Program Description
In keeping with the development of psychiatry into an increasingly broad based and complex medical specialty, it is the goal of this program to combine traditional psychosocial knowledge with the new scientific advances in the neurobiological sciences. Throughout the program didactic teaching, clinical experience and supervision are combined in a comprehensive training program aimed at helping to integrate the psychological, social, biological and clinical aspects of patient care.
The Psychiatry residency is a four-year program, fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. The residency is offered in West Texas where urban centers lie adjacent to areas of critical medical shortages. The program emphasizes general psychiatry supported by department and community resources in specialized care areas. Residents participate in a progression of experiences which blend inpatient and outpatient care responsibilities with a series of didactic seminars. Research activities are required through opportunities in ongoing clinical and basic science studies. Junior and senior medical students serve rotations in the department and residents have an opportunity to participate in their education. Likewise, senior residents participate in the education of junior residents.
Residents are eligible to attend Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Continuing Education Programs. The Health Sciences Center provides liability insurance coverage. Housestaff participates in group life, health and major medical insurance programs at rates shared by the school. Other department benefits include paid educational leave, an annual book allowance, pagers, lab coats, parking, and food allowance. Access to Texas Tech University recreational facilities and cultural events are also available.
The first year of the Residency Program includes rotations in primary care medicine, pediatrics, neurology, and inpatient psychiatric treatment in an acute care mental health unit. During the second year the resident has additional adult inpatient psychiatric experience, substance use, as well as child and adolescent outpatient experience. Emergency psychiatry and consultation/liaison rotations also occur during this year. The resident also beings a limited outpatient longitudinal experience including follow-up of selected psychotherapy cases. The third year is devoted to outpatient psychiatry with emphasis on psychopharmacology and several different psychotherapy, student health, and VA orientations. The fourth year offers a variety of neurologic, neuropsychological, forensic and other clinical or research elective opportunities.
In addition to clinical rotations, didactics, seminars and conferences, each resident is assigned to faculty members who act as site and psychotherapy supervisors. These supervisors are rotated so that the resident may be exposed to all faculty members.