The fellowship is a two-year program designed to prepare providers for pediatric psychiatry practice. The curriculum includes online learning, which is maintained in the platform MedHub. Using the online platforms allows fellows to access lectures and resources for reference throughout their training. Additionally, articles, assignments and links to past PRITE (Psychiatry Resident-In-Training Examination) questions are available.
First-Year Curriculum
In the first month, fellows will:
- Get oriented to the health system and inpatient unit.
- Learn the basics in our Boot Camp course, focusing on systems of care in Arizona.
- Be introduced to the inpatient psychiatry Sanctuary model.
- Review mandated reporting requirements.
- Become familiar with psychopathology/treatment to be successful in the inpatient setting.
During the remainder of the year, we cover topics including:
- Psychopathology
- Therapeutic modalities
- Neurodevelopment
- Normal development
- Pharmacology
Specific rotations will also include relevant content. For example, the Consult and Liaison rotation has topics ranging from sickle cell to transplant to delirium. During the Neurology rotation, the curriculum is developed and delivered by the Department of Neurology at Phoenix Children’s.
The remaining year curriculum will include a weekly meeting that will alternate a case conference, morbidity and mortality conference (M&M), and Journal club with the second-year fellow and attendings. Didactics for the remaining year may be shared with the psychology/mental health therapy trainees or other learners.
In addition to the formal didactic curriculum, there are grand rounds. Barrow Neurological Institute holds a weekly grand round, which the fellows will be expected to present at yearly. Phoenix Children’s also has a medical grand round held weekly, which fellows are encouraged to attend. Banner University holds a weekly adult psychiatry grand round.
Fellows will have the opportunity to participate in a Faculty Learning Community. This community is aimed at teaching local pediatricians how to diagnose and manage attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression and anxiety in youth.
Second-Year Learning
The second-year curriculum will continue to build on principles from the first year while incorporating advanced topics, such as:
- Community psychiatry
- Addictions
- Forensics
- Advanced psychopharmacology
- Psychoanalytic principles relevant to child psychiatry
You will also be able to participate in unique clinics to deliver medical-psychiatry care to children with complex needs, such as:
- 22q deletion syndrome
- Diabetes
- Tourette's
- Gender nonconformity
- Developmental delays
- Homeless youth
The second-year curriculum will also include career planning, preparation for board exams and neuropsychological testing.
In addition to formal didactics and clinics, you will have the opportunity to participate in our institutional review board (IRB) meeting and an ethics meeting to gain exposure to more administrative functions. You will be provided dedicated time to complete an advanced scholarly project.
Our fellows have opportunities to deliver care outside the Main Hospital and clinics, including: