Didactic Core Curriculum

An extensive series of lectures and discussions forms the didactic core of the residency. Courses are designed to be rich in content, but to allow great freedom for discussion and interaction. The core curriculum consists of a series of seminars throughout the four years of training. Balance is sought among the various aspects of the field. Currently, approximately 15% of the curriculum is devoted to neurobiology, psychoanalytic therapy, cognitive/behavioral therapy, diagnostic issues, systems of service, and other forms of therapy. The remaining time is spent on topics such as ethics, forensics, and practice management.

The PGY-I curriculum provides a broad overview of the field, with special attention to areas of clinical interest during an intensive internship.

During PGY-II the curriculum presents fundamentals of psychology, psychodynamics, and psychopharmacology. Special attention to clinical issues such as emergency psychiatry, consultation/liaison work, and psychodynamic psychotherapy introduce residents to those topics in parallel with their clinical experience. This is accompanied by in-depth study of specific disorders and specialized therapies. The curriculum is designed to build from basic principles to advanced concepts and skills.

PGY-III begins with an intensive series of didactic sessions designed to quickly bring the residents up to speed on the clinical issues they will face in the outpatient setting. This is followed by a continuing series on psychodynamic principles and practice, psychopharmacology, multimodal treatment, ethics, spirituality, and other topics. Specialized topics, such as geriatric psychiatry, community psychiatry, marital therapy, interpersonal therapy, and cognitive-behavioral therapy occur in conjunction with those clinical experiences.

PGY-IV includes an integrated curriculum in neuroscience, with fundamentals of basic neuroanatomy and neurochemistry, clinical neurology, and reviews of current areas of research. Additional course work in forensics, research techniques, managed care, practice management, and other topics follow.