Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

General Psychiatry Residency Curriculum

Master
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The Menninger Department of Psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine has established a coordinated sequence of clinical and didactic experiences to facilitate achievement of the specific educational goals of each post graduate year level. Residents are apprised of the educational goals for each clinical rotation. Feedback on the resident's progress is provided at regular intervals and a more focused review of each resident's performance occurs semiannually. At the time of the semiannual reviews, time is also allotted for program feedback collected from each resident. Careful attention to resident feedback enables the continuous improvement of Baylor College of Medicine’s academic programs.

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Postgraduate Year-I

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The first postgraduate year in psychiatry includes four months of primary care, two months of neurology, and six months of psychiatry and occur at the Harris Health System, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Texas Children’s Hospital. All PGYI residents rotate for 1 block each on medicine wards and in an urgent care clinic. The remaining required rotations are fulfilled with electives in emergency medicine, women’s health, endocrinology, geriatric medicine, inpatient pediatrics, or developmental pediatrics. While on non-psychiatry rotations, residents function as a level I trainee of the host department. However, regular contact with the Department of Psychiatry is maintained through a monthly class meeting with the program directors, a luncheon with the program directors and chief resident(s), as well as participation in departmental social activities.

Psychiatry rotations for first-year residents occur at the Harris Health System and the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Residents work on the Ben Taub inpatient psychiatric unit, the psychiatric emergency room, and in geriatric and addiction services at the VA inpatient unit. Residents have exposure to the specialty services offered at these large systems of care serving diverse populations including the Anti-human trafficking program at Harris Health, LGBTQ+ veteran care programs and comprehensive addiction services at the VA. The supervision of patients on these rotations is by full-time Baylor faculty and senior residents of the Department of Psychiatry and supported by the collaboration with health professionals and other learners.

The core curriculum for Baylor residents provides an intensive educational experience in the skills and knowledge base required to be an effective clinical psychiatrist. The seminars occur in six tracks across all four years of training: psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, neurosciences, ethics, research and descriptive psychiatry. Formal didactic instruction of the core curriculum begins during the first weeks of the rotation on Psychiatry. The didactic curriculum for the first year includes Emergency Medicine, Psychiatric Interviewing, Psychopharmacology, Psychopathology (descriptive psychiatry), Addiction Psychiatry, Cultural Psychiatry, Behavioral Neuroanatomy, Imaging in Psychiatry, Neuropsychiatry, Psychiatric Formulation, ECT, Geriatric Psychiatry, Consult Liaison Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry, Ethics, Evidence Based Psychiatry, Research and Scientific Methodology and Empathy Seminar.

Each resident is assigned to one faculty member for individual supervision and to one faculty member for group supervision, in addition to the clinical service supervisors. All residents attend the weekly Departmental Grand Rounds and twice monthly Journal Club.

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Postgraduate Year-II

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During this year, the resident completes a basic curriculum in general hospital psychiatry that concentrates on the diagnosis and treatment of more severely disturbed individuals. The PGY2 year introduces consultation/ liaison services as well as subspecialty services, including child psychiatry and forensic psychiatry. In addition, second-year residents begin to follow long-term psychotherapy patients at the Baylor Psychiatry Clinic. There is a one-month elective rotation that can be used to pursue a research interest, participate in the Assertive Community Treatment Program, learn about neuromodulation, mental health courts, or integrated care.

Clinical rotations for inpatient psychiatry during PGY-II are at the Methodist Hospital, The Menninger Clinic, Ben Taub Hospital and the Michael E DeBakey Veterans Medical Center. Consultation/liaison psychiatry assignments are at the Michael E DeBakey Veterans Medical Center, the Methodist Hospital and Ben Taub Hospital. Each resident rotates for one month on in the correctional psychiatry setting and in forensic experiences at the VA. A one-month child psychiatry assignment is at Texas Children's Hospital.

The didactic curriculum for the second year includes continuation of the intern Empathy Seminar, Sleep Disorders, Smoking Cessation, Psycho-oncology, Psychopathology Axis II, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, continuation of ECT, Child Development, Child Psychopathology, Child Psychopharmacology, Advanced Psychopharmacology, Geriatrics, continuation of Neuropsychiatry, Pain Management, Group Therapy, Short Term Psychotherapy, Family Therapy, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Supportive Psychotherapy, continuation of Cultural Psychiatry, Eating Disorders, Professionalism, Ethics and Hypnosis.

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Postgraduate Year-III

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Clinical assignments in the third year emphasize longer term care in outpatient settings. The resident divides their time between full-day or half-day assignments in outpatient clinic options.  for adult patients with severe and persistent mental illness at Michael E DeBakey Veterans Medical Center or Ben Taub Hospital, a wide variety of subspecialty outpatient clinics including experiences in integrated care, LGBTQ+ mental health, addiction, geriatrics, community psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP) and specialty populations, as shown below. Each resident will have a group psychotherapy experience in a modality of their choice. At the outpatient clinics, emphasis is placed on the development of integrative skills with special attention to interdisciplinary, psychosocial, and cross-cultural parameters of mental health. Clinical experience and supervision are provided in consultation, mental health administration, and program planning/evaluation. Residents provide direct patient care, supervise staff members and medical students, and serve as resource persons for in-service training exercises.

