Night Call
The call schedule is determined by a monthly "lottery" conducted by the Psychiatry Residents' Association. This system maximizes flexibility and each resident's ability to determine which days he or she takes call. A back-up call list is maintained by the residents in the event the assigned individual on-call is unable to cover due to a personal emergency.
The total number of calls decreases each year with residents taking no in-house call during their final year in the program. Residents take psychiatry calls each month, except when they are rotating on internal medicine wards (PGY-1) and Inpatient Neurology (PGY-2). On average:
- PGY-1's will have five calls per month.
- PGY-2's will have three calls per month.
- PGY-3's will have two calls per month.
On-Call Residents are based at the Emergency Psychiatric Service (EPS) at University of Louisville Hospital. Call shifts are from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. Monday through Friday, and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. on Saturday, Sunday and holidays.
PGY-1 Call Responsibilities
- Assisting the PGY-2 and 3 residents with their duties in EPS, including evaluating and making dispositions (except for those patients on Mental Inquest Warrants), taking floor calls, and managing Holding Bed Unit patients.
- Traveling to other sites (Norton, VA, and Kosair Children's Hospitals) as the ''float" to evaluate patients whose clinical needs cannot be determined by the on-call faculty or child fellow over the telephone. After making a disposition, the "float" resident returns to EPS.
PGY-2 and 3 Call Responsibilities
- Evaluating and making dispositions on patients referred to EPS.
- Evaluating all patients referred to EPS on Mental Inquest Warrants.
- Managing and making dispositions for patients admitted to the EPS Holding Bed Unit.
- Taking consultation calls from University of Louisville Hospital and VA Hospitals' psychiatric units.
PGY-3 Call Responsibilities - Last 3 months
- Resident will take at-home beeper call for after-hours, weekdays, and weekend backup for the consult services at the University and Norton Hospitals.
PGY-4 Call Responsibilities
- For the first 9 months of the PGY-4 year, the resident will take 4-6 weeks of at-home beeper calls for after-hours, weekdays, and weekend backup for consult services at University and Norton Hospitals.
