Residents at Rush attend multiple seminars, lectures and clinical conferences each week. PGY-1s attend courses designed solely for them on Thursday mornings. PGY-2s-PGY-4s attend their courses on Wednesdays. There are also numerous conferences for residents rotating on particular clinical services throughout the week. Below is a list of some of the conferences and courses residents attend during the course of their training.

Conferences for All Psychiatry Residents

Department of Psychiatry Grand Rounds
Department of Psychiatry Grand Rounds are held weekly at Rush during the months of September through June. Members of the faculty, senior residents and prominent researchers from across the country deliver these presentations.

General Psychiatry Lecture Series
This course is organized by one of our Associate Program Directors, Dr. Jeffrey Rado.  The course includes overview lectures on  major topics in psychiatry over a two year repeated cycle, organized into modules:
Child Psychiatry Module:  Autistic Disorders, psychological testing for children, physical and sexual abuse,  pediatric psychopharmacology,  separation anxiety disorder, ADHD, pediatric bipolar disorder, conduct disorder,  school-related issues.
Psychotic Disorder Module:  overview of all major psychotic disorders, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, brief psychotic disorder.
Anxiety Disorders Module:  Panic disorder, OCD, agoraphobia, specific phobias.
Neuropsychiatry Module:  Headaches, impulse control disorders, psychiatry and HIV, catatonia, NMS, serotonin syndrome, CNS infections, neuropsychiatry of stroke, neuropsychiatry of epilepsy,  neuroimaging in psychiatry, delirium, dementia.
Mood Disorders Module:  major depression, dysthymia, bipolar disorder, geriatric depression, ECT,  neurobiology and genetics of mood disorders, suicide, grief.
Substance Use Disorders Module:  substance abuse and dependence, acute detoxification,  treatment of drug addiction.
Somatoform Disorders Module: chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, adjustment disorders, psychiatric disorders associated with the female reproductive cycle, sexual dysfunction, eating disorders, malingering.
Other topics covered: Forensic psychiatry, the cultural formulation and Latino mental health, sleep disorders, religion and spirituality, personality disorders.

Weekly Psychodynamic Case Conference and Psychotherapy Literature Seminar
Every Friday morning from 8:00 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. residents meet with Arnold Goldberg, MD. He is an internationally recognized scholar of Psychoanalysis as well as a recipient of numerous teaching awards. During the first class residents present a psychotherapy case to Dr. Goldberg and during the second class a selection from the psychotherapy literature is discussed. The courses concentrate on theories and techniques of psychodynamic and other types of psychotherapy as well as on the doctor patient relationship, the integration of psychopharmacology and psychotherapy, ethics and boundaries for psychiatrists, culture and gender, and case formulation and diagnosis.  Other issues that have been covered include Eating Disorders, Attachment Theory, Treating the Borderline Patient, Religion and Spirituality (distinguishing between the biological/psychological/spiritual realms, prayer therapy) Sexuality (What is a Perversion? What is Sexualization? Treating the Homosexual Patient), Interpersonal Psychotherapy, Objects Relations Theory, Self Psychology, Memory, the Placebo Effect, topics on Cultural Psychiatry including Racism and Anthropology and Psychiatry.

Chairman’s Literature Seminar
Residents meet every other Friday with Howard Kravitz, DO, and the Chair of our Department, Dr. William Scheftner, to systematically review salient research papers in psychiatry.  Residents learn about study design, epidemiology, biostatistics and evidence-based research methodology.

Psychiatry Board Review Course
Rush holds an annual, three-day, comprehensive board review course each year. This course is commercially offered to all clinicians seeking a review or update on the major syndromes in psychiatry and neurology. Residents in our program have the opportunity to attend the course free of charge while in the residency. If you are interested in attending this course, call 312-942-2099 for more information. This course will not be offerred in 2008. Please check back again.

Forensic Psychiatry Review Conference
Dr. David Carringtion, an expert in forensic psychiatry, leads a monthly case conference that focuses on the major concepts in forensic psychiatry pertinent to a general psychiatrist.

Neuropsychiatry Conference
This conference is attended by the faculty and residents from the departments of psychiatry and neurology. Cases are presented and discussed that are pertinent to both fields of medicine.

Internal Medicine-Psychiatry Conference
General psychiatry residents attend this monthly conference that is organized by the combined Internal Medicine and Psychiatry Residency Program. Residents from internal medicine-psychiatry and psychiatry residency programs and attending from both departments present cases pertinent to both fields for discussion of patient diagnosis, management and recognition of important concepts at the interface of psychiatry and internal medicine.

