General Information
Welcome to your Psychiatry Clerkship
The Psychiatry Clerkship will be an experience which builds on the skills you have learned in your pre-clinical courses throughout the first two years of medical school. We encourage you to use online texts and resources available through UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences. During the clerkship, you will have access to clerkship information and materials on Leo. A copy of the DSM-5 will be provided.
Registered users (students, faculty, and staff) will have access to our Clerkship requirements within Leo. Once logged into Leo (using your IdM username and password) find the heading COURSES and search for PSYCHIATRY CLERKSHIP.
Your preceptors might also recommend readings for your benefit based upon patient encounters. You will also be expected to do some limited research of the literature in preparation for a teaching experience which you will provide for your fellow students.
By the conclusion of your clerkship, we anticipate that you will know basic psychiatric diagnostic and treatment considerations to a greater extent than expected of you in the second year.
Disability Access Statement
DSS recommends the following disability access statement be placed in each course syllabus:
The University of North Dakota is committed to providing equal access to students with documented disabilities. To ensure access to this class and your program, please contact DSS to engage in a confidential discussion about accommodations for the classroom and clinical settings. Accommodations are not provided retroactively. Students are encouraged to register with DSS at the start of their program. More information can be obtained by email UND.dss@UND.edu or by phone at 701.777.2664.
Clerkship Goals and Objectives
Phase 2 Curriculum Goals and Objectives
| Objectives | UND SMHS MD Competencies | Phase 2 Benchmarks |
| PSYCH-01: Elicit and clearly record a complete psychiatric history utilizing the biopsychosocial case formulation | 3.1, 3.7 | 3 |
| PSYCH-02: Elicit, describe, and precisely record the components of the mental status examination | 3.1, 3.7 | 3 |
| PSYCH-03: Use the DSM-5 to identify specific signs and symptoms that are the basis for diagnosis of psychiatric syndromes or disorders. | 1.10, 3.3 | 5, 9 |
| PSYCH-05: Identify clinical and demographic factors associated with increased risk of suicide | 2.5, 2.8 | 5, 9 |
| PSYCH-06: Recognize clinical findings that might suggest a general medical cause for symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, confusion, altered consciousness, aggressive behavior, mood changes, and anxiety | 3.3 | 5, 9 |
| PSYCH-07: Discuss the clinical features, differential diagnosis, and evaluation of delirium | 3.2, 3.3, | 5, 6, 9 |
| PSYCH-09: Identify typical presentations of abuse of alcohol and other drugs of abuse in general medical practice | 3.3 | 5, 9 |
| PSYCH-10: Discuss the process for obtaining an involuntary commitment and the physician’s role in obtaining it | 5.4, 5.6 | 2, 7 |
| PSYCH-11: Summarize the elements of informed consent and determination of capacities (e.g. to consent to treatment) | 4.9, 5.6 | 2 |
| PSYCH-13: Identify indications, basic mechanisms of action and pharmacokinetics, common and serious side effects, signs of toxicity, and the guidelines for prescribing the basic classes of psychotropic medications | 2.4 | 6, 9 |
| PSYCH-14: Identify indications, physiologic effects, side effects, and pre-treatment assessment requirements associated with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) | 2.6 | 6, 9 |
| PSYCH-15: The student will recognize the diversity of the patient population they are working with in terms of culture, socioeconomic status and the effects these have on care of the patient | 2.9, 4.1, 4.4 | 2, 7 |
| PSYCH-16: Obtain information from patients in a manner that produces a minimum of discomfort for the patient, even topics of items that may be embarrassing or anxiety provoking. | 4.6, 4.7, 5.1 | 1, 2 |
| PSYCH-17: Manage resistance presented by addicted persons and/or families including appropriately deployed confrontation. | 4.6, 4.7 | 1, 2 |
| PSYCH-18: Student will understand contributions of nursing staff, social workers, pharmacologists and other health professionals in data collection, treatment planning and treatment. | 4.2, 7.3 | 2 |
| PSYCH-19: Students will demonstrate professional behavior in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. This is in line with our medical school’s pillars of excellence and with medical licensing standards in the United States and abroad | 5.1, 5.4, 5.6, 5.7, 5.8 | 1, 2 |
| PSYCH-20: Following participation in the basic science learning activities, the learner will be able to utilize basic science knowledge to advance their clinical training in psychiatry by knowing the mechanisms associated with pathology and drug action. | 2.1, 2.2, 2.4 | 5 |
| a. Identify the biochemical mechanism of acute dystonia as it relates to antipsychotic therapy. | 2.1, 2.2, 2.4 | |
| b. Identify Lithium’s effect on intracellular inositol levels. | 2.4 | |
| c. Identify the effect ketamine has on brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). | 2.4 |