Psychiatry Clinical Research Training-NIMH Office of the Clinical Director

National Institute Of Mental Health

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

Clinical Fellowship Programs: During FY23, there were nine NIMH IRP residents/fellows. The academic year generally starts in July so this number can include new, current and departing trainees from our programs. Of the nine trainees, eight entered through the PGY-4 ACGME accredited psychiatry residency program. We added four new PGY-4 trainees in FY23. Several clinical fellows have transitioned to new positions in industry, academia and the Food and Drug Administration. Program Director and Associate Program Director Administrative Duties: Program Director and Associate Program Director duties for the PGY4 residency and clinical fellowship program include dissemination of information about the training programs, recruitment of diverse new residents and fellows, identification of NIMH Principal Investigators to serve as research mentors, and guidance on career development for trainees at all levels. Other Affiliated Training Programs: NIH Clinical Center Hospice and Palliative Medicine (HPM) fellowship program: this one year ACGME-accredited subspecialty program is sponsored under the PGY4 psychiatry residency program and hosts one fellow annually who receives some cross-training with the Psychiatry Consultation-Liaison Fellow. Research Electives for Psychiatry Residents and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellows: The NIMH OCD offers elective rotations to residents/fellows from local psychiatry training programs to gain exposure to neuroscience-based research. We had one child and adolescent psychiatry fellow rotate in FY2022-23 from Children's National Medical Center. Consultation-Liaison (CL) Psychiatry Fellowship Program: This one-year ACGME-accredited subspecialty fellowship is conducted in partnership with MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and Washington Hospital Center and has two fellowship positions per year. The CL fellows rotate on the NIMH Psychiatric Consultation Liaison Service at the NIH Clinical Center, each for six months. Two joint program CL fellows were trained in FY 2022-23 who have gone on to academic CL positions locally and in the Midwest. Neuropsychology Training Opportunities: Up to 4 graduate students from neighboring university clinical psychology graduate programs (e.g., Uniformed Services University, American, Gallaudet, Howard, University of Maryland-Baltimore County) are selected to come to NIH to assist with cognitive evaluations, while learning the practice of neuropsychology. Neuropsychology seminars, clinical interviewing, trainings on psychometric testing, test administration and scoring (e.g., Wechsler tests of intelligence and memory, brief tests of intelligence, NIH Toolbox, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test) are provided. Training is also given to NIMH IRP Intramural Research Training Awardees (IRTAs) on test administration (including NIH Toolbox, and Kaufman Brief Test of Intelligence 2). Staff counsel interested students and IRTAs on career options in psychology. This year staff created and presented at the annual NIMH IRP Clinical Psychology PhD Program Application Workshop. They also created a new NIH-wide clinical psychology practicum for students in clinical psychology training. Medical Student Programs: The Clinical Electives Program (CEP) at the NIH Clinical Center provides fourth year medical students from across the nation opportunities to apply for 4-8 week clinical neuroscience research or psychiatry consultation-liaison rotations. The OCD helps coordinate medical student rotations in the NIMH IRP. In 2022-23, we hosted one medical student and plan to expand outreach to expose more diverse groups of students to clinical psychiatric research. Medical Research Scholars Program (MRSP) at the NIH Clinical Center is a selective year-long elective research experience for medical students who live and work on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland. NIMH IRP faculty have served as mentors or been on the MRSP Board of Advisors. Advisors interview and select students for the program and help them identify a research mentor. Clinical Neuroscience Initiatives: The OCD participates in NIMH national initiatives that promote psychiatrists-in-training to choose and succeed in research and academic careers. The NIMH Outstanding Resident Award Program (ORAP) was started in 1988 and is a highly coveted and competitive annual award for promising young psychiatrists-in-training. ORAP awardees are top psychiatry residents with outstanding academic potential who are selected from among residencies across the U.S. and Puerto Rico and who have been nominated by their training directors as PGY2s. This award is given to a small number of residents each year for past achievements, current efforts, and future contributions to the field of psychiatry. In Fall 2022, 13 award recipients and 9 honorable mention residents participated in a two-day virtual program that featured presentations by NIMH investigators, NIMH extramural program staff and a virtual tour of NIMH facilities. In June 2022, a new group of ORAP residents and honorable mention residents were selected for an in-person visit to NIMH in Bethesda in the fall. In Winter 2021, the OCD also assisted with outreach for the Inaugural Deeda Blair Research Initiative for Disorders of the Brain facilitated through the Foundation of the National Institutes of Health which gave three awards for novel research by early career investigators. In FY23, the NIMH OCD continued to provide assistance to the Deeda Blair Research Initiative which gave 4 additional research awards and continued support for 2 previous recipients. NIH-Wide Initiatives: Understanding the importance of the wellbeing of all NIH staff, especially health care employees, reached an inflection point during the pandemic. The National Academy of Medicine and the U.S. Surgeon General have issued advisories and calls for action around clinician wellbeing and burnout. The NIMH Office of the Clinical Director continues to work collaboratively with the NIH Clinical Center, other institutes, centers and offices, the Office of Clinical Research Training and Medical Education, the NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education, and the NIH Office of the Director with whom NIMH co-Chairs the Mental Health and Wellbeing Action Team, to address issues of physician, staff and trainee wellbeing, following the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring the importance of integrating mental health into all wellbeing efforts and advocating for systematic responses across NIH. The NIMH continues to lead and support the Graduate Medical Education Committee level in its work in the wellbeing space for all NIH residents, fellows and faculty by continuing to stand up new initiatives including tracking and intervening around resident burnout. Evaluation of these initiatives is ongoing.