1. Get to know the drugs a lot better. I know how the classes work, but I need to be more familiar with their names and how they are used, and seeing this clinically should help a lot.
2. Memorise the main diagnoses of the DSM-IV that I don't already know (such as personality disorders).
3. Do a lot of patient interviews, depending on how the department works and how happy the patients are to sit down for an interview.
4. Spend time seeing how the department functions, and hopefully slot in somewhere. This is the part that I am most uncertain about, but I'll be tagging along and hopefully not be the ultra-passive student who just sits in the corner and says nothing. I think I need to have some faith in my own ability to communicate and know what is appropriate.
5. Learn the public health component that they slot into this part of our course. Joy.
I know that we have an orientation at the start of the rotation, so hopefully that will answer a few questions.
In the meantime, I need to go shoe shopping. Adios!
4 comments:
Those sound like plans that'd fit well into the psych rotation I did, I'm sure you've a good chance they'll fit into yours. Psychiatrists, BTW, are all into the adverse effects of the antipsychotics (each one has its own idiosyncratic range of AEs), to the point that practically all of my pharmacology exam questions in psych were about AEs and their management.
Thanks for the tip! I'll remember to learn those.
All good stuff!
The other most useful bits to take away :
- what is psychological/social and not psychiatric (and thus pills don't fix)
- and as M&2S says, the treatment emergent adverse events and side effects of the drugs are legion so understanding when it's not great for them to be used is much more important than knowing when to prescribe
I hated, hated my psychiatry attachment so I really hope yours is constructed in a better fashion and shows the benefits, richness, diversity, enjoyment, and satisfaction that a good mental health service can be!
Thanks, Shrink! I'll keep that in mind. :)
It is interesting that you hated your attachment but still ended up in psychiatry eventually. I guess that your placement wasn't a good advertisement for the profession. I have ended up in what I think is a reasonable service, so I have my fingers crossed.
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