Study Guide for Psychiatry

Psychiatry Rotation Syllabus

1. COURSE TITLE: PSYCHIATRY/BEHAVIORAL MEDICINE ROTATION
2. COURSE/PREFIX NUMBER: PHA 411
3. CREDIT HOURS: 3

4. CONTACT HOURS: 172 clinical hours

5. COURSE PREREQUISITES/COREQUISITES: Successful completion of Year I of the PA Program.

6. COURSE DESCRIPTION:

   This is a required one-month rotation that may take place either in the inpatient or outpatient setting, or both. The purpose of this rotation is to teach the student to evaluate, diagnose, and treat common acute and chronic psychiatric problems through direct patient contact.  In addition, this rotation should include clinical experience in long-term care settings. If at all possible, this rotation will emphasize conditions and disease entities commonly encountered in the rural primary care setting.

7. COURSE OBJECTIVES: 

   By the end of the rotation, the student will:

   1. Demonstrate a sensitivity to the emotional, social, and ethnic backgrounds of   patients in need of psychiatric services by effectively interacting with them.
   2. Communicate and perform professionally with other members of the health care team in a psychiatric  setting.
   3. Recognize limitations by appropriately seeking help from supervising preceptor and consulting reference materials.
   4. Demonstrate professional demeanor by adherence to dress code, attendance expectations, general behavior guidelines, and response to constructive criticism in the psychiatric setting.
   5. Obtain and record a complete psychiatric history and perform and record a thorough physical examination, with emphasis on the mental status and neurological components.
   6. Identify normal and abnormal findings in the comprehensive history and physical examination of the psychiatric patient.
   7. Use and interpret diagnostic procedures and screening instruments for psychiatric evaluation and psychosocial stress.
   8. Formulate a problem list and differential diagnosis based on history, physical examination, diagnostic screening, and test results.
   9. Formulate and implement a management or treatment plan as approved and supervised by the preceptor.
   10. Demonstrate a knowledge of commonly prescribed medications that affect behavior by using   prescribing and monitoring plans.
   11. Perform technical procedures related to the care of the psychiatric patient.
   12. Educate patients to recognize signs of psychiatric problems in their own behavior or in their relationships with others.
   13. Identify community-based psychosocial resources and means of access for patients in need of intervention.
   14. Identify psychiatric behaviors and disease entities commonly encountered in the rural primary care setting.

8. LECTURE/LAB/CLINICAL SCHEDULE: Rotations individually assigned
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9. COURSE GUIDELINES AND EXPECTATIONS:
   Policies will be consistent with those published in the Clinical Year Manual and the College Student Handbook. The 7-point grading scale in the College Student Handbook will be used.
   .

10. METHOD OF EVALUATION:

    Preceptor evaluation	50%
    EOR exam	30%
    EOR quiz	10%
    Pharm Note card	10%
    No oral or written assignments in the spring or summer

    .

11. TEXTS/REFERENCE MATERIALS – In addition to books required for all rotations:

    • Elkin, G. D. (1999). Introduction to Clinical Psychiatry. Appleton & Lange.
    • Feldman, M.D., and J. F. Christensen (1997). Behavioral Medicine in Primary Care: A Practical Guide.  Appleton & Lange.

 XII.    DATE OF SYLLABUS APPROVAL/REVIEW/REVISION: May 31, 2005.