FACULTY OF MEDICINE
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Department of Psychiatry |
Dr. Richard Pico, Chair, Department of Psychiatry
St. Paul's is a large teaching hospital located in Vancouver's highly populated West End. The hospital has a traditional, strong commitment to the local community, and admissions are largely emergency-driven. The Department of Psychiatry has a long-standing tradition of dedication to teaching, and is divided into a number of individual programs; each program offers either core or elective training within a range of pertinent areas such as Outpatient, Inpatient, Consultation, and Community components.
This program encompasses the Comox Unit, jointly managed with the St. Paul's Emergency Department, as well as an Acute Care Inpatient ward, 2 East. The focus here is on appropriate and safe assessment of psychiatric emergencies, along with short-stay, crisis-intervention management of a variety of patients. This is a very active teaching program, and regularly includes psychiatry residents doing mandatory and elective rotations, as well as family practice residents and medical students.
This program provides the core Royal College inpatient experience for PGY-2 psychiatry residents, and features a well-run 20-bed inpatient ward, 2 North. Expansion of five additional beds to Unit 9A is expected in early 2006. There has traditionally been close liaison between the Inpatient Unit and the Mental Health Teams in the community, to facilitate comprehensive treatment and discharge planning.
The core PGY-2 outpatient experience is provided in this busy, multi-faceted program, which encompasses regular observed assessment and follow-up of a range of individual psychiatric outpatients. Exposure to Couples/Marital therapy is a component of this program, and experience in Group therapy is also available and encouraged.
A busy, vigorous program in which to satisfy the mandatory three-month Royal College Consultation requirement, a focus is provided on the psychiatric needs of inpatients on the medical and surgical wards of St. Paul's. There are also outpatient opportunities as well, including a traditional, strong link with the Outpatient Pain Clinic.
This program features several experienced Geriatric psychiatrists, and has a number of integrated components including Inpatients at Mount St. Joseph's Hospital; clinics and consultations at St. Paul's; and an outreach initiative with strong ties to community Mental Health Teams and Care Facilities. The mandatory Royal College Geriatric requirement is satisfied within this program, which can also accommodate elective residents at any level as well.
This is a Provincial Program centered at St. Paul's, but with close connections to other pertinent sites such as the Adolescent Eating Disorders program at BC Children's Hospital. Several distinct components of this program feature a range of care delivery from a long-stay Inpatient component, to a Day Program with community residence affiliation, to an extensive Outpatient initiative with special focus on Group therapy. The program offers a wide range of possible elective experiences tailored to the needs of residents at all levels.
Another Provincial Program, with important aspects at both St. Paul's Hospital and BC Women's Hospital, the Reproductive Psychiatry Program serves women who have psychiatric disorders specifically related to their reproductive cycle, such as post-partum depression or psychosis, pregnancy-related psychiatric illness, and menopausal conditions. There is a well-integrated multi-disciplinary aspect to assessment and treatment in this program, as well as a traditionally strong research component; psychiatric residents at any level are welcome for elective experiences.
A creatively and thoughtfully managed program, the Chronic Pain Program has been a traditional and growing strength at St. Paul's Hospital. Specialized, multi-disciplinary Inpatient treatment, an extensive Outpatient program of assessment and management, and a strong relationship with other disciplines and specialties are hallmarks of this resident-friendly program.
Due to expand to ten inpatient beds in early 2006, this is a vigorous assessment and treatment program relatively new to St. Paul's. There is a dual focus on treatment-refractory psychotic and mood disorders, as well as on the specific treatment of psychosis secondary to the use of Crystal Methamphetamine. Elective experiences are possible, and academic/research initiatives within this context would also be encouraged.
A relatively new, expanding area at St. Paul's, this clinic gives a resident the opportunity to participate in Medical-Legal and other Third-Party assessments with highly experienced Forensic Psychiatrists. The program is highly flexible in terms of residents' needs, and interested residents of all levels are welcomed.
FACULTY OF MEDICINE
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Department of Psychiatry |