Third Year Medical Student Psychiatry Clerkship

Interim Joint Chair of Psychiatry Department: Mohammed Molla, MD, DFAPA
Clerkship Director: Sara Abdijadid, MS, DO
Clerkship Coordinator: Ydalia Lucio

Questions about Psychiatry Clerkship?
Email:PsychiatryDepartment@kernmedical.com

Welcome!

Welcome to the UCLA-Kern Psychiatry Department. We hope you have a wonderful experience during your rotation with us.

The six-week Psychiatry Clerkship has been developed to introduce the student to the care of inpatient and outpatient psychiatric patients. Participants must have completed first and second basic science curriculum in an accredited four-year medical school.

Rotations are designed to allow adequate exposure to patients of all age groups including child/adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients. Students will work closely with the mental health team in general medical-surgical consultations. Students are exposed to a vast array of abilities related to psychopathology. They will learn specific communication skills necessary for the psychiatric interview.

Experiences are supplemented with conferences and lectures, close involvement with therapeutic management, and direct patient responsibility under close supervision of residents and faculty.

The objectives are to facilitate competency in the basic assessment and management of the psychiatric patient through ability to understand and treat psychopathology, learn interview techniques and understand diagnostic criteria used to diagnose psychiatric disorders, and to develop an understanding of the psychopharmacology involved.

Goals and Responsibilities

Goals and responsibilities related to the Psychiatry Clerkship:

Understand the basics of diagnosing psychiatric disorders and develop familiarity with the criteria necessary for psychiatric diagnoses (DSM-V)
Learn the art of obtaining a detailed history and performing a thorough mental status examination using standard psychiatric methodology
Develop familiarity with common psychiatric illnesses and construct adequate differential diagnosis based on patient presentation
Demonstrate oral and written communication skills necessary to identify psychiatric issues; to present psychiatric patients to both faculty and residents in a problem-based format
Develop proficiency with psychiatric progress notes as well as psychopharmacologic management of patients
Effectively communicate with the psychiatric patient to establish improved patient compliance and develop therapeutic relationships
Ascertain patients’ understanding of and compliance with medications and care management
Develop and strengthen professional and interpersonal skills by engaging in clinical activities that foster teamwork
Learn to establish rapport with all members of the health care team including nurses and caseworkers, and understand their role in patient care and placement.
Develop treatment plans in conjunction with team members appropriate to inpatient and outpatient psychiatric clinics
Hone and solidify communication skills as well as provide health education to patients in inpatient and ambulatory settings
Establish meaningful patient-physician relationships based on compassion, professionalism and education

Didactics and Assessment

Didactics

Didactics, arranged with the Chief Resident, are once a week either on Tuesday/Friday afternoons. This will include a PowerPoint presentation from each one of you. To receive credit for it, you must present the PowerPoint in front of your peers.

Evaluations

Three evaluations are required during your six-week rotation. At least one must be completed by an attending. A final evaluation will be based on the three evaluations, at the end of your rotation through Medical Education and the Psychiatry Department. Most of the sections in your final evaluation are drawn from an average of the three earlier evaluations. A few sections will be evaluated based on your test score and your presentation PowerPoint.

Test

You will take an online test on the last Thursday of your rotation, at the Columbus Clinic. A passing score is 70 percent.

Scheduling

Please report to either room 3048 or the Student Union (you will be told which prior to your first day) at 9 am on the first day of the rotation for orientation. The Psychiatry Department will distribute a schedule on the first day. Call usually occurs every seven days and consists of two calls from 4:30-10 pm and four weekend calls. This will include your rotation schedule, call schedule, and didactic schedule.

Approved Time Off

To take time off, you must fill out a time-off request, to be approved by the attending you are working with and delivered to the Clerkship Coordinator. If the request falls on a date that you are on call, you can switch your call with a willing fellow student. If you are not on call, you can make up your day(s) on the last weekend of the rotation.

Attending Staff

UCLA-Kern Staff

Mohammed Molla, MD, DFAPA

Interim Joint Chair of Psychiatry, Kern Medical and Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services
Program Director, UCLA-Kern Psychiatry Residency Program
Faculty, UCLA-Kern Psychiatry Programs

Garth Jon Olango, MD, PhD

Program Director, UCLA-Kern Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program
Medical Director, Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services
Faculty, UCLA-Kern Psychiatry Programs

Ranjit Padhy, MD, DFAPA

Medical Director, Behavioral Health Unit
Faculty, UCLA-Kern Psychiatry Programs

Michael Kase, MD

Associate Program Director, UCLA-Kern Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program
Faculty, UCLA-Kern Psychiatry Programs

David Weinstein, MD, FAPA

Program Director, UCLA-Kern Addiction Fellowship Program
Faculty, UCLA-Kern Psychiatry Programs

Rossano Bangasan, MD, DFAPA

Faculty, UCLA-Kern Psychiatry Programs
Adult Outpatient Psychiatry/Geriatric Psychiatry
KBHRS, Psychaitry Outpatient Services Adult and Geriatric

Sahana Huq, MD, FAPA

Faculty, UCLA-Kern Psychiatry Programs
KBHRS, Psychiatry Outpatient Services Adult and Geriatric

Sara Abdijadid, DO

Associate Program Director, UCLA-Kern Psychiatry Residency Program
Clerkship Director, Medical Students
Kern Medical Consultation & Liaison, Adult

Jasbir Singh, MD

Faculty, UCLA-Kern Psychiatry Programs
Kern Medical Behavioral Health Unit, Adult

Nandhini Madhanagopal, MD, MBBS

Faculty, UCLA-Kern Psychiatry Programs
Kern Medical Behavioral Health Unit, Adult
KBHRS, Psychiatry Outpatient Services, Child & Adolescent

Amr Beltagui, MD

Faculty, UCLA-Kern Psychiatry Programs
Kern Medical Behavioral Health Unit, Adult
KBHRS, Psychiatry Outpatient Services Adult

Handbook

Handbook will be provided on Orientation day.

Call Schedules

Kern Medical- Medical Student Call Schedule
UCLA-Kern Psychiatry Department

Schedule will be provided during orientation.