Education / Graduate Medical Education / Prospective Residents / Psychiatry Residency Program / Curriculum

Curriculum

The Residency curriculum combines clinical and didactic experiences to provide depth and breadth of knowledge and skills. Our core didactics are largely consolidated into one afternoon per week for all residents. Residents are expected to attend. This is dedicated didactic time, which is communicated to residents’ rotations, clinics and supervisors, even in PGY-1 non-Psychiatry rotations such as Medicine. Residents are relieved of clinical responsibilities on Wednesday afternoons, enabling them to return to the Department of Psychiatry for didactics. Residents are expected to attend.

PGY-1

The focus of this first year is to establish core skills as a physician and psychiatrist in training.

Clinical Rotations	Didactic Experiences	Call Requirement
Five months of Inpatient Psychiatry Strong Memorial Hospital (SMH) General Adult Acute Inpatient Psychiatry Service Rochester Psychiatric Center (Forensic Unit) Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP), Extended Observation Unit (EOB), & Mobile Crisis Team (MCT) Five months of Internal Medicine SMH Internal Medicine (IM) Emergency Medicine Inpatient Medicine in Psychiatry Unit (IMIP) Two months of Neurology	PGY-1 residents attend Wednesday afternoon didactics, which can sometimes be a combined seminar with upper-level psychiatry residents. Didactics cover a range of topics. A sample: Case Reasoning and Creating a Biopsychosocial Formulation Talking with Patients/Interviewing Foundations of Therapy Supportive Psychotherapy Human Development Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Motivational Interviewing and Harm Reduction for Substance Use Disorders Psychopharmacology Interventional Treatments in Psychiatry	When on IM and Neuro, on-call is per those services; there is no evening or overnight call during Psych rotations.

Clinical Rotations

Didactic Experiences

Call Requirement

Five months of Inpatient Psychiatry
- Strong Memorial Hospital (SMH) General Adult Acute Inpatient Psychiatry Service
- Rochester Psychiatric Center (Forensic Unit)
- Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP), Extended Observation Unit (EOB), & Mobile Crisis Team (MCT)
Five months of Internal Medicine
- SMH Internal Medicine (IM)
- Emergency Medicine
- Inpatient Medicine in Psychiatry Unit (IMIP)
Two months of Neurology

PGY-1 residents attend Wednesday afternoon didactics, which can sometimes be a combined seminar with upper-level psychiatry residents. Didactics cover a range of topics.

A sample:

Case Reasoning and Creating a Biopsychosocial Formulation
Talking with Patients/Interviewing
Foundations of Therapy
Supportive Psychotherapy
Human Development
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Motivational Interviewing and Harm Reduction for Substance Use Disorders
Psychopharmacology
Interventional Treatments in Psychiatry

When on IM and Neuro, on-call is per those services; there is no evening or overnight call during Psych rotations.

PGY-2

The second year is a time to begin consolidating one’s identity as a psychiatrist. An important clinical focus is gaining confidence in the care of acute psychiatric patients. It includes exposure to a wide range of psychopathology in settings that teach focused, acute interventions. The CPEP experience continues in this year, and into PGY-3, with evening and weekend shifts. There is no overnight call. The goal of the CPEP experience is to hone residents' abilities to do safety assessments in complex cases, manage behavioral dysregulation, distinguish medical from psychiatric issues, and document appropriately.

Clinical Rotations	Didactic Experiences	CPEP Requirement
Two months Senior Resident on General Adult Acute Service Ten weeks Child and Adolescent (CAP) Inpatient Psychiatry Unit 6 weeks Geriatric Inpatient Psychiatry Service Two months Psychiatry Consultation Liaison Service 2 weeks CAP Consultation Service 6 weeks Addiction Psychiatry (Strong Recovery) Two weeks Eating Disorders Three weeks Interventional Psychiatry Resident Psychotherapy Clinic: One half-day per week across the year	PGY-2 residents attend Wednesday afternoon didactics, which can sometimes be a combined seminar with upper-level psychiatry residents. A sample of seminar topics: Trauma and Trauma-focused Treatment Severe and Persistent Mental Illnesses Reproductive Psychiatry Anxiety and Anxiety-related Disorders Advanced Topics in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Introduction to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Introduction to Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Introduction to Family and Group Therapy History of Psychiatry	3-4 shifts per month, in the evenings and on weekends. There is no overnight call.

Clinical Rotations

Didactic Experiences

CPEP Requirement

Two months Senior Resident on General Adult Acute Service
Ten weeks Child and Adolescent (CAP) Inpatient Psychiatry Unit
6 weeks Geriatric Inpatient Psychiatry Service
Two months Psychiatry Consultation Liaison Service
2 weeks CAP Consultation Service
6 weeks Addiction Psychiatry (Strong Recovery)
Two weeks Eating Disorders
Three weeks Interventional Psychiatry
Resident Psychotherapy Clinic: One half-day per week across the year

PGY-2 residents attend Wednesday afternoon didactics, which can sometimes be a combined seminar with upper-level psychiatry residents.

