UC Davis Health
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
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Clinical Rotations | General Psychiatry Residency | Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences | UC Davis

Clinical Rotations and Call

PGY-1

Building a Strong Foundation
The PGY-1 year's objective is to establish a solid foundation in general medical and neurological knowledge while integrating fundamental psychiatric skills. This year is designed to provide residents with essential clinical experiences across a variety of settings, ensuring they develop the comprehensive skills necessary for effective psychiatric practice. 

  • Inpatient medicine, UC Davis Medical Center (2 blocks)
  • Outpatient medicine, Sacramento County (1 block)
  • Pediatrics or emergency medicine, UC Davis Medical Center (1 block)

  • General inpatient and consult service, UC Davis Medical Center (1 block)
  • Vascular inpatient and consult service, UC Davis Medical Center (1 block)

  • Inpatient psychiatry, Sacramento County Jail (1 block)
  • Inpatient psychiatry, VA (2 blocks)

  • Consultation-liaison psychiatry, UC Davis Medical Center (2 blocks)

  • Emergency psychiatry, UC Davis Medical Center (1 block)

PGY-2

Deepening Psychiatric Expertise
In PGY-2 year, the goal is to advance residents' clinical skills and deepen their understanding of psychiatric care, with a specific focus on inpatient psychiatry and community mental health. 

  • Sacramento County Adult Psychiatric Support Services Clinic (3 blocks)

  • Sacramento County Mental Health Treatment Center (5 blocks)

  • Sacramento County Mental Health Treatment Center (2 blocks)

  • VA Addiction Recovery Treatment Service (1 block)

  • Kaiser Permanente
  • Sutter Health
  • Skilled nursing facilities

Various, including:

  • Child psychiatry
  • Forensic psychiatry
  • Addiction
  • Neuromodulation
  • Toxicology
  • etc.

Options include:

  • Early psychosis treatment
  • Adult integrated behavioral health
  • Pediatric integrated behavioral health
  • VA general mental health clinic
  • MIND Institute and autism spectrum disorders
  • TMS
  • Sacramento County Health Center outpatient clinic
  • Research track 

PGY-3

Practicing Longitudinal Care
The PGY-3 year is an opportunity to focus on outpatient psychiatric care and psychotherapy while continuing to build expertise in specialized areas of psychiatry. This year emphasizes managing a diverse outpatient caseload, gaining experience in subspecialty areas and developing advanced therapeutic skills. 

Behavioral Health Center and Child Behavioral Health Center:

  • General Adult Psychiatry Clinic 
  • Child Psychiatry Clinic
  • Specialty clinics (Medically complex, trauma, anxiety/OCD, mood disorders, women's mental health, geriatric psychiatry)
  • CBT
  • Psychodynamic psychotherapy

Options include:

  • Early psychosis treatment
  • Adult integrated behavioral health
  • Pediatric integrated behavioral health
  • VA general mental health clinic
  • MIND Institute and autism spectrum disorders
  • TMS
  • Sacramento County Health Center Outpatient Clinic
  • Research track

PGY-4

Cultivating Leadership and Preparing for Independent Practice
In PGY-4, residents prepare for independent practice by enhancing their leadership, supervisory and advanced clinical skills. This final year focuses on consolidating clinical expertise, developing supervisory roles, exploring specialization through elective opportunities and ensuring readiness for board certification and independent practice. 

A combination of:

  • Consultation-liaison psychiatry
  • Emergency department psychiatry
  • Mental Health Treatment Center
  • Behavioral Health Clinic

Residents may design their own elective experiences. A neuromodulation requirement must be fulfilled during one of these blocks. 

Residents are on back-up to UC Davis Medical Center services and may engage in independent study when not called in. 

  • Behavioral Health Center and Child Behavioral Health Center
  • Combination of medication management and psychotherapy
  • Residents may apply to participate in the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Training Program this year

Call

Call provides residents with real-world opportunities to manage a variety of psychiatric emergencies and complex cases. This hands-on experience is crucial for developing clinical judgment and decision-making abilities.

  • Day call: Daytime shifts on weekends or designated holidays (UC Davis and VA) 
  • Overnight call: Nighttime coverage from home (UC Davis and Sacramento County Mental Health Treatment Center)
  • Jeopardy call: Back-up system to cover if resident on call is unable to come in (UC Davis)