Goals and Objectives:

The training obtained during the first postgraduate year should provide residents with medical skills most relevant to psychiatric practice. These include being able to 1) Perform a complete initial history and physical examination, including appropriate diagnostic studies; 2) diagnose common medical and surgical disorders and formulate appropriate initial treatment plans; 3) provide limited, but appropriate, continuous care of patients with medical illnesses and make appropriate referrals; 4) be especially conversant with medical disorders displaying symptoms likely to be regarded as psychiatric disorders, and psychiatric disorders displaying symptoms likely to be regarded as medical; 5) be especially cognizant of the nature of the interactions between psychiatric treatments and medical and surgical treatments; and 6) relate to patients and their families, as well as other members of the health care team, with compassion, respect and professional integrity.

Core Competencies:

A. Knowledge: Residents will learn to provide competent care to patients with a range of medical and neurologic disorders that are commonly encountered in psychiatric practice.

B. Skills: Residents will develop an appreciation of the value of life-long learning for competent patient care.

C: Attitudes: Residents will consolidate their identities as physicians and commit themselves to the scientific and ethical values that underlie the doctor-patient relationship.

A. Knowledge: Residents will learn to diagnose and treat a wide range of medical and neurologic disorders that are relevant to psychiatric practice.

B. Skills:  Residents will become more skilled at applying their knowledge of medical and neurologic disease to particular clinical problems.

C. Attitudes:  Residents will understand the value and role of medical and neurologic approaches in the provision of comprehensive psychiatric care.

A. Knowledge: Residents will become familiar with the fundamentals of clinical medicine and neurology so that they can go on to engage effectively in life long learning.

B. Skills: Residents will learn how to grapple effectively with complex medical and neuropsychiatric illness through critical reading and expert consultation.

C. Attitudes: Residents will develop an appreciation of the value of life-long learning for competent patient care.

A. Knowledge: Residents will learn clinical techniques to insure respectful and ethical interactions with patients and colleagues.

B. Skills: Residents will have the opportunity to develop their interpersonal and communicable skills in didactic seminars and on clinical rotations.

C. Attitudes: Residents will develop an appreciation of the value of interpersonal and communication skills for assurance of ethical and effective patient care.

A. Knowledge: Residents will study and receive mentorship in professionalism and ethical behavior in medicine.

B. Skills: Residents will develop their professional skills by interacting with their colleagues and supervisors, and learn to practice medicine in accordance with professional norms.

C. Attitudes: Residents will develop and appreciation of the value of professional and respectful treatment of patients and colleagues in all clinical settings.

A. Knowledge: Residents will learn about the importance of approaching patient care in a systems-oriented way, with particular attention to the challenges of promoting access of patients (regardless of socioeconomic status) to high quality care. 

B. Skills: Residents will develop their skills at working ethically in various medical contexts by discussing and participating in clinical cases that raise issues related to health-care systems.

C. Attitudes: Residents will develop an appreciation of the value of thinking about various systems (such as managed care) insofar as they relate to the provision of ethical patient care.