Psychiatry

Catalog description

The student will experience caring for elderly and often medically ill patients with psychiatric symptoms and diagnoses on an acute geropsychiatry hospital unit, in outpatient settings. Experience will be gained in assessing and managing complex medical and psychiatric conditions in elders. Objectives include: 1) Increase awareness of the common psychiatric conditions in elders; 2) Improve ability to assess, diagnose and treat common psychiatric conditions in elders who commonly have comorbid medical conditions; 3) Understand the impact of the elder's environment on psychiatric symptoms and the necessity of managing the elder within the context of the psychosocial environment, especially the family unit; 4) Improve ability to manage complex pharmacotherapy. Teaching methodology includes bedside clinical rounds, geropsychiatry small-group discussions, lectures and assigned readings. Patient contact would include elderly patients with common psychiatric conditions - affective disorders, dementias, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders and comorbid medical conditions, acute care hospital geropsychiatry unit, and outpatient clinic. Faculty will provide supervision and a written evaluation. Prerequisite: PSCR 950 and INMD 975.