Psychiatry Clerkship Objectives

Learning outcomes have been developed for general psychiatric skills and for selected diagnoses in clinical settings. By the end of the psychiatry clerkship the student will be expected to be able to:

• Obtain, document, and present an age and gender-appropriate psychiatric history. (IO-7)
  
• Do a complete mental status examination. (IO-8)
  
• Assess suicidal and homicidal ideation, across the lifespan. (IO-8)
  
• Apply differential diagnosis skills using specific history and physical exam findings. (IO-8)
  
• Select appropriate diagnostic and laboratory tests and interpret results. (IO-9)
  
• Effectively communicate with patients and families using sensitive, non-judgmental language, and recognize the emotional impact of illness on patients and families. (IO-10)
  
• Select appropriate treatment (medication and/or therapy) and, if necessary, refer to specialty care.
  
• Develop skills for enhancing treatment adherence. (IO-9)
  
• Understand that the most common mental disorders (depression, anxiety, and substance abuse) are often co-morbid with other chronic diseases and impact course, severity, and clinical outcome. (IO-6)
  
• Understand the confidentiality requirements of psychiatric diagnoses. (IO-1)
  
• Understand legal requirements of civil commitment and competency evaluations. (IO-8)