Clerkship & Electives

The psychiatry clerkship is divided into two three-week blocks. During each block, students rotate on one of the following services:

• Adult inpatient psychiatry (UCI Medical Center or VA Long Beach)
• Adolescent inpatient psychiatry
• Consultation-liaison/emergency psychiatry
• Adolescent partial hospitalization program
• Substance abuse treatment program

On all clinical services, students work under the supervision of an attending psychiatrist, as well as senior residents, junior residents and child/adolescent fellows. Students also learn to work as part of an interdisciplinary team, which includes nurses, case managers, social workers and occupational therapists.

Each student will rotate for a half-day per week in an outpatient psychiatric clinic at UCI Medical Center or VA Long Beach Medical Center with attendings, residents and fellows, in order to gain experience treating psychiatric patients in an outpatient setting.

Instruction during the clerkship includes two hours per week of didactic lectures taught by an attending, as well as an hour per week of problem-based learning cases taught by the psychiatry chief residents. Students also participate in weekly departmental Grand Rounds, Journal Club and Morning Report. Clerkship students are expected to complete one weekend evening and three weeknight call shifts during the six-week clerkship. Call ends at 10 p.m. to allow students to report for routine clinical duties the next morning.

Students on the clerkship gain clinical knowledge and skills in the treatment of major psychiatric disorders, including substance use disorders and addictions, in adult, geriatric and child/adolescent patient populations. Students gain exposure and develop skills in both medication management and supportive psychotherapy.

The clerkship emphasizes interviewing, communication and observation skills, including proficiency in the mental status exam, which are assessed through clinical observation as well as a structured clinical interview. Clerkship students are also expected to complete an educational project, and must demonstrate a high level of professionalism and ethical behavior.