Psychiatry Core Clerkship

School of Medicine

Mental illness is prevalent in our patient population, so comfort in working with these patients is important for any physician regardless of future specialty. The Psychiatry Core Clerkship offers students the opportunity to diagnose, understand, and manage mood disorders, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, agitation, delirium, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorder, and more. Students are expected to gain skills in assessing safety (suicidal/homicidal ideation), the mental status exam, and the biopsychosocial formulation. Practice in Psychiatry is a great example of the importance of interdisciplinary care, rapport building, and attention to the doctor-patient relationship. During this rotation, students immerse themselves in the clinical world under the guidance of house staff and faculty. Clinical experience includes interviewing patients, documenting, obtaining collateral, and attending family meetings. All students are assigned (2) 2-week inpatient rotations. At the Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital, there are inpatient teams separated by diagnostic categories and age: Mood/general, Psychosis, Addiction, Geriatric, and Child/Adolescent. At the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the Adult Psychiatry Consult-Liaison service sees patients admitted for various medical reasons. Similarly, at the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Consult-Liaison services sees medically admitted children <18 years old. Each student has one outpatient opportunity. There are (2) 4-hour call shifts to evaluate patients in the Psychiatric Assessment Service (Emergency Psychiatry). Students are also given the chance to see electroconvulsive therapy, court hearing, and an AA meeting. Required learning activities include formulation review, two Master Clinical Teaching observations, and didactics. There are additional optional learning opportunities such as site-specific didactics, morning report, case-based learning sessions, journal clubs, and grand rounds. The Psychiatry Core Clerkship is one of the 6 required core clerkships that comprise the Foundations of Clinical Care (FCC) Phase during the second year of VUSM’s MD curriculum.