Psychiatry

Clerkship Objectives Index | Ambulatory | Emergency Med | Family Med | Internal Med | Neurology | Ob/Gyn | Peds | Psych | Surgery | Sub-I

CURRENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES & ALIGNMENT

Medical Knowledge

• Describe the normal psychological development across the lifespan.
  • Apply knowledge of the expected changes across the lifespan in the care of patients with psychiatric disorders and medical conditions
• Describe the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) criteria for psychiatric disorders and substance use disorders.
  • Apply knowledge of the major psychiatric disorders in the care of patients.
  • Apply knowledge of substance use disorders in the care of patients.
  • Describe the scientific basis for the diagnostic tests used in psychiatry.
  • Describe pertinent positive and negative findings from historical and objective examination and apply this to DSM criteria.
• Describe the psychopharmacological treatments and psychotherapies for psychiatric disorders.
  • Apply knowledge of psychopharmacology in developing treatment plans for patients with psychiatric disorders with attention to risk-benefit analysis and awareness of cost.
  • Demonstrate the basic features of motivational interviewing and supportive psychotherapy.
  • Demonstrate ability to differentiate key types of psychotherapy modalities based on their features.
• Demonstrate knowledge of psychiatric concepts, components of the psychiatric mental status exam, and cognitive screening.
  • Demonstrate ability to complete a mental status examination.
  • Demonstrate ability to perform a cognitive screening examination.

Patient Care Skills

• Conduct patient interviews skillfully.
  • Independently conduct an organized, comprehensive history, including a thorough psychiatric and narrative history.
  • Demonstrate the ability to engage challenging patients and show sensitivity during difficult conversations
• Diagnose psychiatric disorders in patients.
  • Prioritize a differential diagnosis by applying knowledge of psychopathology and medical illnesses
  • Understand the relevance of a biopsychosocial formulation in developing treatment plans, including treatment focused on health maintenance and relapse prevention.
• Propose evidence-based therapeutic options.
  • Apply knowledge of indications, contraindications and potential adverse reactions, and likely outcomes for a given therapeutic intervention, with attention to cost and quality.
  • Provide patient education regarding prevention, diagnosis, treatment plan, and health promotion, including obtaining informed consent
• Assess risk factors for suicidality and dangerousness in patients.
  • Apply knowledge of the risk factors for suicide when making treatment plans and understand the limits of confidentiality.
  • Apply knowledge of the risk factors for violence when making treatment plans and an understanding of when to alert others, including potential targets.
  • Apply knowledge of potential signs/symptoms of abuse when developing treatment plans, including when to report suspected abuse.
  • Understand the legal aspects of treatment of patients with psychiatric disorders who are at risk for harm to self or others.

Systems-Based Practice

• Apply the bio-psycho-social model in psychiatric assessments.
  • Incorporate contextual factors into plans for patients.
• Advocate for the humane, just, safe, and prudent care of patients with psychiatric disorders.
  • Demonstrate behavior that conveys caring, honesty, genuine interest, and tolerance when interacting with a diverse population of patients and families.
• Describe the basic framework for mental health care in our country.
  • Recognize how the mental health care delivery system in which one works affects patient care, being able to identify the resources available to assist patients with psychiatric disorders.

Interpersonal Skills and Communication

• Deliver effective patient presentations, including a psychiatric examination.
  • Present patient encounters accurately and succinctly both verbally and in written communication.
• Document accurately in the medical record, including a mental status examination.
  • Document patient encounters accurately in a timely, focused, and prioritized way.
• Communicate and work effectively with others with attention to appropriate boundaries.
  • Seek and respond to feedback on one's communication skills.
  • Communicate with patients and families in a timely, clear, and empathetic manner.
  • Communicate effectively with all members of the patient's treatment team, including those from other professions and disciplines.
  • Participate effectively in hand-off communications with other providers and know when to consult a consultation-liaison (CL) psychiatrist.
  • Demonstrate understanding of human responses to emotions and ways they impact communication with patients (including knowledge of transference/countertransference).

Caring/Valuing Professionalism

• Demonstrate respect, empathy, and concern for all patients, regardless of the patient's problems, personal characteristics or cultural background.
  • Demonstrate respect for all patients and families in clinical encounters.
  • Demonstrate ability to self-reflect on one's cultural sensitivity and interactions with patients and families.
• Be courteous to patients, families, staff, colleagues, and other health professionals.
  • Demonstrate punctuality, reliability, preparedness, initiative, and follow-through.
• Value and behave in a manner consistent with the highest ethical standards of the profession, including confidentiality and honesty.
  • Demonstrate the highest standards of individual and team behavior that is patient-centered, culturally sensitive, and socially just.
  • Apply knowledge of medical ethics to clinical situations. Self-identify limitations and strengths in one's abilities to work autonomously and request supervision when needed.

Practice-Based Learning

• Advance knowledge through intellectual curiosity.
  • Incorporate critical reflection and feedback received to identify strengths and weaknesses, set individual learning goals, and engage in learning activities to meet those goals.
  • Demonstrate curiosity, objectivity, and the use of scientific reasoning in patient care.
• Appropriately utilize evidence-based resources to address uncertainty in medicine and gaps in knowledge/skills.
  • Identify appropriate resources to address gaps in knowledge/skills.
  • Identify clinical questions as they emerge in patient care activities; identify, appraise, and apply relevant evidence to answer those questions.
• Accept, reflect on, and implement feedback on one's own performance.
  • Accept and process feedback from faculty, patients, and peers to improve clinical performance.
  • Self-reflect on feedback in order to improve performance.