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 PGY-1 through PGY-3 residents. Residents are expected to attend. This is dedicated didactic time, which is communicated to residents’ supervisory attendings - for example, even while on Medicine rotations, PGY-1 residents are relieved of clinical responsibilities on Tuesday afternoons, enabling them to return to the Department of Psychiatry for didactics.
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 |
- Six months of Inpatient Psychiatry
- Strong Memorial Hospital (SMH) General Adult Acute Inpatient Psychiatry Service
- Rochester Psychiatric Center (Forensic Unit)
- Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP)
- Four months of Internal Medicine
- Two months of Neurology
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PGY-1 residents attend Tuesday afternoon seminars, which can sometimes be a combined seminar with upper level psychiatry residents. Didactics cover a range of topics as below, and also QI.
A sample of seminar topics:
- Case Reasoning
- Cultural Formulations
- Talking with Patients/Interviewing
- Foundations of Therapy
- Psychopharmacology
- Development and Child Psychopathology
- Forensic Psychiatry
- Geriatric Psychiatry Seminar Series
- Introduction to Family Therapy
- Psychological Testing
- ECT
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When on IM and Neuro, on-call is per those services; there is no call during Psych rotations.
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PGY-2
The second year is a time to begin consolidating one’s identity as a psychiatrist. An important clinical focus is to ensure that residents gain 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, as 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
- Two months Rochester Psychiatric Center (Schwarzkopf Clinic)
- Two months Inpatient Psychiatry on Child and Adolescent Unit
- One month Inpatient Psychiatry on Geriatric Psychiatry Service
- Two months Psychiatry Consultation Liaison Service
- One month Addiction Psychiatry (Strong Recovery)
- Three weeks (part-time) Eating Disorders Clinic
- Three weeks (part-time) ECT
- Resident Psychotherapy Clinic: One half-day per week across the year
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PGY-2 residents attend Tuesday afternoon seminars, which can sometimes be a combined seminar with upper level psychiatry residents. QI training continues. Residents also participate quarterly in the ‘Theater for Health Care Equity’
A sample of seminar topics:
- Interviewing
- Motivational Interviewing
- Rating Scales
- Introduction to Psychotherapy
- Freud
- Kohut
- Schizophrenia
- Introduction to Family and Group Therapy
- History of Psychiatry
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3-4 shifts per month
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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 |
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For twelve months
- Resident Psychotherapy Clinic: 1 day a week
- Strong Ties / Schwarzkopf - Clinics for the seriously and persistently mentally ill: 3 half-days a week
- University Counseling Center (1 half-day/week)
- Consultation Clinic: Perinatal Clinic (1 half day/month)
For six months
- Socio-Legal Practicum and Seminar: 1/2 day a week
- Older Adults Clinic: 1/2 day a week
- Highland Family Medicine Clinic: 1/2 day a week
- Elective Clinic: 1/2 day a week Examples: Lazos Fuertes, PTSD Clinic at the VA, Deaf Wellness Clinic, Child Outpatient Clinic, University Counseling Center
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This year emphasizes psychotherapies. Involvement with Theater for Health Care Equity continues quarterly. Residents also begin to consider and initiate their scholarly projects.
A sample of seminar topics:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Family Therapy
- Interpersonal Therapy
- Intensive Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy
- Ethnic Psychology
- Working with people from different cultures:
- African America/Black
- Refugees
- Middle Eastern descent
- Sexually and Gender diverse
- Deaf
- Collaborative Care (working with non-psychiatric colleagues)
- Dreams
- Advanced Psychopharmacology
- Neuropsych Testing
- Introduction to Perinatal Psychiatry
- Scholarly Projects
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2-3 shifts per month
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PGY-4
This is a year for consolidation, mastery, leadership and exploration as the resident approaches graduation and prepares for the transition to practice or fellowship training.
| Clinical Rotations |
Didactic Experiences |
CPEP Requirements
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- Minimum 2 half-days per week of outpatient practice (Therapy Clinic or Strong Ties)
- Junior Attending experience:
- This is a minimum of two months, and can occur on the inpatient psychiatry unit, CPEP, CL service or others, or a combination.
- At least two months as Junior Attending on another hospital based service (e.g., Inpatient or Consultation Liaison)
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In addition to various teaching opportunities:
- 4’s attend the CL Psychiatry Fellowship seminar series
- Provide teaching to med students
- Teach junior residents about delivering feedback to med students
- Consolidate teaching and supervising skills
- Numerous elective seminars and workshops
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None; moonlighting is encouraged.
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