Curriculum

Our faculty conducts a variety organized educational activities including didactic presentations, case conferences, journal clubs, and grand rounds. The purpose is threefold: to impart factual knowledge, develop critical thinking, and to provide intellectual stimulation.  As training exercises, senior residents lead some of these activities under faculty supervision. There are approximately six hours of classroom teaching each week.

PGY-1

The PGY-1 didactic curriculum consists of a 30-hour set of introductory seminars on the fundamental elements of assessment and treatment. The introductory seminars are held during the first four weeks of the Psychiatry assignment.  First year residents also have a weekly interviewing seminar and participate as a group with the PGY-2 residents in journal clubs, clinical case conferences, and the Psychopharmacology review during the remainder of the academic year when assigned to psychiatry day rotations at Elmhurst.

The psychiatry assignment begins with a four-week inpatient orientation and include three additional daytime rotations to inpatient psychiatry at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens, and a day rotation in the CPEP. Another four to five weeks is assigned to night duty on the Elmhurst site’s inpatient service.  Residents work one on one with a faculty supervisor for the first three hours of the night rotation and a faculty supervisor, stationed in the hospital, is immediately available to them at all other times.

The remainder of the PGY-1 year comprises two rotations in neurology and four rotations in internal medicine.

The curriculum advances in complexity through the subsequent years of training as follows:

PGY-2

  • Psychopharmacology review
  • Substance use disorders
  • Journal club/Clinical case conference
  • Forensic psychiatry
  • Human development and child and adolescent psychiatry
  • Research methods
  • Neurology for the psychiatrist
  • Diagnosis, pathophysiology, and somatic treatment of psychiatric disorders
  • Introduction to the psychotherapies
  • Consultation/Liaison psychiatry
  • Interviewing and formulating

PGY-3

  • Journal club/Clinical case conference (for third and fourth-year residents as a group)
  • Psychodynamic Theory and technique
  • Cognitive-Behavioral therapy
  • Brief therapy
  • Family and Couples therapy
  • Group therapy
  • Outpatient psychiatry
  • Board review

PGY-4

  • Board review
  • Geriatric psychiatry
  • Administrative psychiatry
  • History of psychiatry
  • Neurology for the psychiatrist

Scholarly Activities

The aim is to foster intellectual growth, develop critical thinking, and promote interest in academic psychiatry. Residents at all levels participate in Journal Club, Clinical Case Conference and DSM-V-TR Review with each resident expected to lead the discussion at a minimum of two activities per year. Departmental Grand Rounds occur throughout the year with presentations from invited speakers, faculty members and senior residents.

Electives

Residents have 4 months of elective time, which they may use for educational activities of their choice, such as to complete research projects, gain additional experience in a clinical setting, travel abroad as part of a global mental health initiative, or experience away rotations at clinical sites across the country.

Preparation for beyond training

After four years of training in an urban community-based setting with a highly diverse patient population, our residents’ clinical exposure and training are robust, preparing them well to become knowledgeable and confident attendings. In addition, senior residents function as “junior attendings” under faculty supervision on one or more of our academic units, providing teaching and clinical supervision to junior trainees, and participating in a variety of administrative activities. The clinical setting for this four-month rotation is chosen by the resident. Senior residents also conduct quality improvement projects and participate during the incident review committee meetings.

Wellness Activities

Our program highly advocates for the well-being of the residents. Wellness workshops and lectures are conducted and integrated in the curriculum of the residents. The Wellness Committee spearheaded by the Wellness Champ (attending faculty) plan on the Wellness activities scheduled throughout the year.  In addition, we have our Summer BBQ picnic with the program leadership and the Annual Retreat as part of our Wellness program.

Advanced Training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Two-year residency training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry is available within the Department.  Information about this program is available on the Icahn School of Medicine website (see below).

Academic Productivity

Learn about the fellowships positions obtained by recent graduates after completing our residency program.

Learn more about recent publications and conference presentations by residents.

Learn more about representative publications from our faculty.