Psyche, a 20-hour course on specific mental disorders, is given in the second year in conjunction with neurology, respiratory, cardiovascular and the pharmacology of drugs affecting the central nervous system. The epidemiology, descriptive psychopathology, etiology, and prognosis of the major child and adult mental disorders are presented. The focus is on the chronic, severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, manic-depression, and alcoholism, which have an early onset and will affect as much as 20 percent of the population. Consideration of treatment is limited to elucidation of etiology. The clerkship emphasizes inpatient care of adult patients.
Attention is given to the psychiatric examination, diagnosis, and treatment.
All students should be proficient at assessing depression, psychosis, suicidal potential, and cognitive function. Both somatic and psychosocial treatments are used, and students are expected to be knowledgeable about the dosages, side effects, and drug interactions of the classes of major psychotropic drugs. Students are instructed on the recognition and discussion of psychosocial factors in the genesis and continuation of psychiatric disorders, but are not trained in psychotherapy. Students will work up and follow specific patients and be responsible for designing and implementing a treatment plan and maintaining the medical record. Each clerkship site gives a series of lectures on diagnosis and treatment of the major mental disorders and a specific text is assigned during the clerkship.