Psychiatry Clerkship Rotations
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MCG Adult/Geriatric
Psychiatry (5
students) |
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MCG Child/Adolescent Inpatient Unit (3 students) |
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MCG Consult/Liaison Psychiatry (3 students) |
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East Central Regional Hospital (2 students) |
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Veterans Affairs Medical Center [VAMC] (5 students) |
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Southwestern State Hospital - Thomasville, GA (2 students) |
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Laurelwood Hospital (Northeast Georgia Medical Center) - Gainesville, GA (1 student) |
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Central State Hospital - Milledgeville, GA (2 students) |
MCG Adult/Geriatric Psychiatry
The MCG Adult/Geriatric Inpatient Unit includes patients ages 18 and older. This service is generally busy due to rapid turnover of patients. Acute inpatient care including psychopharmacological management, milieu therapy, supportive therapy, group therapy, social services, consultation with other specialties is available. The student will attend rounds with an interdisciplinary treatment team comprised of an attending psychiatrist, social worker, psychiatric nurse and occupational therapist.
In addition to the Adult Psychiatry experience students will rotate for one week through the MCG Child/Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatry unit. There students will experience a full range of diagnosis, including ADHD, ODD/Conduct Disorder, Major Depression, Psychotic Disorders, and Eating Disorders. In an inpatient setting students will learn to recognize and treat psychiatric emergencies: suicidality, violent behavior, acute psychosis, exacerbation of mood disorders, substance-induced disorders, dementia with behavioral disturbances.
Goals: Students will become proficient in interviewing psychiatric patients. Students will become familiar with DSM IV diagnostic criteria. It is expected that students will acquire psychopharmacology knowledge and basic knowledge of psychotherapy.
Expectations: The student will be available from 8AM until 5 PM daily except for their scheduled classroom activities. If other activities are required of the student, the schedule should be made known to the attending at the beginning of the rotation. Inpatient rounds are made in the morning. The student will carry up to three inpatients. Outpatients are scheduled in the afternoon.
Learning activities:
Students will read about the following:
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DSM IV Based Diagnosis
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Psychopharmacology
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Antipsychotic drugs
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Antidepressants
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Mood stabilizers
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ECT/VNS
Psychiatry Journal Club and Case Conference are held on the second and fourth Thursday respectively of each month from 11:45-1:00 p.m. Lunch is provided and students are encouraged to participate.
Evaluation methods: Students will work directly with attending psychiatrists and residents who will observe them interviewing patients and will ask them to formulate diagnoses and treatment options for the patients seen. This process will take place on an ongoing basis.
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Inpatient Experience: |
MCG Adult/Geriatric Inpatient Unit
MCG Hospital & Clinics - 3S
1120 15th Street
Augusta, Georgia
30912
Phone: 706-721-2477
Attendings:
Dr. Erick Messias - Pgr. 8348, emessias@mcg.edu
Dr. Brian Kirkpatrick - Pgr. 5486, bkirkpatrick@mcg.edu
Dr. Dean Harrell - Ofc: 706-721-4078, dharrell@mcg.edu
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Outpatient Experience: |
MCG Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic
- Map with Picture
997 St. Sebastian Way
Augusta, Georgia
30912
Phone: 706-721-3141
Attending:
Dr. Eric Lewkowiez - Pgr. 8783, elewkowiez@mcg.edu
Schedule: Thursday and Friday - 1:00-5:00 p.m.
The MCG Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic treats a wide variety of patients from various ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic groups. In addition to treatment by psychiatrist, patients have access to social worker, nurse, psychologist and an array of services including individual and group therapy and outpatient medication management.
Augusta State Medical Prison (ASMP)
- Directions
3001 Gordon Highway
Grovetown, GA 30813
Phone: 706-855-4700
Attendings:
Dr. Carmen Nichita -
Pgr. 5929, cnichita@mcg.edu
Dr. Niranjini Reddy - 706-855-4883, nreddy@mcg.edu
Schedule: Monday - 1:30 p.m. (Nichita); Wednesday - 1:00 p.m. (Reddy)
The Augusta State Medical Prison (ASMP) is an emergency receiving facility and public state hospital for medically and psychiatrically ill prisoners. It serves a large portion of Augusta and the surrounding counties. A wide array of psychiatric disorders are represented including mood and anxiety disorders, substance abuse, personality disorders, and somatoform disorders. Forensic issues and evaluation of malingering are important foci of training in this setting. The student will participate in new patient evaluations and follow-up of outpatients.
Augusta Regional Youth Detention Center (YDC) - Directions
3485 Mike Padgett Hwy
Augusta, GA 30906
(706) 771-4875
Attending:
Dr. Dale Peeples - Pgr. 5923, dpeeples@mcg.edu
Schedule: Monday - 1:00 p.m.
Augusta Regional Youth Detention Center provides temporary, secure care and supervision to youths who are charged with crimes or who have been found guilty of crimes and are awaiting disposition of their cases by a juvenile court. Additionally, youths committed to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice are frequently held in secure detention at YDC while awaiting placement in a treatment program or facility. YDC also provides education, individual guidance and counseling, medical services, recreation, and arts and crafts. Clothing, meals, and medical and emergency dental care are a part of the center's basic care program.
MCG Child/Adolescent Inpatient Unit will provide an opportunity to participate primarily with a multidisciplinary team offering inpatient care to both children and adolescents under the age of eighteen who present with mental health needs. Four students are currently assigned to the unit which is often full at a capacity of fourteen. The student works primarily with experienced fourth year psychiatric residents completing their first year of child sub-specialty training. Average length of stay is five to six days and the predominant focus of treatment is acute stabilization and consultative evaluation.
The student can expect to see a full range of psychiatric symptoms, understand psychiatric diagnosis seen in the pediatric population, as well as observe/evaluate and treat disturbances in a child's psychological functioning and social support. Psychiatric diagnosis seen in children and adolescents include ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, eating disorder, autism, depression, anxiety, and childhood psychotic disorders. The focus is on evaluation including interviews with patient and parents individually and with the family as a unit, psychological testing as indicated, educational and occupational assessments, and nursing evaluations.
The ward maintains a structured milleau using a level system, redirection, and other behavioral interventions individually determined. Collaborative work with the educational system, departments of child welfare, and referring physicians offer the student opportunity to experience first-hand the benefit of a multidisciplinary approach in the treatment of children and adolescents. Frequent consultation with pediatric neurology, genetics, and pediatrics offer exposure to these subspecialties. Rounds are held each morning and are attended by the various disciplines of the multidisciplinary team.
The student is encouraged to participate in group therapy with Alex Mabe, PhD. to better understand the impact of behavioral therapy to target problem solving skills and more adaptive coping styles. Family sessions are held with most patients and provide an excellent opportunity for students to understand the impact of family dynamics on the emotional development of a child. As appropriate, pharmacologic interventions are recommended and offer the student a chance to learn about the use of psychotropic medications in the pediatric population.
The inpatient experience is complemented by an outpatient clinic one afternoon a week (1 PM to 3 PM) where less severe cases are triaged and dispositioned. We have also recently implemented a one week rotation on the adult inpatient unit to expose the student rotating on the child service to adult psychopathology and treatment. There is a one-hour inpatient seminar and supervision time each Friday at noon held with the students, fellows, and attending physician. The student may be asked to facilitate this session in an informal manner. Supervision is offered by the child fellows and the attending. Work hours are generally 8 AM to 5 PM as well as on-call responsibilities as assigned by the clerkship director. Students are dismissed from work responsibilities to attend all lectures. Extended absences are discouraged and must be cleared prior to starting the rotation.
Inpatient Experience: |
MCG Child/Adolescent Inpatient Unit
MCG Hospital & Clinics - 9N
1120 15th Street
Augusta, Georgia 30912
Phone: 706-721-2275
Attendings:
Dr. Donna Londino - Pgr. 8327, dlondino@mcg.edu
Dr. Eric Lewkowiez - Pgr. 8783, elewkowiez@mcg.edu
Outpatient Experience: |
MCG Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic - Map with Picture
997 St. Sebastian Way
Augusta, Georgia 30912
Phone: 706-721-3141
Attending:
Dr. Eric Lewkowiez - Pgr. 8783, elewkowiez@mcg.edu
Schedule: Thursday - 1:00-5:00 p.m.
