Brochure For Prospective Residents
Introductory Letter
Overview of Program
Rotation Schedule and Objectives
Resident Seminars
Psychotherapy Training
Career Opportunities
Faculty Research By Group
Stipends and Benefits
Map For Applicants
From Garage to Renard
(PDF)
From Garage to Renard
(JPEG)
Residents
Current Residents
National Achievements of Residents
The Eli Robins Award
The Gene Rubin Award
Resident of the Year
Resident Photos
Other Items of Interest
Department Faculty
Faculty Research Interests
Department Publications
Department Grants
Weekly Seminars
Residency Program
Psychotherapy Experience
It is extremely important for residents to develop critical thinking regarding all aspects of psychiatric treatments. Our residents appropriately learn to consider the efficacy and risk/benefit ratio of somatic treatments. Our residents also gain strong psychotherapeutic skills and by the end of their training have the confidence to assess the efficacy and risk/benefit ratio of psychotherapeutic treatments as well.
One component of a program that is successful in training residents in a wide range of skills is providing them with exposure to a sufficient number of patients with a variety of psychiatric disorders. A program with the appropriate amount of patients can provide exposure to the fascinating diversity of psychiatric symptoms. Our rotations provide excellent volume of patients with appropriate supervision. We are aware of the didactic limitations of either too few or too many patients and we continually work at maintaining the optimal number of patients.
Supervised treatment of a reasonable number of patients is necessary, however it is not sufficient to provide solid training in psychotherapeutic skills. Our approach to training residents in psychotherapy involves a combination of formal lectures, demonstrations, observation, and practice throughout the four-year training period.
The development of excellent psychotherapeutic skills involves learning about the non-specific benefits of all psychotherapies and the specific benefits of certain therapies. This latter aspect of training evolves as research demonstrates which therapies are effective in treating specific conditions.
Our didactic psychotherapy curriculum begins during the introductory summer course for the PGY-1 residents with a discussion about pragmatic issues for psychotherapy with inpatients and a discussion about the patient-physician relationship.
During the inpatient psychiatry rotation in the PG-1 year, residents improve their interviewing skills by conducting patient interviews in front of their colleagues and teaching attendings. In addition residents learn basic psychotherapeutic skills. Residents also observe faculty interviews. During their Chemical Dependency rotation, residents learn group therapy and motivational interviewing. Several conferences during this year include specific discussions concerning inpatient psychotherapy and issues of transition to outpatient management. In addition, issues related to somatic and psychologic patient management are discussed during daily attending rounds.
A Tuesday morning course dealing with personality and personality disorders is offered during all years of training. Issues of psychotherapies and personality profiles are covered in this fouryear curriculum.
During the second year, residents continue to gain psychotherapeutic skills from supervised patient management coupled with didactics from daily teaching rounds. During this PG-2 year while at the Independence Center residents obtain additional group therapy experience. On the consult service, experience is gained in certain types of brief therapies. Also, crisis intervention skills are enhanced from the ER experience.
Substantial training in psychotherapy occurs in the third year when residents spend the entire year caring for patients in the outpatient setting. As described in the accompanying letter from Keith Garcia, M.D., Ph.D., the head of the adult clinic, the curriculum associated with this rotation includes behavioral and cognitive therapies, interpersonal therapy, group therapy, psychodynamic therapy, family therapy and supportive therapeutic approaches. Residents are expected to use these techniques in the care of their patients. Residents who are interested in more in-depth training in one of these modalities are encouraged to choose a supervisor with such expertise and work with that supervisor. Most patients in our adult clinic receive both psychotherapy and medications. A curriculum on “advanced integrative psychopharmacology” targets the integrated use of these modalities in complex clinical scenarios. As part of the outpatient experience, residents also spend part of their time in the child psychiatry clinic where they learn family therapy, behavioral therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Finally, in the PG-4 year, residents continue to refine their psychotherapeutic skills as they continue to take care of long-term patients. In addition, residents who wish to have more training in psychotherapy may opt to utilize their elective time to gain more experience in this area.
Sincerely,
Keith Garcia, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, Barnes/Jewish Psychiatry Clinic