The six-week clerkship is a required clinical rotation for third-year students. Students are assigned to one of eight primary clinical sites, with a rotation at the Ambulatory Care Building for Outpatient:

• University of Louisville Hospital 3 North - Adult Psychiatry (Inpatient)
• Norton Psychiatric Clinic (Inpatient)
• Bingham Child Guidance Clinic (Inpatient and Outpatient)
• UofL HealthCare Outpatient Center (Outpatient)
• Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry (Norton and University of Louisville Hospital)
• Emergency Psychiatry Service - University of Louisville Hospital
• Trover Clinic - Madisonville, Kentucky

1998 was the first year in which medical students had the opportunity to do their clerkship at the Trover Clinic in Madisonville. The rotation at Trover Clinic combines inpatient and ambulatory care psychiatry, as well as consultation-liaison experiences. Students at Madisonville participate in all seminars via teleconference links. In addition to the clinical rotations, students participate in weekly seminars, case conferences, evening call, and (optional) ECT experience. Students on the clerkship are required to write a reflective paper describing their work with a patient. Students are also required to complete a standardized patient exercise at the beginning of the rotation to learn Mental Status Examination Skills. The final examination for the clerkship is the NBME subject exam in psychiatry. Evaluations conducted by the curriculum office have shown that the Clerkship in Psychiatry has consistently been one of the highest rated clinical rotations in the medical school, based on organization, quality of educational experience, and contact with faculty.

For Clerkship questions, please call the office at (502) 588-4424 or email Alisha Beard, the Coordinator.

ICM I and II is an interdisciplinary core course given during the first two years of medical school. The behavioral science components are not currently available. Once the criteria is set, this information will become available.

For Clinical Medicine questions, please call the office at (502) 588-4424 or email Alisha Beard, the Coordinator.

The department offers a wide range of pre-clinical and clinical electives. Pre-clinical electives run from 8 to 16 weeks. Clinical electives are generally two or four weeks.

Elective rotation opportunities include Inpatient and Consult Services at University of Louisville and Norton Hospitals, Emergency Psychiatric Services, Outpatient Psychiatry at the HealthCare Outpatient Center, Outpatient Psychiatry at clinical sites in the Louisville area, Clinical Forensics at Kentucky Correctional Psychiatric Center (KCPC), and Child Psychiatric Services.

Students planning future careers in many disciplines take electives in psychiatry. Students planning to go into Primary Care or Emergency Medicine may find clinical electives particularly helpful. The medical school's senior ambulatory care requirement may be satisfied by taking our Outpatient Psychiatry elective; 10% of seniors choose this rotation each year.

Most electives are scheduled with the Psychiatry medical student coordinator and the AHEC office. For Electives questions, please call the office at (502) 588-4424 or email Alisha Beard, the Coordinator.

The current list of electives is below.

PSY 816: Special Project- Psychiatry

Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor

This course allows students to pursue special interest in clinical psychiatry, research or psychiatric education. Off-campus sites depend upon special project.

PSY 830: Behavioral Science & The Law

2nd year Elective

This course provides students with an introduction to the legal issues encountered in psychiatric practice.

PSY 905: AHEC Rotation - Psychiatry

Prerequisite: 4th year standing

This rotation must be scheduled with the clinical coordinator in Psychiatry and the AHEC office.

This 4-week clinical experience will be obtained in various psychiatric practices or programs in rural Kentucky. The student will be encouraged to participate in the community to gain an understanding of how the community characteristics affect medical care delivery.

Method of Evaluation: Observation of performance.

PSY 906: Clinical Elective/Urban

Prerequisite: 4th year standing

This elective allows the student to obtain clinical experience in the private practice of a local psychiatrist. The student must complete the Off-Campus Request Form and have it approved by the departmental course director.

Method of Evaluation: Observations of performance.

PSY 907: Clinical Elective/Off-Campus

Prerequisite: 4th year standing

A clinical experience may be obtained in an approved program in psychiatry under the supervision of a full-time member of the faculty of a duly recognized educational or research institution. The student must complete the Off-Campus Request Form and have it approved by the departmental course director.

Method of Evaluation: Observation of performance

PSY 910: Ambulatory Rotation - Psychiatry

Prerequisite: 4th year standing AR Selective

This rotation can only be scheduled through the coordinator in Psychiatry.

In this 4-week experience, students will function as acting interns with faculty supervision. During the rotation, students will conduct diagnostic evaluations on new and established patients. Students will participate in medication management and provide supportive psychotherapy. Students also may participate in specialty clinics (e.g. mood and anxiety disorders, geriatric psychiatry). All cases will have 1:1 student/preceptor supervision.

Method of Evaluation: Observation of performance.

PSY 911: Adult Consult/Liaison

Prerequisite: 4th year standing

This rotation can only be scheduled through the coordinator in Psychiatry

This 4-week elective will be offered on the Adult Psychiatry Consultation/Liaison Service. The student will have supervised direct clinical responsibility for working with medical and surgical patients at University of Louisville Hospital and Norton Hospital for whom psychiatric consultation is requested and will be full-time member of the consultation team. The team approach will be emphasized, which will prepare the student to coordinate their knowledge and skills with those in other medical disciplines. The student will learn to organize their clinical findings and recommendations in a manner that will increase effectiveness as a consult. The student will be required to participate in a weekly didactic seminar covering issues relevant to the field of psychiatric consultation-liaison, a literature seminar and case conferences. More intensive work in special areas of psychiatric liaison is available for students who request it.

Method of Evaluation: Observation of performance.

PSY 913: Child Psychiatry

4th year standing

This rotation must be scheduled through the coordinator in psychiatry

This 4-week elective offers the opportunity to gain experience with acute inpatients, outpatients and emergencies. There will be opportunities to learn about the use of psychotropic drugs in children, as well as other areas of common interest to Pediatrics and Child Psychiatry. The student will be expected to attend and participate in all clinical case conference and rounds. This elective should be useful to those interested in working with children and families in future practice.

Method of Evaluation: Observation of performance.

PSY 914: Inpatient Psychiatry

4th year standing

This rotation must be scheduled through the coordinator in psychiatry

This 4-week elective offers a comprehensive clinical psychiatry experience including inpatient, outpatient, and emergency work with patients involving examination, diagnosis and treatment. The student will be given clinical supervision in acute, general psychiatry, psychopharmacology and in general medicine. The exposure is to an active general hospital acute service, with emphasis on psychotic, encephalopathic, depressed and substance abuse patients. The student will work with the various mental health specialties, including psychiatric social work, clinical psychology, psychiatric nursing and pastoral counseling. Students will be able to attend and participate in all clinical conferences, case presentations, departmental lectures, seminars, and Ground Rounds.

Method of Evaluation: Observation of performance.

Currently, there are no Seniors Honors or Longitudinal electives available through the Office of Medical Student Education. Please check back later for availability.