Outpatient US Clinical Experience in Psychiatry in Houston

Information about this clinical experience:

You will be under the supervision of a physician who is board-certified in psychiatry. This is a very experienced psychiatrist with decades of practice in the field both as a practitioner and as an educator. For over 15 years, this attending served as a faculty member in the departments of psychiatry at several U.S. medical schools and worked closely with residents and students. The preceptor is currently a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at the University of Texas Houston.

The practice takes pride in performing comprehensive evaluations of patients to acquire a deep understanding of the patient’s situation. This approach allows the team to identify the factors contributing to the patient’s distress, including biological predispositions, social stressors, and family dynamics. The end result is the development of a treatment plan that is highly tailored to the patient’s unique needs. As a rotator in this practice, you will learn how to perform these evaluations. The emphasis will be on helping you acquire the skills needed to effectively conduct a thorough psychiatric interview. Useful resources to help you prepare include the following:

The Initial Psychiatric Interview

Initial Psychiatric Assessment

Psychiatric Interview

As you will be encountering patients on medications for treatment of a wide range of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and PTSD, we also recommend reviewing psychopharmacology prior to the first day. A useful resource:

Psychiatric Medication Tips and Clinical Pearls

This practitioner is trained in treatment modalities that patients require when standard treatments have proved unsuccessful. For example, depressed patients who have not responded to psychotherapy or medication may be treated with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) or Spravato therapy. Rotators will have the opportunity to understand the indications for such treatment, how the procedure is conducted, and other issues related to the therapy.

After a few days of observation, you will take on an increasing role in patient encounters and learn the following under the preceptor’s supervision:

• Taking patient histories under supervision.

• Performing exams under the physician's supervision.

• Presenting patients.

• Writing or entering notes in the EMR (NextGen)

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

• Spending time with other healthcare professionals to understand their roles and responsibilities.

Please note that on Fridays you will see patients with the nurse practitioner.