Behavioral Medicine/ Mental Health

Provides students with exposure to a wide range of mental health issues in hospital and/or clinic-based settings. The clerkship is designed to solidify the knowledge of psychiatry that students have acquired in the Practice of Medicine course, as students gain practical skills in the application of this knowledge to clinical situations. Students will perform thorough histories including a mental status examination and will use tools for cognitive testing, order appropriate diagnostic studies, interpret information gathered from patient assessment data, and formulate a patient-centered treatment plan including pharmacological treatment when appropriate. The course will also offer an overview of psychosocial and biological treatment modalities for the major psychiatric disorders. Students will be required to recognize the various types of mental health issues that require referral to a specialist and to know which mental health problems can be handled by the non-specialist.