Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Chairperson:
Alan F. Schatzberg, MD
Department web site:
http://psychiatry.stanford.edu/
Faculty of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences:
http://psychiatry.stanford.edu/faculty
Courses given in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences have the subject code PSYC.
Preclinical Instruction incorporates two required sections of the Practice of Medicine (POM) course. The first part, taught in year 1, explores the psychological effects of physical diseases, the doctor-patient relationship, human development, patient interviewing, ethical issues in medicine, and substance abuse. The course consists of two weekly lectures and one patient interview per week. The second part, taught in year 2, combines examines the major psychiatric syndromes including psychotic, mood and anxiety disorders, through a series of lectures and clinical preceptorships on the psychiatric inpatient units. Diagnostic criteria, signs and symptoms, as well as course, treatment, and prognosis are reviewed along with biological and psychosocial knowledge of each psychiatric syndrome.
Clinical Instruction is available in inpatient and outpatient settings. Clerkships (4 weeks) are designed to teach students how to conduct a diagnostic assessment (including the mental status examination) and to use standardized criteria for the diagnosis of psychiatric disorders. Treatment methods include individual, group, and family psychotherapies; psychoactive medications and coordination with multidisciplinary teams.
Advanced psychiatric clerkships enable students to recognize and manage common psychiatric disorders in medical and surgical practice; understand the physical diseases that can cause signs and symptoms of mental disorder; diagnose and treat special psychiatric disorders such as disorders of children, substance abuse, sleep disorders, and psychiatric emergencies, or become involved in biological, psychological, and social research of psychiatric disorders.
PSYC 300A is the core clerkship for psychiatry. PSYC 325B and higher are advanced clerkships and require the basic psychiatry clerkship as a prerequisite. A prior course on the pharmacology of central nervous system drugs is strongly advised.
The Residency Training Program prepares physicians to become leaders in psychiatry. In addition to becoming thoroughly competent clinicians, residents are helped to develop an area of special knowledge or skill. Residents are encouraged to explore opportunities for individualized research and teaching under faculty supervision. Residents can join the program in PGY I or the PGY II year. At any given time, about half of the residents serve in one of the clinical programs at Stanford Hospital or Clinics and the other half at the VAMC (Palo Alto or Menlo Park). Other clinical training sites include LPCH, Vaden Student Health, and KPMC. The essentials of clinical psychiatry are taught through graded responsibility, conferences, and teaching rounds at each center. In addition, at least two hours of individual supervision are available weekly for residents. One afternoon a week is set aside for seminars considered part of the core curriculum. Every effort is made to provide residents in their fourth year with programs tailored to their individual interests. There is also a PGY V Geriatric Psychiatry Residency position. In addition to the full-time faculty, the department has an outstanding voluntary clinical faculty of more than 175 individuals who play a major role in the clinical teaching of psychiatry and the supervision of ongoing cases. Director: Dr. Barr Taylor
Postdoctoral Training opportunities are available. For information, refer to the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs home page at http://postdocs.stanford.edu/ or the departmental home page.