A sample of seminar topics:

Trauma and Trauma-focused Treatment
Severe and Persistent Mental Illnesses
Reproductive Psychiatry
Anxiety and Anxiety-related Disorders
Advanced Topics in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Introduction to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Introduction to Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
Introduction to Family and Group Therapy
History of Psychiatry

3-4 shifts per month, in the evenings and on weekends. There is no overnight call.

PGY-3

This year is designed to significantly broaden and deepen one’s psychiatric abilities. The year consists predominantly of ambulatory psychiatric experiences in a variety of general and specialty settings. Priorities in this year include adding to and honing skills in pharmacotherapies and psychotherapy. Residents have a psychotherapy supervisor to aid in developing psychotherapy competencies.

Clinical Rotations	Didactic Experiences	CPEP Requirement
For twelve months Resident Psychotherapy Clinic: 1 day a week Strong Ties / Schwarzkopf - Clinics for the seriously and persistently mentally ill: 3 half-days / week Strong Minds, the adult ambulatory clinic, located downtown For six months Socio-Legal Practicum and Seminar (at Monroe County Jail): 1/2 day a week Older Adults Clinic: 1/2 day a week Outpatient consultation at the Highland Family Medicine Clinic: 1/2 day a week Elective possibilities: Lazos Fuertes (must be fluent in Spanish), VA Clinic, Deaf Wellness Clinic, & others For 3 months Outpatient consultation at the perinatal clinic	This year emphasizes psychotherapies. Residents also begin to consider and initiate their scholarly projects. A sample of seminar topics: Family Therapy Interpersonal Therapy Intensive Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy Advanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapies Psychotherapeutic Interventions for Suicidal Patients Ethnic Psychiatry and Working with Different Populations: African America/Black Refugees Middle Eastern descent Sexually and Gender diverse Deaf Collaborative Care (working with non-psychiatric colleagues) Quality Improvement	2-3 shifts per month, in the evenings and on weekends. There is no overnight call.

Clinical Rotations

Didactic Experiences

CPEP Requirement

For twelve months

Resident Psychotherapy Clinic: 1 day a week
Strong Ties / Schwarzkopf - Clinics for the seriously and persistently mentally ill: 3 half-days / week
Strong Minds, the adult ambulatory clinic, located downtown

For six months

Socio-Legal Practicum and Seminar (at Monroe County Jail): 1/2 day a week
Older Adults Clinic: 1/2 day a week
Outpatient consultation at the Highland Family Medicine Clinic: 1/2 day a week
Elective possibilities: Lazos Fuertes (must be fluent in Spanish), VA Clinic, Deaf Wellness Clinic, & others

For 3 months

Outpatient consultation at the perinatal clinic

This year emphasizes psychotherapies. Residents also begin to consider and initiate their scholarly projects.

A sample of seminar topics:

Family Therapy
Interpersonal Therapy
Intensive Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy
Advanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapies
Psychotherapeutic Interventions for Suicidal Patients
Ethnic Psychiatry and Working with Different Populations:
- African America/Black
- Refugees
- Middle Eastern descent
- Sexually and Gender diverse
- Deaf
- Collaborative Care (working with non-psychiatric colleagues)
Quality Improvement

2-3 shifts per month, in the evenings and on weekends. There is no overnight call.

PGY-4

This is a year for consolidation, mastery, leadership and exploration as you approach graduation and prepare for fellowship training or the transition to practice.

Clinical Rotations	Didactic Experiences	CPEP Requirements
Minimum 2 half-days per week of outpatient practice (Therapy Clinic or Strong Ties/Schwarzkopf Clinic) Junior Attending experience: This is a minimum of one month, and can occur on inpatient psychiatry, in CPEP, CL service or others. Teaching, along with Neurology residents, at the Medical School’s Mind, Brain, Behavior course.	PGY-4 residents attend Wednesday afternoon didactics. This year emphasizes topics that consolidate and deepen knowledge, in preparation for work as a Fellow or an attending after graduation. A sample of topics Include: Transition to Attending Practice Creating a Private Practice Life-long Learning, MOC, and ABPN Advanced Psychopharmacology Psychodynamic Psychopharmacology Board Review Teaching is also a great way to learn. Various teaching opportunities include: Providing teaching to other disciplines, med students and trainees of other disciplines Teaching junior residents about delivering feedback to med students	None; moonlighting is encouraged.

Clinical Rotations

Didactic Experiences

CPEP Requirements

Minimum 2 half-days per week of outpatient practice (Therapy Clinic or Strong Ties/Schwarzkopf Clinic)
Junior Attending experience:
- This is a minimum of one month, and can occur on inpatient psychiatry, in CPEP, CL service or others.
- Teaching, along with Neurology residents, at the Medical School’s Mind, Brain, Behavior course.

PGY-4 residents attend Wednesday afternoon didactics. This year emphasizes topics that consolidate and deepen knowledge, in preparation for work as a Fellow or an attending after graduation.

A sample of topics Include:

Transition to Attending Practice
Creating a Private Practice
Life-long Learning, MOC, and ABPN
Advanced Psychopharmacology
Psychodynamic Psychopharmacology
Board Review

Teaching is also a great way to learn. Various teaching opportunities include:

Providing teaching to other disciplines, med students and trainees of other disciplines
Teaching junior residents about delivering feedback to med students

None; moonlighting is encouraged.