Psychiatry

The Psychiatry Department and the Division of Child Psychiatry at Valleywise Health recognizes the essential importance of psychiatric education in the medical student curriculum. The Core Clerkship in Psychiatry is offered in the Valleywise Health Department of Psychiatry. Valleywise Health Clerkship assignments are available on inpatient units, consult-liaison services and child psychiatry services. There are nine acute inpatient psychiatric units, which provide psychiatric services to a wide range of patients. Six of the adult general psychiatric units are located at the Valleywise Health Behavioral Center in Mesa. There are three additional general psychiatric units, one geriatric unit and one combined special needs/general medicine unit located at the Annex campus. The majority of patients on all of the units are hospitalized on an involuntary basis. The inpatient acute stabilization of a psychiatric patient is generally intensive and brief. The average length of stay on the adult units is 10 – 14 days. The units average over 2,300 admissions per year. Each unit is well staffed with two to three staff psychiatrists and psychiatric residents. The medical student on these services would typically work from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.

We provide didactic instruction, which fosters growing competence in the understanding, assessment and multimodal treatment of individuals with major psychiatric disorders as well as individuals with psychiatric presentations in the context of other medical illnesses. The clerkship emphasizes small group and individual supervision with attending faculty.

There are a broad range of electives available to students including advanced clinical experiences in inpatient, outpatient Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) service and child and adolescent psychiatry. (Please click here for more information on the child and adolescent psychiatry rotations.) Medical students may contact the director of medical student education in psychiatry for assistance in arranging for individualized mentored clinical and research experiences. The student will gain knowledge in diagnosing and treatment of various psychiatric disorders, develop a foundation of bio psychosocial and multidisciplinary approach, and understand the need for early mental illness recognition and treatment.