The MCG Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic treats a wide variety of patients from various ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic groups. In addition to treatment by psychiatrist, patients have access to social worker, nurse, psychologist and an array of services including individual and group therapy and outpatient medication management.
NOTE: Child/Adolescent students switching with Adult/Geriatric students during weeks 2-4 will be required to go to one of the outpatient sites listed below:
Augusta State Medical Prison (ASMP) - Directions
3001 Gordon Highway
Grovetown, GA 30813
Phone: 706-855-4700
Attendings:
Dr. Carmen Nichita - Pgr. 5929, cnichita@mcg.edu
Dr. Niranjini Reddy - 706-855-4883, nreddy@mcg.edu
Schedule: Monday - 1:30 p.m. (Nichita); Wednesday - 1:00 p.m. (Reddy)
The Augusta State Medical Prison (ASMP) is an emergency receiving facility and public state hospital for medically and psychiatrically ill prisoners. It serves a large portion of Augusta and the surrounding counties. A wide array of psychiatric disorders are represented including mood and anxiety disorders, substance abuse, personality disorders, and somatoform disorders. Forensic issues and evaluation of malingering are important foci of training in this setting. The student will participate in new patient evaluations and follow-up of outpatients.
Augusta Regional Youth Detention Center (YDC) - Directions
3485 Mike Padgett Hwy
Augusta, GA 30906
(706) 771-4875
Attending:
Dr. Dale Peeples - Pgr. 5923, dpeeples@mcg.edu
Schedule: Monday - 1:00 p.m.
Augusta Regional Youth Detention Center provides temporary, secure care and supervision to youths who are charged with crimes or who have been found guilty of crimes and are awaiting disposition of their cases by a juvenile court. Additionally, youths committed to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice are frequently held in secure detention at YDC while awaiting placement in a treatment program or facility. YDC also provides education, individual guidance and counseling, medical services, recreation, and arts and crafts. Clothing, meals, and medical and emergency dental care are a part of the center's basic care program.
MCG Consultation/Liaison Psychiatry service at MCG provides psychiatric consultation to all medical and surgical services at MCG Hospital. It also provides emergency psychiatric consultation to the Ambulatory Care Clinics at MCG. During this rotation, students will learn how to do psychiatric evaluations and recommend treatment options for patients who are experiencing psychiatric symptoms while undergoing medical or surgical treatment. Examples include: Suicidal patients in the medical intensive care unit; pain management for patients in sickle cell crisis or other pain problems on med/surg services; psuedoseizures in patients with epilepsy; depression, anger, psychosis in patients with med/surg problems; delirium and dementia; difficult management problems due to noncompliance, wanting to leave AMA, agitation, combativeness, and other issues.
Student will quickly assume the role of consultant; assessing patients, presenting patients to the consult team, formulating a differential diagnosis, and recommending a treatment plan. They will also follow their patients while they are in the hospital. Students will work with Psychiatry residents, Family Medicine residents and with the Faculty Attending who makes daily rounds with the residents and students. This rotation exposes the students to most psychiatric problems and further gives them the opportunity to see the psychiatry-medicine interface first hand.
Inpatient Experience: |
MCG Consult/Liaison Inpatient Unit
MCG Hospital & Clinics - 3S
1120 15th Street
Augusta, Georgia 30912
Phone: 706-721-2477
Attendings:
Dr. Brian Kirkpatrick - Pgr. 5486, bkirkpatrick@mcg.edu
Dr. Stewart Shevitz - Pgr. 8326, sshevitz@mcg.edu
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Outpatient Experience: |
MCG Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic - Map with Picture
997 St. Sebastian Way
Augusta, Georgia 30912
Phone: 706-721-3141
Attendings:
Dr. Peter Buckley - Offc. 706-721-6719, pbuckley@mcg.edu
Dr. Bernard Davidson - Pgr. 5102, bdavidso@mcg.edu
Dr. Christian Lemmon - Pgr. 8956, clemmon@mcg.edu
Schedule:
Tuesday - 8:00 a.m. (Buckley)
Tuesday - 8:15 a.m. (Davidson)
Wednesday - 8:00 a.m. (Lemmon)
The MCG Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic treats a wide variety of patients from various ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic groups. In addition to treatment by psychiatrist, patients have access to social worker, nurse, psychologist and an array of services including individual and group therapy and outpatient medication management.
