UCSD Department of Psychiatry
Residency Training Manual
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INTRODUCTION
The primary objective of our residency training program is to train academically knowledgeable, clinically astute and caring psychiatrists. Our clinically based program offers experiences in inpatient, outpatient, consultation-liaison, geriatric, community, forensic, substance abuse, and child and adolescent psychiatry. Throughout training, biological, psychological and sociocultural factors are integrated so that the resident becomes adept at selecting and utilizing the most current methods of biotherapy, psychotherapy and sociotherapy. While emphasizing clinical psychiatry, the residency program provides ample opportunity for the resident to learn and develop administrative, teaching and research skills.
Our departmental faculty is deeply committed to the intellectual growth and emotional well being of our residents. Learning is reinforced through careful supervision of all clinical work; comprehensive didactic seminars that build on each other and are integrated with the clinical program, case conferences, grand rounds, journal clubs and the mentorship program. Residents actively participate in all levels of training and planning. Evaluation of the program, its trainees and its faculty, receives the highest departmental priority.
Our four-year residency in adult psychiatry is seen as part of a continuum from medical school, through further fellowship training and/or a career in psychiatry. We expect a high level of clinical competence and a thorough understanding of the principles continued excellence and growth. Upon completion of the program, residents are expected to be competent in the core areas of patient care, medical knowledge, interpersonal and communication skills, practice-based learning and improvement, professionalism, and systems-based practice. In addition, all graduates should be well grounded in sophisticated psychiatric diagnosis and balanced, state-of-the-art treatment. The program takes into account differences in each resident’s prior training, clinical skills, and future interests, and is flexible in tailoring the program to individual needs. Each resident will have the same core clinical and educational experience, as well as some “elective” time in PG Years 3 and 4 to pursue special areas of interest.
The UC San Diego Department of Psychiatry is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and offers both a four and three-year residency program. Applicants from medical schools throughout the country are selected in a highly personal way. A limited number of applicants are accepted in order to insure close, personal contact between faculty and residents. Our program has approximately 35 residents and 16 fellows. In addition to formal postgraduate psychiatry training, the Department of Psychiatry participates in the training of medical students, primary care physicians, neurology residents, social workers, registered nurses, vocational rehabilitation counselors, psychologists, psychiatric technicians and paraprofessional drug abuse counselors enrolled in affiliated training programs.