Arden D. Dingle

Family Considerations and Interventions

Family functioning is an important aspect of the care and psychosocial adjustment in burned children and adolescents. There is a paucity of data addressing family factors associated with positive adjustment in pediatric burn victims and delineating optimum family treatment. Any discussion is complicated by the fact that some burns are unrelated to the family environment; others are associated with problematic family dynamics (e.g., abuse, neglect, psychopathology) (e.g., Andreasen, Noyes, Hartford, & Proctor, 1972; Cahners & Bernstein, 1979; Noyes, Frye, Slymeh, & Canter, 1979).

Child Psychiatry: What Are We Teaching Medical Students?

ObjectiveThe author describes child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP) undergraduate teaching in American and Canadian medical schools.MethodsA survey asking for information on CAP teaching, student interest in CAP, and opinions about the CAP importance was sent to the medical student psychiatry director at 142 accredited medical schools in the United States and Canada. The results were summarized and various factors considered relevant to CAP student interest were analyzed statistically.ResultsApproximately 81% of the schools returned surveys. Most teach required CAP didactics in the preclinical and clinical years. Almost 63% of the schools have CAP clinical rotations; most are not required. Twenty-three percent of all medical students have a clinical CAP experience during their psychiatry clerkship. The majority of schools have CAP electives, and approximately 4.8% of students participate. Child and adolescent psychiatry leadership, early exposure to CAP, and CAP clinical experiences were related to student CAP interest, but these relationships were not statistically significant.ConclusionThe time allotted to teaching CAP in the undergraduate medical curriculum is minimal, consistent with previous survey results. Most schools require didactic instruction averaging about 12 hours and offer elective clinical opportunities. The survey findings should help direct future planning to improve CAP medical student education.

A 2-year Progress Report of the AACAP-Harvard Macy Teaching Scholars Program

ObjectiveThe American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) has partnered with the Harvard Macy Program for Healthcare Educators so that selected child and adolescent psychiatry academic faculty might enhance their teaching expertise in order to possibly enhance recruitment of medical students into child and adolescent psychiatry.MethodsThirteen child psychiatry faculty have graduated from the AACAP-Harvard Macy Teaching Scholars Program (HMTSP). There are 10 additional child and adolescent psychiatry faculty members in the process of completing the program. A survey was created to broadly assess the effect of the AACAP-HMTSP training on the first 13 graduates of the program as a pilot to guide future study of the program. Three teaching scholars who are the first authors of this article (JH, DS, MH) conducted this survey and the data interpretation for this study.ResultsThirteen of the scholars submitted responses to the survey. All participants indicated a high degree of satisfaction with the HMTSP and with the overall usefulness of the concepts learned. All but one of the scholars reported that the program enhanced their teaching effectiveness. The scholars reported increased teaching of medical students (9 of 13) and psychiatry residents (6 of 13) after the HMTSP.ConclusionThe AACAP-Harvard Macy Teaching Scholars reported high levels of satisfaction with the overall program. Whether the reported increase in medical student and psychiatry resident mentoring and teaching will eventually lead to increased medical student recruitment into child and adolescent psychiatry remains to be determined.

Inpatient Consultation and Liaison

The contribution of psychological and psychiatric consultation is increasingly recognized as an essential component of comprehensive pediatric health care (Lewis, 1991; Roberts, 1986; Stabler, 1988). Moreover, there has been a realization that psychosocial factors play a significant role in the process and outcome of physical illness and trauma (Lewis, 1991). Consultants collaborate with other health care professionals to directly address the psychological needs and issues of the physically ill. The liaison component of the consultant’s role is to advise and educate other medical personnel about psychosocial and psychiatric issues (Lewis, 1991; Roberts, 1986; Stabler, 1988).

The DSM-5: An Opportunity to Affirm “The Whole Child” Concept in Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Residency Training

This article summarizes a 2013 American Psychiatric Association annual meeting presentation on the incorporation of the DSM-5 into child and adolescent psychiatric residency training with focus on the potential benefits of the DSM-5 for medical education.

Practical Applications for Maintenance of Certification Products in Child and Adolescent Residency Training

ObjectiveThe authors evaluated whether Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Performance-in-Practice products in training increases trainee knowledge of MOC processes and is viewed by trainees as a useful activity.MethodsSix child and adolescent psychiatry fellowships used MOC products in continuity clinics to assess their usefulness as training tools. Two surveys assessed initial knowledge of MOC and usefulness of the activity.ResultsForty-one fellows completed the initial survey. A majority of first-year fellows indicated lack of awareness of MOC in contrast to a majority of second-year fellows who indicated some awareness. Thirty-five fellows completed the second survey. A majority of first- and second-year fellows found the activity easy to execute and would change something about their practice as a result.ConclusionsUsing MOC products in training appears to be a useful activity that may assist training programs in teaching the principles of self- and peer-learning.

Primary care practitioners’ views on child psychiatry teaching in medical school

13 This program has the support of the Brazilian Federal Government and attends the requirements for academic qualifications from the universities and the Brazilian Medical Association. Distance education programs are emerging in the field of education (Ellaway & Masters 2008), and many doctors and medical students make use of this tool to enhance and update their knowledge, with great acceptance. However, much of the material available on the Internet is merely informative, without interactivity and without the accreditation of universities (Gotwald et al. 2000). In this background, a new methodology, like interactive online seminars using the association of webconference and videoconference is of great importance, providing an efficient tool for medical training and recertification, even in remote areas, mainly, in a subspecialty practiced by few doctors, like pediatric radiology.