Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine

The PGY1 year of training is designed to provide a solid foundation of clinical experience in medicine, neurology and psychiatry. In our program, residents will receive a rich exposure to several different mental health systems and learning opportunities. Inpatient psychiatric training will take place at the North Central Health Care (NCHC) in Wausau and Ascension Saint Mary's Hospital, a private community hospital in Rhinelander. The internal medicine learning experience takes place at Aspirus Wausau Hospital, a 325-bed hospital in Wausau where our residents train alongside the Aspirus Family Medicine Program residents on the inpatient service of Aspirus Wausau Hospital. There is an introduction to emergency psychiatry at NCHC which includes exposure to forensic psychiatry. Neurology training is at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee which is the major teaching hospital of the Milwaukee campus. We believe this year provides a highly academic experience combined with a diverse community preparation.

The PGY2 year is dedicated to outpatient psychiatric practice. It has been designed to provide a longitudinal training experience so that one can get to know his/her patients and the systems involved. Again in this year, a trainee will work in various settings that will prepare residents for a career in community psychiatry. Outpatient rotations provide training in initial evaluation and treatment using psychotherapy, medications, and multiple treatment modalities for both acute and chronically-ill patients. They will also gain experience in psychosocial rehabilitation techniques. The training includes:

• Working with veterans at the Tomah VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) in Wisconsin Rapids.
• Child and adolescent outpatient treatment at Ascension Saint Mary’s Hospital in Rhinelander.
• Ashland Memorial Hospital offers a full spectrum of Addiction services from Detox to outpatient.
• Outpatient Psychiatry at North Central Health Care (NCHC).

Residents return to inpatient rotations in the third year after having the new skill and perspective of the outpatient year. This approach helps to build on their earlier experiences. They also will develop skills in collaborating with our medical colleagues to provide psychiatric expertise. This includes consultation/liaison at Ascension Saint Michael's Hospital, a general medical surgical hospital in Stevens Point. In addition, there is an Integrative Psychiatry Consultation Liaison rotation where residents will be embedded in the Tomah VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic's primary care clinic in Wausau.

In each of the PGY3 and PGY4 years, residents will continue to follow outpatients for a minimum of 1⁄2 day per week. This will include both medication follow-up, long-term psychotherapy or a combination of the two. In addition to on-site supervisors, each resident will have two psychiatrists assigned for oversight supervision of medication and psychotherapy treatment. This allows residents to treat outpatients continuously over three years.

The PGY4 year is viewed as a bridging and transitional year, where, in addition to clinical duties, the resident assumes greater responsibility for teaching, supervising, administration, and if desired, research. The resident continues with long-term outpatient cases. Electives provide an opportunity for more intensive work in a myriad of clinical programs. Residents may select from the following rotations: Inpatient Psychiatry, Outpatient Psychiatry, Integrative Psychiatry (Outpatient Consult/Liaison), ECT, Telepsychiatry, PTSD Residential Treatment, Research, Community Psychiatry, Partial Hospital, Crisis & Mobile Psychiatry, Administrative Psychiatry, Primary Care and Geropsychiatry.