Resident Learning Activities
Psychotherapy Didactic
This seminar series runs on a 2-year cycle for the PGY-IIs and PGY-IIIs. The residents meet with faculty weekly for one hour and are provided instruction on various psychotherapeutic modalities, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, supportive psychotherapy, brief psychotherapy, motivational enhancement therapy and group/family therapy. For the first 6 months of every academic year, this seminar is divided into 2 separate components; the PGY-IIs receive intensive training on the background and fundamentals of psychotherapy, while the PGY-IIIs receive “live,” interactive psychotherapy supervision (in observation rooms) from supervisors and fellow residents.
Psychotherapy Case Conference
This conference series, for PGY-IIs and PGY-IIIs, runs on a 2-year cycle and complements the Psychotherapy Didactic (described above). The conference meets with faculty for one hour every week and involves active discussion of current resident psychotherapy cases from a psychoanalytic/psychodynamic perspective. Particular attention is given to devising psychodynamic formulations and learning about the history of psychotherapy.
Biological Psychiatry Seminar
PGY-IIs and PGY-IIIs meet weekly with faculty for one hour in a 2-year repeating cycle. The biological seminar follows the American Psychiatric Textbook of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences (Yudofsky and Hales, 5th Edition, 2008) and examines in depth the basic principles of neuroscience, including a 10-week module covering cellular and molecular biology of the neuron, a 13-week review of neuroanatomy and neuroimaging, followed by an 11-week module on functional neuroanatomy. The seminar then addresses biological, neuropsychiatric and neuropsychological assessment (bedside and formal neuropsychological testing, electrodiagnostic techniques and laboratory testing). Additional modules address neuropsychiatric symptomatologies (pain management, disorders of attention and memory, and aggression), neuropsychiatric disorders (traumatic brain injury, seizure disorders and sleep disorders) as well as the neurobiology of schizophrenia, mood and anxiety disorders. Finally, the seminar focuses upon biological and neuropsychiatric treatments, including electroconvulsive therapy, vagus nerve stimulation, deep brain stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation. A 10-week module within the biological seminar entitled “Research Literacy /Evidence Based Medicine” is designed to teach residents how to read the biological literature. (Text: Greenhalgh, T: How to read a paper: The basics of evidence based medicine 2006).
PG-I Seminar
This seminar, specifically designed for psychiatry interns, meets for one hour every week and addresses various “high-yield” topics for PGY-Is early in their postgraduate training. Seminar topics cover a wide range of material, including suicidality/dangerousness, the psychiatric interview, emergency psychiatry, cultural competence, 
psychotic disorders, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, personality disorders, child/adolescent psychiatry, evidence based medicine, catatonia, substance abuse, electroconvulsive therapy, vagus nerve stimulation, transcranial magnetic stimulation, psychotherapy, geriatric psychiatry, the DSM-IV-TR, the history of psychiatry and neuropsychological testing. In addition, this seminar also includes a “Program Director’s Rounds,” conducted by the training director and focusing on developing strong psychiatric interviewing skills. This seminar is run by faculty and the PGY-IVs.
Journal Club
The Psychiatry Journal Club meets once a month for one hour to review an article published in the American Journal of Psychiatry. Here, the principles of evidence based medicine are modeled as the paper’s validity (closeness to the truth), impact (size of the effect) and applicability (usefulness in clinical practice) are appraised by faculty and residents. This learning activity is for all levels of residents.
Psychopharmacology Seminar
This seminar runs on a 2-year cycle for PGY-Is and PGY-IIs and is conducted by faculty and visiting lecturers. This learning experience is held for one hour 3-to-4 times a month and focuses specifically on psychopharmacologic treatments for mental disorders, in addition to addressing relevant neurophysiology.
Forensic Seminar
The Forensic Psychiatry Seminar meets monthly for one hour and provides instruction on the background and history of forensic psychiatry, landmark court cases, and various topics relevant to the practice of psychiatry and the law. This seminar is run by faculty and guest speakers frequently provide presentations. This didactic is open to all residents but is geared primarily toward PGY-IIIs and PGY-IVs.
Psychiatry Grand Rounds
The department’s Grand Rounds meets for one hour twice a month. Guest speakers (and occasionally, faculty members) are invited to present information on various topics in psychiatry, often involving cutting-edge research and information. Please refer to the Grand Rounds schedule posted on this website for further details.
2:00 PM Resident Seminar
This seminar is actually a combination of 3 separate lectures, all led by faculty: an Ethics and Professionalism Seminar (which meets for one hour once a month and covers topics related to ethics, professionalism, psychiatric business and administration), an interactive Advanced Test-Taking Skills Seminar (which meets for one hour twice a month and focuses on resident preparation for the annual Psychiatry Resident In-Training Examination – PRITE – and the psychiatry board examinations), and an interactive Morbidity and Mortality Conference (which meets for one hour once a month and reviews patient cases involving unique or unusual disorders, treatments and/or outcomes). The 2:00 PM Seminar is designed for all levels of residents.
Resident Meeting
The department’s residents meet with the chief resident (and occasionally, the program director and/or the departmental chair) for one hour twice a month to go over issues pertaining to the residency program and to address any resident concerns. This is open to all levels of residents.
Intern Support Group
This activity is headed by 2 upper-level residents (not the chief resident) and provides the interns with a private forum to discuss intern issues such as adapting to life as a resident, overnight call, teamwork and problem-solving. The group leaders function as mentors to the interns and provide useful tips for successfully handling the internship year. It typically meets for one hour once or twice per month.