Psychiatry Clerkship

During the third year of the MD Program curriculum, medical students at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison will complete a rotation in the Department of Psychiatry.

The clerkship consists of a primary inpatient experience over four weeks. Students also will spend time involved with consult-liaison psychiatry, outpatient clinical practice and an alcohol and drug abuse experience.

Philosophy

The guiding principle of this rotation is clinical involvement. This is a hands-on clerkship. The student's objective is to develop a professional rapport with patients, understand their histories and mental states, and be involved in their care.

Students will function as a member of the clinical team by carrying out the jobs that are delegated to them by their residents, fellows and attending physicians. Most of these jobs will be educational, but some (such as scheduling appointments for a patient or making referrals) will be asked and expected of students in their role as a member of the clinical team. In general, the guiding principle is students get out of the experience what they put in.

In addition to readings from texts, as students learn about psychiatry and prepare for the examination, they are expected to read in greater depth about their patient's specific problems and apply what they have read to their patients' cases.

Confidentiality

The doctor-patient relationship is protected by confidentiality in all fields of medicine. In psychiatry, we are especially careful to preserve the confidential nature of our patients' communications and identities. Students must take care not to mention patients by name or identify them in any way while in public places, such as hospital elevators and corridors.

On the inpatient service, the party to the confidential relationship with the patient is the treatment team. No member of the team should have a confidential relationship with a patient that excludes other team members.

Notes in the EMR should be written bearing in mind that the medical record can no longer be considered confidential. Many third parties may request the entire record, as can the patient. Thus, notes should be written informatively, but with the restraint concerning details that might compromise the patient or family members. No other patients should be identified in the medical record.