R-2 Didactics

The PGY-2 Thursday morning didactic series, "Foundations of Contemporary Psychiatry," builds on the basic elements of psychopathology and treatment introduced in the first residency year. Its structure is modular, and begins with complementary approaches to psychiatric diagnosis (DSM-IV, the narrative method, and social and cultural formulation), a psychiatrically-oriented human brain dissection, and clinical tools for assessing the brain in psychiatric patients (neuropsychological evaluation and clinical neuroimaging approaches). The major Axis I disorder groups are then approached using a multidisciplinary team teaching format addressing diagnostic issues, insights into mental illness from basic and clinical neuroscience, and initial therapeutic strategies. Case-based learning is a key element in each module. During the spring term, geriatric psychiatry, personality disorders, the developmental approach to adult psychopathology, and, finally, an introduction to child psychiatry (introducing the more extensive child didactics and Child clinical rotation early in the third year), round out the psychopathology curriculum.

Throughout most of the year, the psychopathology modules run in parallel with a sequential approach to psychotherapy. This begins with training in basic elements of psychotherapeutic interaction and strategies for change, followed by a series on clinically-relevant learning theory, and concludes with a series on principles and practice of psychodynamic psychotherapy.

Your teachers in the PGY-2 didactic series are specialists in the fields they teach. The program takes advantage of the full spectrum of expertise available within the full-time academic faculty in diverse psychiatric subspecialties and basic neuroscience, clinical faculty with full-time practices, and selected lecturers from other disciplines. Each year resident evaluations of our program are reviewed to assure a high quality of teaching throughout the year.

The faculty is currently designing a major curriculum revision to be implemented for the incoming classes in July, 2001. This new curriculum will introduce parallel tracks in psychiatric education that are designed to follow a natural developmental learning sequence from PGY-1 through PGY-4.

Watch this website for updates!

Dane Wingerson, MD
R-2 Didactics Coordinator
danekw@u.washington.edu

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Psychiatry Residency Training Program
1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356560
Seattle, WA 98195-6560
206-543-6577
email: psychres@u.washington.edu