Behavioral Medicine/ Mental Health

The Behavioral Medicine/Mental Health Clerkship provides students with clinical experience designed to solidify the didactic knowledge they have obtained in the Principles in Clinical Medicine and Practice of Medicine courses. Emphasis is placed on developing and refining interviewing skills, psychiatric evaluations, and diagnosing acute and chronic psychiatric conditions. During the Behavioral Medicine/Mental Health Clerkship, students will work on inpatient and/or outpatient units under the direct supervision of licensed psychiatrists and other licensed behavioral medicine/mental health care providers. Students are informed about the specific units and schedule they will be assigned during orientation before the first day of the clerkship. Students will obtain appropriate psychiatric and medical histories, perform focused physical exams when appropriate, order and interpret diagnostic studies, develop differential diagnoses, and propose management plans for acute and ongoing illnesses. Developing sound clinical reasoning skills is continuously emphasized. Students will attend and participate in medical rounds and conferences.The PAEA Behavioral Medicine End of Rotation Exam is a required component of PAS 336 and will be held on the last Thursday of the rotation.This course is offered to students enrolled in the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program only.