Special Topics for Psychosomatic Medicine

This seminar includes topics on ethics, research, and administrative aspects of psychosomatic medicine.  This seminar will be integrated with, and augmented by Dr. Thuras’ statistics seminar and individual supervision of research projects.  Also, as part of this seminar, fellows will participate in Ethics Committee Consults.

The recommended textbook for this seminar is: Elements of Clinical Research in Psychiatry, by Mitchell, Crosby, Wonderlich, and Adson (2000).  Additional readings in ethics, statistics, and administration will be provided.

The course will meet for one hour monthly for ten months.  Attendance is required, with excused absences only for annual leave or sick leave.  A staff physician will cover the clinical duties of the psychosomatic fellow during scheduled seminar times.

In addition to psychosomatic fellows, attendees of the seminar may include fellows in geriatric psychiatry and addiction psychiatry, rotating residents from the general psychiatry program, rotating residents from other residency programs, medical students, and trainees from other disciplines, including psychology and social work.

Topics that will be covered are:

1. Research methodology
2. Critical reading of research literature
3. Basic statistics for psychosomatic research
4. Administrative aspects of psychosomatic research and practice
5. Fundamentals of medical ethics

Goals of the seminar are:

1. Medical knowledge: Fellows will achieve competence in research methodology and critical review of medical literature.
2. Medical knowledge: Fellows will achieve competence in statistical methodology in psychosomatic research.
3. Medical knowledge: Fellows will achieve competence in the philosophy and practice of medical ethics in both psychosomatic research and practice.
4. Medical knowledge: Fellows will achieve competence in administrative aspects of psychosomatic research and practice.
5. Skills: Fellows will demonstrate competence in conducting a psychosomatic medicine research project.
6. Skills:  Fellows will demonstrate competence in applying ethical principles while participating in ethics committee consults.
7. Attitudes:  Fellows will demonstrate an attitude of ethical practice in all clinical and research activities throughout the fellowship.

Formative evaluation will be provided periodically by the course director and individual supervisor.  Summative evaluation will be based on observed performance in conducting and presenting a research project.