Our program places special emphasis on education of our fellows. The curriculum has been designed to provide a variety of academic experiences to enrich the didactics and complement the clinical training through the year. To facilitate dedicated didactic time for the fellows, Wednesday afternoons are protected for educational activities and administrative duties.
Geriatric Psychiatry Core Lectures
The core lectures encompass various topics to provide the overview of the subspecialty. We have faculty from various disciplines providing these lectures on a weekly basis. We will also invite other experts from the valley to provide lectures on pertinent topics. Below, we've listed examples of the topics that will be covered over the fellowship year.
Topics:
- History taking and mental status exam in geriatrics.
- Normal aging.
- Ethics in geropsychiatry.
- Legal aspects of geriatric psychiatry.
- Psychotherapy in geriatrics.
- Neurostimulation.
- Adjustment disorders.
- Depressive disorders.
- Bipolar disorder in elderly.
- Anxiety disorders.
- Delirium.
- Dementias and caregiver distress.
- Research methods.
- Hospice and palliative care.
- Iatrogenesis/deprescribing.
- Late-onset psychoses and schizophrenia in elderly.
- Medical presentations of psychiatric disorders.
- Personality disorders in elderly.
- Sexual disorders in geriatrics.
- Sleep disorders.
- Substance-related disorders.
Banner Alzheimer’s Institute (BAI) Case Conferences
BAI hosts a weekly case conference about cognitive health and neurodegenerative disorders. Physicians, neuropsychologists and advanced nurse practitioners present difficult cases to peers. This is also well attended, in-person and virtually, by faculty, social workers, residents, medical students, research staff and other professionals from various specialties — including geriatric medicine, palliative care and psychiatry, among others. Fellows present their difficult cases in this collegial environment during their fellowship year.
Journal Club
The research faculty at our program supervise the journal club every quarter. The interdisciplinary physician group from BAI and faculty from the Phoenix VA attend this discussion. The research papers are selected for discussion by the fellows under the guidance of faculty. It focuses on the recent major publications in geriatric psychiatry with a critical review of the paper and research methods.
Geriatric Medicine Lectures
We realize the importance of training in geriatric medicine for fellows in geriatric psychiatry. Fellows are encouraged to attend the lectures provided to the geriatric medicine fellows at the University of Arizona.
Geriatric Psychiatry Grand Rounds
University of Arizona Department of Psychiatry Grand Rounds are an excellent series of presentations on a myriad of topics pertinent to general psychiatry. Fellows are required to attend the grand rounds on Fridays at noon — in person or remotely.