The Psychiatry Clerkship is a required four-week experience offered during the third year of the undergraduate curriculum. The clerkship is offered 12 times per year, accommodating approximately seven students at a time. The goal of the clerkship experience is to prepare medical students for residency training by providing an active, hands-on training experience in general and specialty psychiatry. Clinical skills learning objectives include obtaining an accurate and complete medical history, performing comprehensive and focused mental status examinations, assessing potential psychiatric emergencies, and developing advanced communication skills. Students learn the art of differential diagnosis and disease classification and the latest information on disease prevention and management. Multidisciplinary collaboration, social and cultural issues in health care, and advocacy for the mentally ill are emphasized in the clerkship curriculum.

The psychiatry clerkship employs a variety of innovative educational methods to achieve the stated learning objectives. Students identify personal learning goals at the start of each clerkship and monitor their progress toward achieving those goals with the help of faculty mentors and review of patient contact experiences. Opportunities for clinical skills mastery are provided through clinical service assignments, formal weekly practicums with real patients focused on interviewing skills and mental status examination. Faculty and residents directly observe student performance and provide immediate structured feedback. Supplementary classroom experiences in the clerkship emphasize knowledge application and use active learning methods. 

Contact

Ronda Magness, medical student clerkship coordinator
rmagness@kumc.edu
316-293-3508