This elective is designed to give the student an opportunity to work with hospitalized inpatients suffering from major psychiatric disorders (affective disorders, schizophrenia, and organic mental disorders). Special emphasis is placed on diagnosis and formulation of treatment plan. In addition, the student will be exposed to those treatment modalities not provided as an outpatient. This would include electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The student also will have an opportunity to be a part of a multidisciplinary approach to the diagnosis and treatment of inpatient population.

Substance use disorder detection and treatment is a vital part of medical practice. Given the prevalence of alcohol and drug addiction and the severity of its potential medical and psychological consequence for patients and their families, it is important that medical students have a solid foundation in this area. A new two-week rotation will be available starting in late August of each year that will be available to 10 interested students on a competitive selection basis. One week of this experience will involve training at the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California. The week long program is experiential in nature, allowing participants to spend the majority of their time immersed in the same activities as the patients or family members. In addition, there are supplemental presentations provided to augment understanding of the disease of addiction. Participants will either participate in the Inpatient Program, the Residential Day Treatment Program, or the Family Program. This experience will involve participating in treatment activities as well as multidisciplinary treatment planning meetings. Participants will also meet as a group daily during that week to discuss their experiences in each of these programs. Two faculty members will also participate and will be involved in the same activities as the student participants. Costs of travel, lodging, and food will be provided for this training at the Betty Ford Center. The second week of the rotation will involve further discussion of the experience as well as preparation of a Medical Student Grand Rounds presentation to share with your fellow students your experiences and to discuss what you learn regarding the importance of substance use disorder detection and treatment. This is a unique training experience that is being made available to TTUHSC medical students through a generous donation. The donor's interest is in preparing future physicians to optimally deal with evaluating and guiding patients to appropriate treatment when substance use is an issue. The Betty Ford Center is one of the premier treatment facilities in the country and its program serves as a template for most of the substance use disorder treatment programs existing today. Interested students will be asked to complete a brief essay regarding their interest and goals for participating in the program and participant selection will be based on the essays and academic performance.

This rotation is designed to give students experience in evaluation, diagnosis, and management of patients with psychiatric illnesses. Students will engage in diagnostic assessment, formulation of a treatment plan and provision of psychotherapy and/or psychopharmacologic treatment. The student is expected to interact with patients and participate in discussions of treatment options.

This rotation will familiarize students with common psychiatric diagnoses and therapies for children and adolescents. Student will observe and participate in the evaluation and treatment of children/adolescents in outpatient and consults services. Particular emphasis is given to improve student skills in the areas of clinical judgment and decision-making. Students are encouraged to take increasing amounts of patient care responsibility while under close supervision. The student will attend family meetings and other relevant meetings. The student is expected to lead at least 4 comprehensive child/adolescent psychiatric interviews, assess at least 2 child/adolescent inpatient consults and present at least 1 case to the attending using a biospsychosocial formulation model for treatment plan. Depending on length of rotation the above will be modified.

Students will be instructed by first demonstrating to them a psychiatric interview and evaluation including a mental status exam. The students will be given opportunities to participate during consultations and be given feedback afterward. During the second week of this elective the student will formally be evaluated through observation of a psychiatric interview including a mental status exam. The student will be given written materials regarding the procedure of a psychiatric consultation and liaison in the medical hospital setting. The student will have opportunities to discuss this during the first week of this elective. The student will observe faculty and staff responding to consultative questions in a medical hospital setting. During the second week of this elective the student will be asked to discuss the procedure of a psychiatric consultation in a medical hospital setting. The student will be present during rounds by the consultation and liaison team. Through observation and discussion with the team the student will familiarize themselves with the most common presentations of delirium. The student will also gain knowledge through observation, participation and discussion regarding the most common psychiatric consultation and liaison questions in a general medical hospital setting during this elective. The student will be evaluated on participation in discussions with team.

Exploring the medical humanities in literature provides us with a fresh perspective of the careers we have chosen, how our narratives intersect with those of our patients and what it means to balance being a healer and a human. The AAMC has stated "by integrating arts and humanities throughout medical education, trainees and physicians can learn to be better observers and interpreters; and build empathy, communication and teamwork skills, and more." By participating in this longitudinal elective, students will have the opportunity to explore themes of life and death, disease and recovery, and the role of the physician in society through reading and discussion. Each two week course will take place during either the Fall or Spring semester and students will be responsible for reading two books – one chosen by the course director and one chosen by vote of the participating students (and approved by the course director). Students will be expected to submit short essay pre-reading assignments and participate in small group discussions following completion of the book. Group discussions will take place via Zoom conferencing, so participation will not be limited to only one campus.