PSYCT 7900 - Honors Program in Psychiatry

Topics: This eight-week elective is designed primarily for the senior student planning a career in psychiatry and wishing to develop in-depth knowledge and skills in an area of interest. Each student identifies an area of particular interest and (1) becomes acquainted with the basic and recent literature of that area; (2) designs, with the assistance of a preceptor, a research project in that area; (3) spends at least four weeks carrying out the basic or clinical research in the area of interest; and (4) summarizes the results in written form followed by a high-quality presentation. The honors experience is flexible and usually contains some clinical exposure. It includes basic science, clinical, and/or library research. Each student is supervised by a preceptor over both clinical and research activities. That preceptor and the department chair or the designee will approve the student's study and research design. All clinical and research activities within the department are available for use. All regular faculty are available to participate as preceptors. Evaluation is by perceptor and faculty critique of the written project, as well as their evaluation of the oral presentation. The formal, required oral presentation is followed by a question-and-answer session designed to assess the student's grasp of the chosen area as a whole, rather than the selected information presented during the talk. Students are expected to assess the quality of their honors experience in writing at the end of the rotation.