PGY-1

PGY-1 didactics begin with a “jump-starter course” designed to provide a basic introduction to concepts in psychiatric assessment, emergency management and psychopharmacology, to allow an easy transition to the psychiatry inpatient and CRC services. This course is followed by didactics about the diagnosis and treatment of DSM-V-TR disorders, introductory psychopharmacology and neuroscience, and an introduction to interviewing. Concepts taught include understanding cognitive biases and their effects on the assessment and approach to the patient and an introduction to the concept of social determinants of health and community-based interventions for psychiatric disorders. In addition to the weekly psychiatry didactics, during the six months of medicine and neurology there are medicine didactics and neurology seminars available to residents on those rotations.

  • Psychiatric Diagnosis and DSMV
  • Psychiatric Interviewing 
  • Psychopathology
  • Introduction to Psychopharmacology
  • Introduction to Psychosocial Interventions
  • Introduction to Neuroscience
  • Grand Rounds
  • PRITE Review

In addition, PGY-1 residents are required to attend and present at case conferences two times per week at Friends Hospital.

PGY-2

PGY-2 classes are aimed at preparing residents for increased responsibilities and in specialty topics in psychiatry. A highlight of the PGY-2 curriculum is the Introduction to Psychotherapy course, which emphasizes practicing the skills that underlie psychodynamic, supportive and cognitive behavioral therapy. Role play, taped observation of patient care, and experiential and writing exercises augment the learning experience. Listed below are the major didactics:

  • Psychosomatic Medicine
  • Advanced Psychopathology and Personality Disorders
  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
  • Emergency Psychiatry
  • Neurology Update
  • Trauma
  • Geriatric Psychiatry
  • Addiction Medicine
  • Introduction to Psychotherapy
  • Neuroscience in Psychiatry
  • Clinical Research Series
  • Advanced Somatic Therapy
  • Professionalism and Physician Leadership Series
  • Team Based Learning: Clinical Psychopharmacology
  • Journal Club
  • PRITE Review

PGY-2 residents are required to attend and present at Morning Report. In addition, there are regular case conferences and M&M conferences held at Phoenixville Hospital.

PGY-3

In PGY-3 year, the didactic curriculum is designed to help prepare residents to provide outpatient care and foster the development of more independence with an appropriate balance of autonomy and oversight. Psychotherapy and psychopharmacology in outpatients are the main topics covered in didactics. There is a weekly continuous case conference on psychodynamic case formulation, in which members of the group formulate an ongoing case from various theoretical perspectives including a Freudian approach, ego psychology, object relations, and self-psychology.

Below are the courses offered in PGY-3:

  • Psychotherapy Series 
    • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
    • Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
    • Group Psychotherapy
    • Family Therapy
  • Advanced Psychopharmacology
  • Forensic Psychiatry
  • Neuroscience in Psychiatry
  • Neuropsychiatry
  • Clinical Research Series
  • Team Based Learning: Clinical Psychopharmacology
  • Journal Club
  • PRITE Review

PGY-4

The PGY-4 curriculum concludes the formal didactic curriculum of the residency program. One highlight of the PGY-4 year includes a course on advanced differential diagnosis in which psychopathology, phenomenology, comorbidity and approaches to diagnosis are discussed. Courses include:

  • Psychodynamic Case Conference
  • Advanced CBT
  • Advanced Psychopharmacology
  • Neuropsychiatry
  • Neuroscience In Psychiatry Series
  • Team Based Learning: Clinical Psychopharmacology
  • Classic Readings and History of Psychiatry
  • Transition to Practice
  • Journal Club
  • PRITE Review
  • Board Review