; criterion based diagnosis and treatment interventions.

PGY II Year

Clinical Psychopharmacology Over the course of 9 months, this course provides an in-depth presentation of the psychopharmacotherapy of psychosis, major depression, bipolar disorder, the specific anxiety disorders, severe character pathology, as well as special topics. Links are consistently made between clinical aspects and neurobiology/neuroscience. An introduction to the conduct of clinical research is also included. To download current syllabus click here.

Normal Development and Child Psychopathology This 7 month course reviews the fundamentals of normal human growth and development in preparation for examining psychopathology encountered in children and adolescents. Residents will read and discuss both seminal and current writings including biologic, cognitive, learning, and behavioral theories. To download current syllabus click here.

Psychotherapy Seminar A year long didactic series that provides exposure to a range of perspectives on the treatment of psychological/psychiatric problems. Residents will gain an understanding about effective therapies for treating affective, anxiety, addictive, personality, and thought disorders, as well as the role of health psychology in treatment of chronic pain. Developmental and life span issues are addressed, as are cultural competence, and legal/ethical issues in the conduct of psychotherapy. To download current syllabus click here.

Psychotherapy Practicum This year long seminar allows residents to discuss their psychotherapy cases with their peers and learn from the insight and guidance of two accomplished psychotherapists who oversee the seminar.

Inpatient Case Conference at John Dempsey Hospital Residents present patients from their clinical services who are interviewed and then discussed by the faculty. The emphasis is on interviewing techniques, diagnostic evaluation, and case management. Emphasis is also placed on residents developing expertise in presentation skills.

Forensic Psychiatry The essential aspects of forensic psychiatry including civil commitment, competency, expert testimony, mental health legislation, interactions with social agencies, and related ethical issues are covered in this course. Readings, case presentations, and work in the courts and legislature are utilized.

Family Systems This 8 week course provides the conceptual and theoretical basis of family dynamics. Lectures focus on the family life cycle and interactions of family members. Tools are provided for producing family genograms, developing family structural maps, and defining family relational patterns.

Emergency Psychiatry and Crisis Intervention Presentation of principles and techniques of emergency psychiatry and crisis intervention utilizing case presentations and selected readings. Clinical, cultural, ethical, and forensic issues are included.

PGY III Year

Brief Dynamic Therapy Seminar and Supervision This course focuses on work with outpatients in brief psychotherapy. A major section of this course is devoted to training (and supervision) of brief dynamic psychotherapy (with particular emphasis on the Mann and Strupp models).

Advanced Neuropsychopharmacology This course covers a broad range of topics in neurosciences, neurobiology and neuropsychopharmacology that are relevant to clinical practice. The first third of the course reviews basic neuroscience concepts in preparation for more detailed assessment of psychopharmacological drug action in the brain. The second third reviews translation of genetic, biochemical, and neuroendocrine data from animal models to development of therapeutic drugs relevant to treatment of psychiatric disorders. The final portion of the course examines the current mechanisms of drug action underlying treatment of specific disorders. A research module is included to discuss reviewing the literature, critical thinking, and experimental design/analysis. Residents are also assigned papers to present to the group for critical review. To download current syllabus click here.

Advanced Psychosocial Interventions This weekly seminar provides an overview of evidence-based approaches to psychotherapy and psychiatric rehabilitation. Disorder-specific individual, couple, family, group, and milieu treatment models are reviewed. Relevant research and clinical implications are discussed.To download current syllabus click here.

Public Sector Psychiatry This year long seminar series investigates a variety of central issues in public sector psychiatry. Areas discussed include comprehensive care for chronic mental illness, systems of care, continuity in treatment, multidisciplinary issues, historical and political aspects, and specialized current treatment programs and strategies. There is also a focus on cross-cultural issues.

Family Therapy This 8 week, team-taught seminar covers a variety of issues in family therapy. The resident is given a broad exposure to basic concepts and prominent schools within the field of family treatment. There is a particular focus on structural family therapy. A subsection includes culture, ethnicity and the family.

Group Therapy

Group Therapy Supervision

PGY IV YEAR

Advances in Psychiatry A 24 week seminar series providing perspectives on cutting edge areas impacting on research and clinical practice in Psychiatry. Various faculty members select topics of interest and expertise in terms of their own research and/or clinical experience. The seminar format involves identification of key primary research or review/overview articles. One resident is responsible for working with the faculty member for a given topic, presenting an overview and critique of the article(s) under consideration, and fostering discussion among the residents. The faculty participant serves as a facilitator and resource person for the seminar. To download current syllabus click here.

Contemporary Health System Issues This course is a series of presentations by experts in public health and administration and issues in the evolving health care field with particular emphasis on psychiatry, service delivery, politics, and administration. There is also a section on career options. To download current syllabus click here.