Psychopharmacology Case Conference
Evidenced based case conference in which residents or attendings present cases with interesting and challenging psychopharmacological issues.  Case discussion includes patient diagnosis, therapeutic alliance, patient adherence, pharmacological management and cost of medications.  Conference also attended by a cognitive behavioral therapy expert to provide recommendations for the integration of this treatment modality into the patient management.  The attending faculty includes Dr. Sushil Bagri, Dr. Michael Easton, Dr. Daniel Levin, Dr. Sheila Dowd and Dr. William Scheftner. 

Department of Psychiatry Business Meeting
Monthly departmental business meeting in which residents learn about administrative issues in hospital and outpatient psychiatry including patient care quality improvement reports, updates on departmental business including patient care initiatives, current research studies, grant and other award recipients, interpretation of the state mental health code, introduction of new departmental personnel, announcement of upcoming departmental conferences including Grand Rounds and discussion of resident issues as they interface with the entire department.

Meet the Visiting Professor Seminar
Residents meet with distinguished faculty from other institutions that present at Grand Rounds.  Residents may present cases, learn about the professor’s career and interests and receive mentorship.

Yearly Psychiatry Residency Retreat
Residents are excused from other clinical and teaching responsibilities to attend an off campus retreat.  A recent retreat included a seminar on providing feedback to students, colleagues and staff, working with the less motivated medical student, a professional development seminar and a team building exercise.

Departmental Research Forum
Seminar in which all of the researchers in the Department provide the residents with a description of their active research projects.  Researchers also explain to residents how they became interested in research.  The forum serves as a method to facilitate the residents’ interest in research and help them identify projects or mentors.

Sleep Deprivation and Sleep Hygiene Review for Residents and Attendings
An expert in sleep deprivation and sleep hygiene issues for trainees provides and provides a yearly review on the topic for all residents and attendings.

Additional Courses Offered by Year of Residency Training

PGY-1 Courses       
 
Emergency Psychiatry Seminar
Overview of major topics in the emergency management of psychiatric problems including suicide risk assessment, management of acute substance abuse detoxification and treatment, delirium, acute agitation, psychotropic drug interactions, common forensic issues seen in the emergency setting, and assessment and management of children in psychiatric emergency setting.   This seminar is taught by multiple different faculty members.

Introduction to Psychopharmacology
Dr. Bezalel Dantz leads this highly regarded course that provides residents with an overview of the basic psychopharmacological treatments of psychiatric disorders that a beginning psychiatry resident requires to adequately care for patients seen in a large tertiary care hospital.  Includes lecture, discussions and reading.

Supportive Psychotherapy and Introduction to the Patient
One of our senior psychodynamic psychotherapy Professors, Dr. Charles Jaffe leads discussions of psychotherapeutic concepts and techniques of empathy, rapport, the therapeutic alliance, creating an environment of safety, openness, clarification, understanding and support of psychological defenses without interpretation.  The teaching methods include the residents’ clinical experiences on call and on inpatient units with review of a text written on this topic.

Introduction to Psychiatric Interviewing and Phenomenology.
This is another PGY-1 course taught by Dr. Charles Jaffe.  The course includes review and practice of psychiatric diagnostic interviewing and diagnosis.  Residents observe, and critique faculty and each other interview psychiatric patients.  The class includes review of the patient’s diagnosis and major psychological and social issues.  Resident interviews are videotaped for more detailed analysis with one of the PGY-1s individual supervisors.
 
Introduction to Psychopathology
Review of the epidemiology, presentation and diagnosis of the common psychiatric disorders.  Residents observe the Department Chair, Dr. William Scheftner, interview patients.  The DSM-IV-TR diagnosis and the patient’s mental status exam are discussed.

Motivational Interviewing for Psychiatrists
Another popular course taught by Dr. Bezalel Dantz.  The supportive psychotherapeutic technique of motivational interviewing for behavioral change is reviewed, demonstrated and practiced.

Introduction to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
This review course is taught by different members of our CBT faculty.  Lecture, videotapes, reading and case examples are utilized to review the basic model and terminology of CBT.                      

Inpatient Teaching Rounds
This is a seminar for all residents rotating on adult inpatient psychiatry units. Residents present cases recently admitted to the floor or evaluated in the emergency room to a senior attending.  Attending also may interview patients in front of residents and medical students.  The faculty includes Dr. Sushil Bagri, Dr. William Scheftner, Dr. William Miles, Dr. Howard Kravitz and Dr. Daniel Loiterstein.

