Preceptor: Katherine Ort, MD
Course Code: 14-17
Contact: Jeffrey Sanchez, jeffrey.sanchez@nyulangone.org

Prerequisites: General Psychiatry Clerkship

Description

The child and adolescent psychiatry consultation-liaison service is an integral part of the pediatric services at Bellevue Hospital and the NYU Medical Center. The in-patient component occurs on the pediatric wards. The outpatient component occurs within the pediatric out-patient clinics. This service receives over 500 referrals per year for evaluation of children, adolescents, and their families. The child and adolescent psychiatry consulta tion-liaison service performs evaluations, emphasizes short-term treatment interventions with patients and their families, and facilitates referrals for long-term treatment when needed. The clinical experience is enriched by weekly case conferences and didactic seminars. The elective student will be exposed to a wide range of child psychopathology and will participate in the detailed diagnostic evaluation that each child or adolescent and his or her family receives. The student will gain an understanding of the treatment techniques used with children, adolescents, and their families through closely supervised opportunities to provide patient care, including individual and family therapy. This elective may be full time or half time in combination with selected pediatric outpatient clinic assignments.

Objectives of the Elective

This elective will introduce students to the developmental issues of infancy and childhood as well as psychopathology in a child and adolescent population. Upon completion, students will have the skills to conduct a psychiatric interview. Students will learn the major diagnostic categories and psychiatric consultation-liaison issues in a pediatric population. In addition, students will learn how to implement medication and psychotherapeutic treatment strategies, how to chart clinical work in the medical record, and how to write clinical reports for referral and aftercare planning.

Key Responsibilities of the student while on Elective

1. Evaluate and follow patients as a consultant under house staff and attending physician supervision.
2. Attend the NYU Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Grand Rounds weekly (90 minutes).
3. Attend the NYU Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry resident didactics.
4. Attend one Furman diagnostic clinic weekly, observing outpatient child and adolescent psychiatry evaluations (120-180 minutes).
5. When possible, attend the weekly NYU Child Study Center case conference held Fridays at 9AM (120 minutes).

Didactic Program

In addition to the activities listed above, there will be individual weekly supervision and daily review of clinical work, charting, and case write-ups. Students are provided articles from the clinical and scientific literature of child and adolescent psychiatry. Students are expected to attend and participate in the service weekly evaluation conferences (120 minutes), weekly disposition conferences (180 minutes), and in-patient pediatric psychosocial rounds.

Method of Evaluation

Evaluation of the student occurs through direct observation and supervisory feedback on a frequent basis. A written evaluation of the elective student's work is completed at the end of the elective. An important part of the student’s evaluation is his or her presentation at conference.

Scheduling Information

Months offered: All year
Report to: Bellevue Hospital Room A309
Students per period: 1-2
Duration: Four weeks