Specialty: Psychiatry

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MD2B Connect Physician ID # 256

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Where will this rotation take place: This outpatient US clinical experience will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

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Hours: Monday to Thursday 9 AM to 5 PM

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Hours have been provided by the preceptor. Hours are subject to change at the preceptor’s discretion, but the minimum total hours will remain approximately the same.

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What you will do: You will be under the supervision of a physician who is board-certified in child and adolescent and general psychiatry. As a faculty member at the Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine, this attending physician has considerable experience educating medical students.

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In this practice, you will encounter patients with depression, anxiety, and ADHD, among other conditions. There is a mix of adults and children seen in the practice. Although this is an in-person rotation, nearly all patient encounters are virtual. One day a week, there may be some patients who are physically seen in the office. Given that this preceptor sees children and adolescents, the following articles and presentations should be read to maximize the learning value of the patients being seen. These resources will help you understand how psychiatric interviews in children and adolescents are conducted and the common problems encountered in the outpatient setting.

 

How Common are Mental Health Disorders Among Children and Teens

Interview Guide to a New Assessment and Follow Up Visit in Child Psychiatry (by Michael Cheng)

Introduction to Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Psychiatric Disorders in Childhood and Adolescence

Pediatric and Adolescent Mental Health

Clinical Practice Guidelines in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

 

You will also see adults in this practice with a whole host of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.

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Please note that this preceptor is invested in helping students succeed. The attending is sensitive to the obstacles that today’s IMGs face in their path to residency. Early in the rotation, the preceptor likes to ask students about their interests in psychiatry, strengths, and skills requiring improvement. These questions are asked so that the rotation can be tailored to meet the student’s learning needs. Of note, because of the sensitive nature of the evaluations with children and adolescents and the relative inexperience most learners have evaluating patients of this age group with mental health illness, this preceptor prefers to have students observe encounters for the first part of the rotation. Following the patient encounters, time will be set aside for discussion. The preceptor will ask students “What do you believe is the diagnosis?” and What are the available treatment options?”

 

During the last week of the rotation, significantly more opportunities will be given to students to showcase their clinical skills in a more active manner, as indicated below. This gradual increase in responsibility under supervision also allows the preceptor to include meaningful information in the letter of recommendation.

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After a period of observation, you will learn the following under the preceptor’s supervision:​

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• Interviewing patients (in the presence of the preceptor).

• Performing mental status exam (in the presence of the preceptor).

• Documentation in the EMR (learners have access to as many as six different EMRs but are not permitted to write notes).

• Researching the literature to answer clinical questions at the point of care.

• Gaining an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of other healthcare professionals.

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​Who should consider this rotation: International medical graduates (IMGs) and students seeking US clinical experience in psychiatry.  

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How to obtain a letter of recommendation: The rotator should ask the preceptor for a LOR near the conclusion of the rotation. Dr. Desai has provided the physician with guidelines about best practices in letter writing that meet residency program requirements. In some cases, the preceptor may ask the rotator to write a letter of recommendation draft. 

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​During the rotation: Our team will be checking in periodically with you to ensure that you are having an optimal experience. We encourage you to contact us if you have any questions during the rotation.