Senior Attending Inpatient Diagnostic Interviewing
One of distinguished Full Professors of Psychiatry, Dr. Philip Janicak, conducts 30-minute diagnostic interview and case presentation and discussion for residents and medical students rotating on the adult inpatient units.  Patient interview, mental status exam, history, diagnosis and management are discussed.

Introduction to Psychotherapeutic Interviewing and Supportive Psychotherapy
The Program Director, Daniel Levin, MD, teaches this course in which residents and attendings interview psychiatric patients for 30 minutes while being observed by faculty and other residents.  Interviews are videotaped for detailed review and discussion.  Class discussion includes the patient-doctor interaction to observe and learn about developing patient rapport, creating an environment of safety, openness, recognition of psychological defenses and patient resistance.  Residents are instructed and practice providing support to patients and recognizing but not interpreting patient resistance.  Residents are observed and critiqued for interviewing style.  Patient psychopathology, and theories of patient interviewing and other theories and techniques of psychotherapy are discussed.

Introduction to Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
Allen Seigel, MD leads this course that utilizes lecture and power-point presentations to cover the basic theories of psychotherapy.

Emergency Psychiatry Case and Literature Review
The Program Director, Daniel Levin, MD meets with the PGY-1s to review clinical issues in emergency psychiatry including resident and patient safety, management of acute agitation, disaster psychiatry and preparedness, rape and violence, crisis intervention, forensic psychiatry topics of confidentiality, duty to warn and protect, providing least restrictive care, clinical capacity, interface of medical and psychiatric care in the psychiatric emergency setting, suicide and violence risk assessment, and emergency psychiatry consultation quality improvement.  Includes case discussion, lecture and review of pertinent literature.

Structured Clinical Interview of DSM-IV (SCID) Course
One of our Associate Program Directors, Dr. Sheila Dowd, provides clinical instruction on the performance of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV.  Residents observe her perform two SCID interviews and are then observed conducting two SCID interviews.  This course helps residents learn DSM diagnostic criteria and enhances their diagnostic psychiatric interviewing technique.

Neurology Case Conference
The Department of Neurology holds a weekly case conference for the residents rotating on their services.  Cases are presented that bring up common clinical neurological diagnostic, management and treatment issues.

Pediatric Neurology, Neuro-ophthalmology and Neurology Journal Club
Weekly conference for PGY-1s rotating on neurology that rotates in focus each week covering topics in either pediatric neurology, neuro-ophthalmology or neurology literature review. 

Neurology Grand Rounds
The Department of Neurology sponsors a weekly Grand Rounds conference for all of their faculty and trainees.  Presentations are done by their own and outside faculty.  PGY-1 psychiatry residents attend this conference during their two months of neurology training.

Neurology Didactic Course
Weekly lecture series covering major topics in neurology for residents rotating on neurology.

Neuro-radiology Review for Neurology Residents
Review of the major tenets of neuro-radiology for neurology residents and other residents rotating on neurology.

Neuropathology
Review of the major tenets of neuropathology for neurology residents and other residents rotating on Neurology.

PGY-2 Courses

Introduction to Psychological Testing
Dr. Chris Grote and other neuropsychologists lecture and discuss the major psychological and neuropsychological tests.

Advanced Psychopharmacology
This course is led by Philip Janicak, M.D.  He is the author of one of the most respected psychopharmacology textbooks currently published in the Unite States.  This is an evidenced based course that includes lectures and discussion of major principles of psychopharmacology.  Includes review of mechanisms of action, side effects, drug interactions and uses of the major classes of psychopharmacological agents.  Review of the pharmacological treatment of the most common psychiatric disorders.  Research on psychotherapeutic treatment of most common psychiatric disorders also presented for many syndromes.

Psychodynamic Diagnosis
One of our senior psychodynamic faculty members, James Fisch, MD, teaches this review and discussion of the principles of psychodynamic diagnosis.  This course includes review of major principles of personality structure and psychological defenses.  This class prepares residents for a course on psychodynamic formulation with the same instructor during the subsequent academic quarter.

Psychodynamic Case Formulation
This course is also taught by Dr. James Fisch.  The course includes a review and discussion of a psychodynamic case formulation.  Dr. Nancy McWilliams’ text on this topic is assigned for review.  Residents are required to write a psychodynamic case formulation on one of their outpatients.  The case write-up is critiqued by the instructor and the residents’ present their material to the class.