East Central Regional Hospital (ECRH) is a multi-service facility, which is part of the state mental health system. Junior Medical Students rotate on the Adult Mental Health I Unit, which serves to evaluate, diagnose, and treat adult psychiatric patients. The clinical experience includes performing history and physicals and mental status exams on admission, participating in treatment teams and following patients daily throughout the hospital stay (approximately five patients per student). Varieties of diagnoses are encountered, including Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Major Depression, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse. The student becomes an active member of the treatment team.
Inpatient Experience: |
East Central Regional Hospital
3405 Mike Padgett Hwy
Augusta, GA 30906
706-792-7021
Attendings:
Dr. Prakash Merai, pramerai@dhr.state.ga.us
Dr. Vijay Maurya, vmaurya@dhr.state.ga.us
Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p..
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Outpatient Experience: |
Serenity Behavioral Health Systems - Map
3421 Mike Padgett Hwy.
Augusta, Georgia 30906
Phone: 706-432-4800
Attending:
Dr. Adriana Foster - Pgr. 1149, afoster@mcg.edu
Schedule:
Thursday - 1:00-5:00 p.m.
Serenity Behavioral Health Systems offers Adult Mental Health Outpatient Services to Richmond, Columbia, Taliaferro, Warren, Wilkes, McDuffie and Lincoln counties. A range of outpatient services are available to treat persons, to educate each person about his/her illness, and to support the development of the skills necessary to function in the community in which he/she lives. Family education and support are important components of treatment. There are also Patient Assistance Programs (PAP) that provide medications to persons for a reduced fee or possible at no cost to the person.
Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The Uptown Division of the VAMC is located on Wrightsboro Road, has 123 beds (68 psychiatry, 15 blind rehabilitation and 40 rehabilitation medicine) and serves as a network resource for the treatment of spinal cord injury, blind rehabilitation, post traumatic stress disorder, and psychiatry patients. The medical center provides the student with both an inpatient and outpatient continuum of care experience. Each student spends 5 weeks in General Psychiatry and 1 week in the Substance Abuse Program. Patients are both male and female, ages 18 and over. They exhibit both acute and chronic mental illness, across the broad spectrum of cognitive, mood, anxiety, personality, and substance use disorders. Students benefit from the longer length of stay in hospital, compared to other acute care facilities, and the high level of exposure to attending psychiatrists, most of whom are fellowship trained in psychopharmacology. Night call is at MCG, in rotation with students assigned to the other clinical sites.
Southwestern State Hospital in Thomasville, Georgia is a 420-bed facility operated by the Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Substance Abuse. Southwestern State Hospital provides a mix of mental health and substance abuse services with treatments involving residential short-term treatment of 30 days or less, or residential long-term treatment of more than 30 days. Special programs are available for persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders.
Laurelwood is located on the main campus of Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville, Georgia and provides a broad range of services for adolescents and adults experiencing mental health or substance abuse problems. Laurelwood is the region's largest private, not-for-profit, freestanding hospital dedicated to the treatment of mental health and chemical dependency disorders. The hospital offers a variety of treatment options including detoxification, inpatient treatment, day partial treatment, outpatient treatment, and aftercare support. As a part of Northeast Georgia Medical Center, Laurelwood has access to the sophisticated medical services of the regional medical center.
Central State Hospital (CSH) in Milledgeville is Georgia's largest facility for persons with mental illness and
developmental disabilities. Services include: short-stay acute treatment for
consumers with mental illness; residential units and habilitation programs for
individuals with developmental disabilities; recovery programs for consumers
requiring longer stays; and specialized skilled and ICF nursing centers. Some
programs at Central State Hospital serve primarily the central Georgia region while other programs serve
many counties throughout the state.