Harbor-UCLA PSYCHIATRY
MEDICAL STUDENTS
The Department of Psychiatry at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center offers several elective clerkships for medical students from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. We have a Third Year Core Clerkship in Psychiatry, as well as Fourth Year Sub-Internships (details available below). Students’ learning experiences are guided by faculty and include direct interaction with residents.
Visiting students are also accepted and may obtain application information and details at: Visiting Students – David Geffen School of Medicine – Los Angeles, CA (ucla.edu)
Course Chair: Dr. Juliana Gomez-Makhinson
This is a unique 4th year medical student rotation in an intensive outpatient community mental health center based on the assertive community treatment model of managing a population of severe mental illness at risk for hospitalization. The student has the opportunity to work in a collaborative, integrated care setting with multiple disciplines and to see patients in the field in a variety of settings, such as in shelters, board and cares, independent livings, skilled nursing facilities and private residences. There is exposure to outpatient psychiatric management of complex psychiatric presentations in a culturally diverse, socioeconomically disadvantaged setting. Students will follow patients across the care continuum, from home to clinic to hospital and understand the spectrum of health resources in Los Angeles County. There will be exposure to complex psychopharmacological management of psychiatric diagnoses with medical comorbidities and also the opportunity to participate in or observe family psychoeducation groups and other therapeutic groups. The student will gain an understanding of the role of health needs, disparities and social determinants of health in a population with severe mental illness. There is also a interface with mental health law, as students will gain familiarity with aspects of mental health law and interface with Mental Health Court such as LPS Conservatorships and Assisted Outpatient Treatment. The rotation will be based in the full-service partnership clinic, with patient interactions divided between the clinic setting and the community setting in the field, under the supervision of the program attending psychiatrist.
Course Details: PS310.01
Course Chair: Nadia Del-Pan, M.D.
The Adult Psychiatric Emergency Service of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center provides evaluation and treatment to approximately 9000 patients a year. Its catchment area includes over 1% of the population of the USA. Direct clinical experience is provided to medical students with an emphasis on bedside teaching.
Course Details: PS320.01
Course Co-Chairs: David Rad, M.D. and Todd Zorick, M.D.
This is an excellent opportunity to experience a multidisciplinary, integrated approach to the care of psychiatric patients. The South Unit is a 14-bed unit with length of stay approximately 7-10 days. There is also a 24-bed unit on 8 West with the same 7-10 days length of stay. Students electing this advanced clerkship will be assigned to a specific team and will have an opportunity to work independently with patients suffering from a wide variety of psychiatric disorders under direct supervision of the attending. Additional opportunities include participation in group and family therapy sessions as well as chances to attend mental health court to observe court testimony and forensic psychiatric evaluations. There is a focus upon diagnostic workups and biological interventions within a psychosocial and sociocultural framework. The psychiatry modules are richly staffed inpatient units with a multidisciplinary team, including attending psychiatrist, two psychiatric residents, and a full complement of nursing, psychology, social work and occupational therapy staff. A four-week experience is available upon request.
Course Details: PS320.02
Course Co-Chairs: Julia Chung, M.D. and Weiguo Zhu, M.D.
The Psychiatric Consultation/Liaison Service is an inpatient service that evaluates patients hospitalized for medical/surgical treatment. Emphasis is placed on understanding the influence of chronic psychiatric conditions on medical care, the psychiatric conditions that may be associated with medical conditions, and the use of psychotropics in the medically ill. The student will see consults on the inpatient C/L Service, under the supervision of the attending and second and third-year psychiatry residents. There is also the option to spend time on the child psychiatry C/L service during the elective.
Course Details: PS205.01
Course Co-Chairs: C. Edward Castelo, M.D. and Patrick Kelly, M.D.
The Harbor-UCLA Adolescent Psychiatric Emergency Room provides evaluation, stabilization, and treatment for acutely psychiatrically ill adolescents. This course provides a unique opportunity to learn in one of a small number of designated adolescent psychiatric emergency rooms across the country. Students in this course will provide direct clinical care of adolescents in this setting while working under the direct supervision of teaching faculty. Additionally, students will gain supervised experience with psychiatric consultation to the pediatric emergency room and inpatient pediatrics floor.
Course Details: PS230.04
Course Chair: John Tsang, M.D.
This program is purposely flexible to meet the needs of individual students. The rotation is based out of the outpatient treatment program at Harbor/UCLA. There are core group, individuals, and medical clinics that students need to attend. There are some assigned readings.