Consultation Liaison Psychiatry Literature Seminar
This is a weekly seminar for residents and attending psychiatrists rotating on the consult liaison service.  The seminar includes a critical review of psychiatric literature pertinent to consult liaison psychiatry.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Didactic Course
This PGY-2 course is taught by one of the Associate Program Directors, Dr. Sheila Dowd.  The course is composed of lecture and videotape presentation of the major theories and technique of cognitive behavioral psychotherapy.  This course helps prepare residents to begin providing CBT to their outpatients during their upcoming full-time outpatient year of training.

Psychodynamic Theory
This course has been taught for many years by Dr. Martin Fine.  He is a senior psychoanalyst on our staff.  The course includes lecture and discussion of the major theories of psychodynamic psychotherapy.  This course focuses mostly on Freud’s and Heinz Kohut’s psychodynamic models of the mind.

Review of Psychiatric Ethics.
Review of the major issues of psychiatric ethics pertinent to all general psychiatrists.  The course focuses on the ethical guidelines for psychiatrists of the American Psychiatric Association.  A senior psychiatrist, Bernard Rubin, MD, who helped write the ethics guidelines of the American Psychoanalytic Association, teaches this course.

Forensic Psychiatry Civil Case Review Meeting
This course is geared toward PGY-2 during their Inpatient-Forensic Psychiatry Rotation at the Cermak Health Services of Cook County.  Our Section Director of Forensic Psychiatry, James Cavanaugh, M.D. leads this seminar that focuses on review of Civil Forensic Cases under consultation by the Forensic Psychiatry Section.  Residents learn about the common malpractice suits filed against psychiatrists.  They participate in meetings and observe experienced forensic psychiatrists and psychologists discuss multiple civil forensic cases.

Forensic Psychiatry Review
This is another course for our PGY-2 rotating on their Inpatient-Forensic Psychiatry Rotation at the Cermak Health Services of Cook County.  Jan Barkel, J.D., an eminent scholar on the interface of psychiatry and law leads a brief seminar that reviews major principles of forensic psychiatry from the perspective of an attorney.   
 
Psychological Testing in the Forensic Setting
An additional course for PGY-2 during Inpatient-Forensic Psychiatry Rotation that is taught by Gene Wasilew, Ph.D.  This course focuses on a review of major principles of psychological testing that pertain to the assessment of people in a forensic setting.

Systems of Psychotherapy
Dr. Stephanie Cavanaugh orchestrates a course that includes participation of many faculty members with different psychotherapeutic expertise.  The course includes lectures and discussion of different models and types of psychotherapy.  Models that are covered are Supportive, Interpersonal, Psychodynamic approaches of Object Relations, Self-psychology, Freudian Theory, Psychological Defenses, Brief Dynamic, Behavioral (Systematic Desensitization, Biofeedback), Crisis Intervention, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Meditation, Hypnosis, Family Therapy, Couples Therapy, Group, and Psychosocial Rehabilitation.  At the end of the course three different clinicians with expertise in CBT, Psychodynamic and Supportive Psychotherapy formulate and discuss treatment of the same patient from their unique clinical perspectives. 

Child Psychiatry Case Conference
This seminar is required for PGY-2 during their Child Inpatient Rotation and for PGY-3 during their Child Outpatient Rotation.  Participants include child psychiatrists, child psychologists, psychiatric nurses, social workers, and child psychiatry fellows.  The seminar includes case presentation and discussion of children treated by residents, child psychiatry fellows and faculty.

Psychosomatics
This course reviews seminal articles in psychosomatic medicine.  The course is taught by the Director of the Consult Liaison Service, Dr. Stephanie Cavanaugh.  Topics are pertinent to consult liaison, inpatient and outpatient psychiatry.  Topics covered include Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Factitious Disorder and Malingering, Pain Disorder, Pain Management, Hypnosis, Sexual Dysfunction, Somatization Disorder, Hypochondriasis, Conversion Disorders and Psychological Factors affecting Physical Conditions.

PGY-3 Courses

Normal Human Development
This is a comprehensive and highly regarded course led by David Anderson, PhD, that includes lecture, reading, and discussion of the major theories of normal human development.

Research Methodology, Study Design and Research Ethics
This course is led by Dr. Patricia Meaden with assistance from Dr. William Miles.  They review research methodology, study design and research ethics.  Additionally, the course includes review of statistical and design principles.  .

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Case Conference
Dr. Sheila Dowd leads this 36 week case conference in which residents present recorded case material of their CBT sessions for review and critique by the class and the instructor.  Course includes presentation of sessions by expert cognitive behavioral therapists.  Review of CBT protocols for the treatment of different mood and anxiety disorders covered in the course.  Instructor teaches cognitive, behavioral and learning theory. 

