UCLA Psychiatry Residency Training Program

Didactics

Didactics

Our program believes that a well-rounded clinical experience coupled with a comprehensive core curriculum is the key to training the next generation in the field of psychiatry. Structured educational opportunities take a variety of forms. Grand Rounds presentations are held weekly at the UCLA campus. Catered lunches during the week feature invited speakers and journal club presenters. For residents in each year of the program, formal didactics are held one half-day a week during protected time in which residents are excused from their clinical responsibilities.

The curriculum during PGY-1 includes a core diagnostic series with an overview of all major mental disorders as well as an introduction to psychopharmacology with an increased focus on social determinants of mental health. Didactics during PGY-2 takes the core concepts introduced during PGY-1 and expands on them, with a focus on advanced diagnoses, psychopharmacology, and psychotherapy. The PGY-3 curriculum shifts the focus from acute settings to outpatient clinics to reflect the increased focus on psychotherapy and long-term management that occurs during the last two years of residency. Finally, the PGY-4 curriculum is largely elective, allowing senior residents to choose from a variety of courses (such as building a private practice or learning to engage in mental health advocacy) based on what suits their career goals. There is also a robust curriculum in community and global  mental health embedded throughout the four years.