Jewish General Hospital

The Jewish General Hospital  Department of Psychiatry offers electives for medical students in both the inpatient and the outpatient setting. The elective chair must be contacted to confirm availability of a supervisor and space prior to arranging any electives.

Most specialty programs do not offer enough weekly clinical exposure for full time electives, thus students should expect to work with several different supervisors in several clinics during an elective.

In-Patient Services

The In-Patient Services is comprised of three units: two closed units and a larger open unit. The patient population varies from adolescents through to the aged, and every kind of severe psychopathology is represented. Active treatment is the rule with a fundamental emphasis on the integrated use of psychological, pharmacological, physical, and social therapies.

Students may join a treatment team in any of the three units, work-up and follow admissions, and have a close relationship with experiences Staff Psychiatrists and Residents in team meetings and rounds. Previous experience in Psychiatry is not an absolute requirement in the In-Patient Services.

Outpatient Service

There are a number of specialty adult clinics that are part of the OPD. These include: the Cultural Consultation Service, the Day Hospital, the Perinatal Mental Health Program, the First Episode Psychosis Program, and the Emergency Follow-up Clinic, in addition to general adult outpatient psychiatric evaluations and followup. Apart from the Day Hospital, these clinics can only provide a few hours per week of medical student supervision. Students must have previous experience in psychiatry to participate in any of these clinics.

Consultation-Liaison Service

The Consultation-Liaison Service affords the medical student an opportunity to provide consultation to a variety of medical-surgical in-patients presenting with psychiatric problems. The student will be working at the bedside with a staff psychiatrist, with emphasis on interviewing skills, diagnosis, and psychiatric treatment (with special focus on psychopharmacology). There are weekly lectures give, and Consultation-Liaison rounds to attend. Special interests of the student can be emphasized.

Child Psychiatry

An elective in Child Psychiatry includes participation on both an out-patient team and Day Center services. The student's role includes involvement in family evaluations, psychological evaluations, and active treatment of children. As well, the student can observe various groups such as multiple family therapy, divorce, and social skills groups. The students attend regular seminars such as live family therapy sessions and In-Service Rounds. This elective would be valuable for students who are considering Psychiatry, Pediatrics, or Family Medicine as a specialty. Previous experience in Psychiatry is not required.

Youth Service

The Youth Service assesses and treats out-patients between the ages of 15 and 21 and their families. This elective will provide an opportunity to observe and participate in individual and family evaluations, to learn about mid to late adolescent and young adult development and psychopathology, and the selection of treatment modalities. Previous experience in Psychiatry is preferred but not mandatory for this elective.