Introduction to Group Psychotherapy
Dr. Maureen Ford conducts this course.  She utilizes lecture, assigned reading, videotape presentations, and discussion to review the major tenets of group psychotherapy.

Couples Therapy and Family Dynamics
Dr. Anne Hartlage leads this review of family dynamics and multiple theoretical and technical approaches to couples therapy.

Family Therapy for Psychiatrists
Dr. Patricia Meaden teaches a course that reviews the family therapy literature and other family therapy concepts pertinent to the general psychiatrists.

Couples and Family Therapy Case Conference
A highly regarded instructor, Dr. Kenneth Levitan leads this course in which residents present ongoing couples or family therapy cases.  Course includes discussion of structure, technique and theory of couples and family therapy.

Neuropsychiatry Review Course
Our Outpatient Clinic Director and one of our Geriatric Psychiatrists, Dr. Daniel Loiterstein organizes this course that utilizes multiple guest lecturers to cover numerous topics in neuropsychiatry.

Review of Resident Taped Psychodynamic Sessions
A supervising psychoanalyst, Dr. Charles Jaffe, leads a course in which audio or videotapes residents’ psychodynamic sessions are reviewed and discussed.  Discussion includes review of
psychodynamic theories and technique and supervision on resident’s treatment.

Brief Dynamic Psychotherapy
Charles Jaffe, MD, reviews the brief dynamic psychotherapy model of Michael Basch, M.D. 

History of Psychiatry and Practice Teaching through PowerPoint Presentation
Residents are provided with recommendations on doing PowerPoint presentations.  Residents are assigned topics to present on the history of psychiatry to their fellow residents and to two faculty members.  Residents practice doing PowerPoint presentations and are evaluated by the faculty and at least half of the residents in attendance.  The residents’ presentations are videotaped for their own review.

Cultural Psychiatry Course
Multiple departmental and guest faculty review major issues in cultural psychiatry including the cultural formulation, Latino Mental Health issues, working with the African American population, religious and cultural issues working with the Asian Indian population, cultural issues of patients of Hindu, Muslim, Catholic, Evangelical Christian and Orthodox Jewish faiths, working with homosexual patients, clinical issues working with the visually impaired and the culture of inner city poverty.

PGY-4 Courses

Introduction to Clinical Practice
Lecture and discussion of major issues of beginning practice in multiple settings.  Includes review of employment contracts, explanation of methods in which psychiatrists may receive payment for care delivered, recommendations on setting up a practice. 

Adolescent Psychotherapy, Development and Psychological Testing
Dr. Charles Jaffe, a senior psychoanalyst reviews normal adolescent development, techniques and theories of adolescent psychotherapy.   Dr. Jaffe presents his own case material.  A psychologist on our staff, Dr. David Anderson, discusses the appropriate use of psychological testing in the assessment of adolescents referred for psychiatric treatment.

Termination Issues in Psychiatric Treatment
Dr. Charles Jaffe discusses issues of termination and loss in the care of psychiatric patients.

Oral Boards Review Course
This course is taught by Dr. Daniel Levin, Dr. Jeffery Rado, and Dr. Daniel Rosenthal.  They are all Program Directors.  In this course, senior residents interview patients for 30 minutes and present and discuss the patients in Boards Part II format.
 
Forensic Psychiatry Informed Clinical Documentation Course
One of our eminent forensic psychiatrists, Dr. James Cavanaugh, leads this brief course that reviews recommended clinical documentation for a general psychiatrist from the perspective of an experienced forensic psychiatrist.

Patients as Viewed by Kohut, Patients as Viewed by Kernberg
A recent graduate of our program with a strong interest in psychotherapy, Dr. Burgess Wilson utilizes case presentation, lecture and discussion to review the differences in the theoretical perspectives of two major psychodynamic theoreticians.

The Unconscious as Seen by Freud and by other Theorists
This is another course taught by Dr. Charles Jaffe.  In this course, Dr. Jaffe discusses various theories of the unconscious, including Freud.

Elective Courses

Learning Psychiatry through Film and Theatre
Jeff Stern, PhD, a psychoanalyst on our staff with a doctorate in English literature, facilitates discussions of Shakespeare plays and feature films among residents and attendings during this informal elective course.

Psychological Testing Literature Seminar: This is a weekly conference run by the Department of Psychology that reviews recent articles from the psychological testing.  Residents rotating on Geriatric Psychiatry are invited to attend.