Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship

Clinical Experience

The UT Southwestern Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship has multiple training sites with a diversity in patient populations across all continuums of care. Our association with a geriatric medicine clinic and a sleep medicine clinic have provided unique experiences for the fellows, who gain experience in a variety of settings:

Inpatient care
Outpatient care
Sleep medicine clinic
Nursing home visits (e.g., at the Community Living Center, a VA nursing home, in Bonham)
Consultation-liaison services (e.g., at the Dallas VA Medical Center)
Nursing home consultation
Neuropsychology clinic
Evidence-based psychotherapy
UT Southwestern Neurocognitive and Geriatric Psychiatry programs
UT Southwestern Division of Geriatric Medicine

Fellows work in both public and private patient settings, such as nursing homes, Parkland Health & Hospital System and its outreach clinics, Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and UT Southwestern Medical Center.

A particular strength of this program is the strong multidisciplinary, team-based approach to caring for geriatric patients. Fellows work closely with a variety of disciplines to provide a high level of care to geriatric patients. Our commitment to education and a broad variety of training experiences are also strengths of this program.

Academics/Education

Program Information

1. Clinical and Research Components

Clinical

The year is divided into two 6-month rotations beginning July 1. The VA rotation includes inpatient, consults, and outpatient evaluation experience. The outpatient/elective rotation includes seeing psychiatric patients at Parkland’s Geriatric Medicine Clinic, the sleep medicine clinic at the Dallas VA, and the VAMC community living center at Bonham. The continuity clinic is a year-long, half-day clinic that provides the opportunity for longitudinal follow-up. Ample time is provided in the schedule for involvement with faculty members in special projects ranging from literature reviews to clinical research.

Research

The fellow has the opportunity to explore a self-selected area of clinical or basic research in which one or more of the program’s faculty are expert.

2. Participant’s Supervisory and Patient Care Responsibilities

Fellows supervise residents and medical students on the VA rotation.

Fellows’ patient-care issues are addressed directly to the rotation site supervisor or the designated covering physician.

3. Procedural Requirements

Fellows are required to attend and participate in didactics, teaching conferences, Grand Rounds, and national conferences.

Fellows are to maintain all medical records adequately.

Fellows are to fulfill all competencies outlined in the goals and objectives of the program.

4. Didactic Components

Scheduled seminars and conferences include the following:

Geriatric Psychiatry Fellow Didactics (weekly)
VA Grand Rounds (monthly)
VA Psychopharmacology Conference (monthly)
Department of Psychiatry Grand Rounds (on select Wednesdays from 12:00pm to 1:00pm Central)
Geriatric Medicine Grand Rounds (weekly while on outpatient rotation)

5. Program Length More than 12 Months

Not applicable

Evaluation

Supervisors at each training site evaluate trainees with regular verbal feedback in addition to standardized formal evaluation with the milestones of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Formal feedback session with the Program Director occurs semiannually.

Application Information

Faculty

Fellows and Alumni