Residents' Roles as Teachers and Supervisors

Residents in both years of the child and adolescent psychiatry training program provide informal teaching to residents in general psychiatry and pediatrics and to medical students and are assigned to present discussions of specific topics in the program's didactic curriculum. Residents at the second year level prepare and present lectures on topics in child and adolescent psychiatry to residents in general psychiatry and pediatrics, medical students, members of other disciplines and school and community groups. Residents at the second year level also provide clinical supervision to residents in general psychiatry who are assigned to rotations on the children's and adolescent psychiatric inpatient units.

Evaluations of Residents, Faculty and Program

The clinical and academic performance of residents and their adherence to ethical and professional standards are monitored by program faculty on an ongoing basis. Each resident is required to maintain a case log and review this log regularly with the chiefs of the clinical rotations and with the program director with the goal of achieving an adequate number and variety of patients by age, sex, diagnosis, and treatment modality. 

Residents in each year of training are required to take an annual written examination in which their knowledge base in child and adolescent psychiatry and development is tested and an annual oral examination in which their clinical and interviewing skills are evaluated. Formal written evaluations of each resident are obtained semi-annually from each of his or her supervisors and course instructors, and each resident meets at least twice yearly with the director of the training program to review his or her semi-annual evaluations.

Residents submit annual written evaluations of clinical rotations, courses, supervisors, and overall program content and design and participate actively in program review through regular meetings with the program director and discussions in the child and adolescent psychiatry residency training committee.

Resident Participation In Outside Activities ("Moonlighting")

Residents participation in outside professional activities (i.e., "moonlighting") is permitted only in circumstances in which such outside activities do not interfere with the clinical or educational responsibilities of the resident in his or her training at St. Vincent's Hospital. Prior written approval from the training director is required for participation in such activities.

Core Competencies

The training and educational experiences in years I and II are designed to assist residents in developing core competencies in the following areas: clinical science, interpersonal skills and communication, patient care, practice-based learning and improvement, professionalism and ethical behavior, and systems-based care. The program director reviews the performance expectations in each of these areas with each resident, and assessments of these competencies are included in the semi-annual evaluations of residents by supervisors and course instructors.

Criteria for Graduation 

Criteria for graduation include:

• satisfactory completion of required coursework and clinical rotations (including required charting and other record-keeping) throughout the two years of training
• adherence to ethical principles
• satisfactory demonstration of competencies in the other areas described above.