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PGYIII Clinic Options

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VA General and Specialized Mental Health Clinics

  • General Mental Health Clinic
  • Substance Dependence Treatment Program
  • Trauma and Recovery Program
  • Post-deployment Clinic
  • Psychosis Clinic
  • Geriatric Psychiatry Clinic
  • Primary Care Mental Health (Integrated care)
  • Women’s Mental Health Integrated Care
  • Neuropsychiatry

Ben Taub Psychiatry Clinics (Harris Health System)

  • General Adult Clinic
  • Child Psychiatry Clinic
  • Substance Use Disorder Clinic
  • Geriatric Clinic
  • Movement Disorder Clinic
  • Maternal Perinatal Addiction Clinic
  • Psychosis Clinic
  • Integrated Care Clinic
  • Clozapine Clinic
  • Post-Covid Clinic
  • Intensive Outpatient Program
  • Electroconvulsive Therapy

Group Psychotherapy Clinics

  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Psychosis, Stabilization, Treatment and Rehabilitation Program
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Pain
  • Anger Management
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
  • Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
  • Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation
  • Grief/Bereavement

Community Clinics

  • Harris Center for Mental Health and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities 
  • Legacy Community Health
  • The Women’s Home
  • Alliance Clinic for International Trauma Survivors (Refugee Mental Health)
  • HHS Thomas Street Clinic (HIV Clinic)
  • Covenant House Clinic (Shelter for Homeless Youth)

Texas Children’s Hospital

  • Child Psychiatry Clinic
  • Autism Clinic
  • Women’s Mental Health clinic (The Pavilion for Women)
  • Child Individual and Family Psychotherapy

Baylor Psychiatry Clinic

  • Psychotherapy clinic
  • General Adult Psychiatry Clinic
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorders Clinic

General program residents from each class may elect to take a research rotation during the third postgraduate year. These residents devote up to one quarter time throughout the academic year to a clinical research project under the supervision of a research mentor.

The didactic curriculum for the third year includes continuation of Neuropsychiatry, continuation of Advanced Psychopharmacology, Psychotherapy for Personality Disorders, advanced Forensics Psychiatry, advanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Ethics, continuation of ECT, Gender and Sexuality, Human Development, Gender and Sexuality, Problematic Sexual Behavior, Addressing Problematic Sexuality in Treatment, Pharmacological Management of Sexual Disorders, Couples Therapy, Trauma, Perinatal Mental Health, Psychiatry and Religion and the History of Psychiatry.

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Postgraduate Year-IV

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This year allows flexibility so that the resident is able to pursue areas of interest discovered in the first three years of training. The residents continue to treat ongoing patients at the Baylor Psychiatry Clinic and serve as senior administrative or chief resident. In the administrative chief capacity, the resident has a significant teaching role for first- and second-year residents and medical students. The Chief rotation options include services at Ben Taub, Michael E DeBakey Veterans Medical Center, The Menninger Clinic, and Texas Children’s Hospital – Pavilion of Women. Fourth-year residents may also choose a variety of advanced elective and selective rotations, shown below:

The Menninger Clinic

  • Neuromodulation
  • Assertive Community Treatment
  • Neuropsychiatry

Harris Center for Mental Health and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities 

  • Psychiatric Emergency Services
  • Crisis Stabilization Unit
  • Crisis Residential Units (Jail Diversion Program, Residential Programs)
  • Mobile Crisis Outreach Team

Michael E DeBakey Veterans Medical Center

  • Neuromodulation
  • Transplant Psychiatry
  • Post-Traumatic Disorder
  • Addiction Psychiatry including Opiate Use Disorder
  • Health Care for Homeless Veterans

Baylor Psychiatry Clinic

  • OCD center for excellence – Deep Brain Stimulation research

Global Mental Health Elective

  • New Zealand – 6 months
  • Aukland University and Hawkes Bay District

General Program Residents may participate in clinical research initiatives with a faculty mentor at Harris Health, Michael E DeBakey Veterans Medical Center, The Menninger clinic and Baylor College of Medicine.

The didactic curriculum for the fourth year includes Transition to Practice, Theory and Practice of Psychodynamic Therapy, Advanced Psychotherapy, Interpersonal Therapy, continuation of ECT, continuation of Psychopharmacology with accompanying case conference, Impact of Social Class, Professionalism, Community Psychiatry and ABPN Neurology for Psychiatry review.

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Rotations

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View the rotations schedule to learn more about the rotations for each year of the Psychiatry Residency.