Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
The goal of Child Psychiatry at the Menninger Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences is straightforward. We want to give children and their families the best care available as we mentor young physicians in learning their craft. Our program gives young physicians the opportunity to learn and work in many different facilities, gaining the broadest depth of experience possible to prepare for life beyond residency.
Interested so far? Well, keep reading to learn more about us as you consider your choices for training and life beyond.
Rotation Schedules
Within the division, residents rotate under the supervision of the nine Child and Adolescent Psychiatry faculty members listed to the right, and numerous voluntary faculty members.
The division assists in the coordination of the core child and adolescent psychiatry rotations for the general psychiatry residents. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry residents have an opportunity to teach and interact with general psychiatry residents and medical students as they rotate through their clinical services at Texas Children's Hospital and Ben Taub General Hospital.
Rotation Locations
- Texas Children's Hospital has one of the largest tertiary care pediatric centers in North America.
- Psychiatric ambulatory care clinics include an Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder clinic, Pediatric Psychopharmacology clinic, and a clinic specializing in the assessment and treatment of children with autism and pervasive developmental disorders
- Consultation and liaisons include psychiatric consultation and numerous liaisons with specialty pediatric services. The consultation service provides care to pediatric patients with eating disorders, psychosomatic conditions, adaptation to chronic or critical illness, developmental problems, and acute psychiatric disturbance. Child resident will also have the opportunity to participate actively with Adolescent Medicine’s Eating Disorder Program and in a clinic working with Child Protection Team to evaluate and provide services for youth exposed to neglect and trauma.
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Services at Ben Taub General Hospital the main public/ county general hospital, includes school consultation to Galena Park ISD elementary, junior high and high school students in addition to general pediatric psychiatry ambulatory clinics.
- The Mental Health/Mental Retardation Authority offers evaluation and treatment for children and families coping with severe and persistent mental retardation and mental illness in neighborhood-based clinics.
- Family Court, forensic psychiatric services are also provided under the Family Court System of Harris County. Resident will gain skills necessary to function as a consultant to the legal system centering around material related to the mental health needs and best interests of children in midst of domestic disputes such as custody and visitation battles.
- The Baylor Psychiatry Clinic (Continuity Clinic) offers comprehensive evaluations and outpatient treatment for children and adolescents focusing on psychotherapy and psychopharmacology. Resident has autonomy to run their own clinic as they choose. The clinic is supervised by an attending but arranged as a two year private practice experience.
- Menninger Clinic Programs for adolescents include intensive inpatient services and day treatment as well as disorder - specific services for those with eating disorders or obsessive - compulsive disorder. Adolescents come from around the nation and the world to be evaluated and treated by the inpatient and day program services of the Menninger Clinic.
- DePelchin Children’s Center serves children and their families. It offers comprehensive evaluations and outpatient treatment for child, adolescents and their family in a psychopharmacology clinic in conjunction with multidisciplinary services. Residents will have an opportunity to work with kids in foster care, residential, and post adoption care. They will also have ample opportunity to work with children in psychotherapy using multiple modalities of treatment such as cognitive=behavioral therapy, play therapy, and psychodynamic psychotherapy.
- Didactic Curriculum covers development, psychopathology, therapeutics, prevention, and contemporary issues in child and adolescent mental health. Resident will have half days a week protected time for Didactics. Department of Psychiatry Grand Rounds are once a week starting from September to June.
- Psychotherapy residents will have ample opportunity to learn and experience a different modality of psychotherapy. Residents are encouraged to carry up to five psychotherapy cases throughout their fellowship. Residents will have supervision once a week with a supervisor who has a broad experience with different modalities of psychotherapy.
Other Resident Information
Emergency Calls: Residents will provide acute care for patients presenting at Texas Children’s Hospital from 4:30 p.m. to 8 a.m. the next days during their training throughout the two years. First years will typically take two-thirds of the calls, while second years will take one-third.
Vacation and Educational Leave: 15 days a year of vacation, five days for educational leave, three personal days, 10 sick days and 10 holidays that BCM observes.
Application and Interview Process
The program is fully approved by the Accreditation Committee on Graduate Medical Education. In addition to basic application procedures (Application), the department requires personal interviews for all applicants. Interviews are held with junior and senior faculty and with current child and adolescent psychiatry residents. They provide an opportunity for applicants to develop as accurate and comprehensive picture of the department as possible in a short visit.
The Menninger Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency accepts applications for the following academic year starting in the summer and our interview season ends this year on Dec. 6, 2010. Our program will continue to interview applicants until Dec. 6, 2010, or when our interview dates have filled; therefore, we suggest interested residents have their applications in as early as possible. Our program only accepts applications through the National Resident Matching Program. This year the deadline to turn in your rank order list for the Child Match is Dec. 15, 2010, and Match day is Jan. 5, 2011. In order to participate in the match you must register through the NRMP web site.
During the interview season, our program offers up to four interviews each interview day. The interview day starts with a brief presentation conducted by either the training director or chief resident with all applicants. Each applicant receives 3-4 separate 30 minute meetings with individual child faculty members followed by lunch with two current child residents and an optional tour of the Texas Medical Center Facilities. Generally, the day starts at 8:30 a.m. and ends around 2 p.m. CST. For an applicant’s consideration we often have planned child resident activities such as journal club or movie club the night preceding the interview day that applicants may participate in if they desire.
Interview dates for upcoming season:
- Nov. 1, 2010
- Nov. 8, 2010
- Nov. 15, 2010
- Nov. 22, 2010
- Nov. 29, 2010
- Dec. 6, 2010
Graduates of national or international medical schools who will have completed at least three years of General Psychiatry are eligible to apply.
Download the Common Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Application form (pdf)
Application must include:
- Completed Application
- Three Letters of Reference
- Curriculum Vita
- Personal Statement
- USMLE scores
- A letter from your general residency director that includes the rotations and the length of time spent on each rotation indicating that, assuming your successful completion of the PGY-3 year or PGY- 4 year you will have satisfied enough of the RRC general psychiatry essentials that you can enter as a first year Child Psychiatry Resident in another ACGME accredited program, and become Board-eligible. *
*We realize that the documentation requirements may seem cumbersome. Our requirements are in place in order to avoid the unfortunate circumstances whereby you might end up in a subspecialty program that cannot offer you the general psychiatry rotations you might need to complete your training according to RRC guidelines.
Contact Information:
Laurel Williams, D.O., Program Director
E-mail: laurelw@bcm.edu
or
Cassandra Shorter
Baylor College of Medicine
6655 Travis, Suite 700
Houston, TX 77030
Tel: 713-798-4068
Fax: 713-798-4089
E-mail: cshorter@bcm.edu