To reinforce residents' medical skills and identities as physicians, all PGY2 residents are encouraged to maintain a primary care continuity clinic composed in part by the residents inpatients post discharge and supervised jointly by psychiatry and internal medicine faculty. Patients are seen for both psychiatric and general medical needs and may be followed through the PGY3 and PGY4 rotations as well. Each resident has a minimum of three hours of assigned supervision per week. Usually this consists of one administrative supervisor, typically the attending on the service where the resident is based, and two clinical supervisors. Supervisory assignments are rotated at six-month intervals, giving each resident exposure to as many faculty members as possible.
Opportunities exist, however, for longer term, continuous supervision upon request.
We insist that part of the resident s supervisory experience include direct patient contact between the supervisor and patient with the resident observing, or between the patient and resident with the supervisor observing. In addition, one of the key components of the PG4 year is teaching and supervising PGY1 and 2 residents. Written evaluation of the supervisory experience, including evaluation of the resident s work AND the resident s views of supervision and the performance of the supervisor are requested each six-month period. During the period of training, residents cover the inpatient services at both main teaching hospitals. This includes responsibility for psychiatric consultation in the emergency room, consultation for all inpatients, and primary care for all psychiatric inpatients.