Core Clinical Electives

Instructor of record: Christina Lee, M.D.

MS4 Site Director(s): Kate Richards, M.D.

Instructor(s): John Onate, M.D., Rachel Robitz, M.D., Kate Richards, M.D., Luz Arroyo, M.D.

Course duration: 4 weeks

Quarters: I, II, III, IV

Units: 6

Location(s): Sacramento County Health Center, Mental Health Urgent Care, UC Davis Family Medicine Clinic

Distribution of student’s time: Clinical (80%), Didactic (20%)

Course description: Students will rotate through the Integrated Behavioral Health clinic at the county Health Center under the supervision of dual-boarded psychiatry and internal medicine/family medicine faculty. Students will provide both primary care and psychiatric care for patients with County and Medi-cal insurance. Students will also gain exposure to the family medicine/psychiatry training program. Students will also get experience in triaging and managing patients in the Mental Health Urgent Care office. Lastly, students will spend time in the UC Davis Family Medicine clinic providing both primary care and psychiatric care utilizing a collaborative care model.

Students with a special interest in combined Family Medicine / Psychiatry should contact the course director at kmrichards@ucdavis.edu.

Prerequisites: Psychiatry core clerkship and/or consent of clerkship director

Enhancement modules: 

• Combined Medicine/Psychiatry
• Cultural Psychiatry
• Emergency Psychiatry

Clerkship objectives

• Improve on psychiatric history taking and mental status exam
• Improve on ability to treat the medical and psychiatric needs of patients with chronic mental illness
• Learn to efficiently manage patients in an outpatient primary care clinic setting
• Effectively interact within a multidisciplinary treatment team
• Gain exposure and understanding of the diagnosis and management of psychiatric disorders with a diverse patient population in a primary care setting

Commonly seen conditions

• Diabetes mellitus
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Mood disorders
• Co-morbid substance use disorders
• Anxiety disorders
• Trauma-related disorders
• Psychotic disorders

Grading Criteria: This course is honors/pass/fail. Honors vs. Pass: An honors student will exceed expectations in four of the six clinical competencies.

Attendance Policy: Per UC Davis Health policy, students can miss no more than 2 days per 4-week block. This includes vacation leave, sick leave, and any admin needs for residency interviews. *Please note:* Opportunities to make up absences are LIMITED for this elective.