Conferences

The teaching program includes the usual course and conference structure of both residencies. The Department of Medicine provides a comprehensive teaching program Monday through Friday, with a review course in the final year to prepare for internal medicine boards. When on psychiatry, residents attend classes on Wednesday.

The block schedule, in which medicine/psychiatry residents rotate together, allows for an orderly progression of courses from year to year. These courses include:

• basic and advanced pharmacology
• neuropsychiatry
• the psychotherapies with a strong dynamic base
• subspecialty psychiatry

In addition, bimonthly conferences specifically address the needs of the residents in the combined program. Key faculty involved with the combined internal medicine and psychiatry program participate in the medicine/psychiatry conferences.

Call

Medicine/psychiatry residents follow the call schedule of their categorical internal medicine and psychiatric colleagues on the same rotation with few exceptions. Medicine residents are generally on call every 4th night while serving on inpatient units. With the exception of the neurology elective, there is no house call on any internal medicine elective. Psychiatry interns are on call every sixth night. In the second year, call substantially decreases for senior psychiatry residents, as they move into outpatient and elective rotations.

Evaluation and Mentoring

The medicine/psychiatry residents have a strong mentoring program which provides support from the day residents match in the program. Residents are evaluated by attending physicians and senior residents. In addition, the residents evaluate the educational experience following each rotation. Residents meet semiannually with the program directors to review evaluations and provide specific feedback on their performance and progress through the residency.

The program and curriculum is discussed monthly in order to adapt the program to meet the educational needs of the residents. We believe easy, open communication between faculty and residents helps maintain a superior learning environment.

Finally, our residents have had, and will continue to have, significant input into shaping our program. The contribution of our talented residents in collaboration with our internal medicine/psychiatry faculty make our program the excellent one it is today.