Clerkship in Psychiatry, MD-833
Course Director: Fareesh Kanga, MD

The Psychiatry Clerkship is a four-week course for third-year medical students, during which they will observe and experience the assessment and treatment of acute and chronic psychiatric disorders, including psychiatric emergencies. The rotation will focus on the diagnosis, pathogenesis and treatment of common psychiatric disorders. Three weeks will be spent inpatient, with two weeks on the inpatient psychiatry unit at Good Samaritan, and one week on the psychiatry consult service, at Good Samaritan or UK Chandler. One of the 4 weeks of the rotation will be outpatient, at the UK Psychiatry Outpatient building at Fountain Court.

Students will gain comprehensive exposure to psychiatric topics through clinical experiences, didactic series, case discussion sessions, and independent study. Additionally, students will be exposed to a multi-disciplinary team approach to treatment, medical-legal issues, and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

Psychiatry Acting Internship, PSC-843
Course Director: James Hawthorne, MD

This rotation consists of three weeks of inpatient psychiatry at either Good Samaritan Adult Behavioral Health Unit (BHU) or Eastern State Hospital and one week of night float at Good Samaritan. This four-week rotation emphasizes the care of psychiatric patients who present in emergency and inpatient settings. Students will be encouraged to increase their awareness of the variety and complexity of the major diagnostic categories and treatment modalities used. This experience will take place under the careful supervision of the attending physicians and residents on various services.

The acting internship experience is designed to provide students with an advanced level of direct patient care responsibility, greater than that required during a third‐year clerkship or fourth‐year elective. During the rotation, the student assumes direct responsibility for management of patient care, reports directly to a resident or attending physician, and with the appropriate oversight of the resident or attending, assumes the place and responsibilities of a first‐year intern.


Psychiatry Elective, PSC-841
Course Director: James Hawthorne, MD

This four-week rotation emphasizes the evaluation and care of psychiatric patients who present in various clinical settings. Students will have the opportunity to rotate through a variety of clinical sites based upon student interest and site availability. Potential rotation sites include: UK Good Samaritan Hospital, VA Medical center, UK Chandler Medical Center, UK Psychiatry Clinic and/or Eastern State Hospital (ESH). All locations pending availability. Students need to contact the course coordinator in advance to communicate their desired rotation sites.


Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Elective, PSC-842
Course Director: Marian Swope, MD

This four-week elective offers a combined experience in inpatient, outpatient and consult/liaison child and adolescent psychiatry to students. Students work in supervised settings with residents and faculty of the department at various locations including the UK Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic, Woodlawn in Danville, Bluegrass Comprehensive Care clinics, juvenile justice treatment facilities and other sites to which residents and faculty rotate.


Triple Board Psychiatry Elective, PSC-876
Course Director: Robert Simon, MD

This course is for senior students interested in exploring careers and/or residency training in the combined specialty of Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Child & Adolescent Psychiatry or Triple Board. The student will experience the nature of the Triple Board Training Program and the variety of experiences in these specialties. During the four-week elective, students usually spend one week in each of the following experiences: Pediatric Outpatient, Pediatric Wards, Psychiatry, and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.


Research in Psychiatry, PSC-869
Course Director: Catherine Martin, MD

Utilizing the facilities of the Department of Psychiatry and its affiliated programs, the opportunity exists for an interested student to work with a faculty member on an on-going project or to identify, formulate, and scholarly investigate a research question on his/her own initiative with appropriate faculty input, consultation and supervision. The research experience will be arranged on an individual basis according to the objectives and needs of the student in consultation with the course director and appropriate faculty.

Two months prior to beginning the rotation, the student must contact the course director and a decision will be made as to the type of research to be undertaken. The research proposal must be fully formulated between student and preceptor one month prior to beginning the elective.


Psychiatry Off-Site Elective, PSC-890
Course Director: James Norton, PhD

A medical student selecting the Off-Site in Psychiatry will spend four weeks in the practice of psychiatrists who are members of the Voluntary Faculty and may also work in community sites with regular UK Psychiatry faculty members.  Other professionals may also be involved in the teaching and evaluation. The student may elect to do the rotation at an AHEC site.