Program Overview
First Year
First year students at McGovern Medical School receive introductory lectures on the basics of psychiatric interviewing during the Foundations and Doctoring courses. Students have the opportunity to interview real patients under faculty supervision during two small group sessions. Students interested in psychiatry are encouraged to join the Student Interest Group in Neurology and Psychiatry (SIGN/P), which provides social opportunities to meet psychiatry faculty and residents as well as lecture series on neuroscience topics. First year medical students interested in summer research opportunities in our department are encouraged to apply for the Saltzberg Research Program. Further information can be found here.
Second Year
Second year students receive an intensive education in psychiatric disorders and treatments through the Nervous System and Behavior Module, which is jointly taught by the departments of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Neurology and Neurobiology & Anatomy. This course utilizes a combination of lectures, small group activities, and clinical experiences to provide students with a clinically-focused foundation in psychiatry and the neurosciences.
Third Year
Third year students rotate through the Psychiatry Clerkship, a 6-week clinical experience providing extensive hands-on clinical training in psychiatric evaluation and assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning. Students have the opportunity to rotate through general psychiatric services as well as specialty services including geriatrics, consultation-liaison and child and adolescent psychiatry. Students are provided with a varied didactic education through lectures, Team-Based Learning (TBL), journal clubs and case conferences.
Fourth Year
Fourth year students interested in additional training in psychiatry can choose from a large number of selective and elective options, including rotations in psychopharmacology, pediatric bipolar disorders, treatment refractory mood disorders, and many others. Students planning on applying for psychiatric training will have access to extensive personalized faculty guidance in navigating the residency application process.