PGY-2 Education

The PGY-2 Education experience at the UTHealth Houston Center for Interventional Psychiatry is offered as an elective rotation for psychiatry residents. This elective provides early exposure to the foundations of interventional psychiatry and the care of patients with severe and treatment-resistant mood disorders, complementing core PGY-2 training requirements.

PGY-2 residents participate in a closely supervised learning experience focused on observation, skill development, and conceptual understanding.

Educational Focus

The PGY-2 elective emphasizes:

  • Foundational understanding of treatment-resistant depression and bipolar disorder
  • Introduction to interventional psychiatry principles, including indications and mechanisms of action
  • Exposure to:
    • Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
    • Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
    • Ketamine-based therapies (intranasal esketamine and intravenous ketamine)
  • Assessment of illness severity, risk, and treatment response
  • Principles of measurement-based and evidence-informed care

Clinical Training Environment

During this elective PGY-2 rotation, residents may participate in:

  • Observation in outpatient interventional psychiatry clinics
  • Participation in multidisciplinary treatment planning
  • Exposure to inpatient psychiatric care, including patients receiving ECT on DCB 4C at the John S. Dunn Behavioral Sciences Center
  • Structured didactics and case-based discussions related to interventional treatments

Clinical responsibilities are appropriate to the PGY-2 level and emphasize learning rather than independent procedural practice.

Didactics and Skill Development

PGY-2 residents on this elective engage in:

  • Faculty-led didactic sessions on interventional psychiatry
  • Case conferences and journal clubs
  • Supervised clinical discussions focused on treatment selection, safety, and ethics
  • Introduction to regulatory and ethical considerations in neuromodulation and rapid-acting therapies

Educational Mission

Through this elective PGY-2 rotation, the Center aims to:

  • Introduce residents early to advanced treatment options for severe psychiatric illness
  • Build conceptual foundations for later PGY-4 mandatory training
  • Encourage interest in interventional psychiatry as a potential career pathway

Support thoughtful, evidence-based clinical decision-making