Patients comprise all diagnostic categories. In the past year about 2340 patients were seen by the NEMC Emergency Psychiatry Service. On the Consultation-Liaison Service at NEMC, residents focus on the psychiatric problems of medical and surgical inpatients. Didactic seminars, daily rounds and individual and group supervision emphasize concepts of psychosomatic illness and the application of the biopsychosocial model to clinical problems facing psychiatrists in the general hospital. Residents see consultation requests from the medical, surgical, and neurological services in rotation.
Emphasis is placed on liaison work in addition to consultation.
The caseload includes organic mental disorders, patients with psychiatric conditions admitted for medical or surgical problems, and psychological or behavioral management problems associated with medical or surgical conditions. This population also provides considerable experience in geriatric psychiatry, substance abuse, and forensic issues such as competency, informed consent, and discharges against medical advice. Residents gain experience in teaching third and fourth year medical students who are regularly assigned to this service. Other elective experiences may include advanced clinical rotations under the supervision of faculty, or advanced training in topics related to psychiatry and health sciences. Residents begin to plan individually tailored electives early in the PGY III year, in meetings with the Residency Training Director and other faculty members.