Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

At A Glance

Program Type: Military Medical Center

Location: Bethesda, MD

Accredited: Yes, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)

Program Length: 2 years

Required Pre-Requisite Training: Completion of Psychiatry Residency (or at least PGY3 year for 3+2 accelerated program)

Categorical Year in Specialty Required: No

Total Approved Complement: 10

Approved per Year (if applicable): N/A

Dedicated Research Year Offered: No

Medical Student Rotation Availability: USUHS Clerkship and 4th Year Medical Students (USUHS and HPSP)

Additional Degree Concurrent with Training (e.g. MPH): No

Program Description

The National Capital Consortium Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CAP) Fellowship prepares Army, Navy, and Air Force trainees to provide a comprehensive array of evidenced based clinical services to children and families in military communities around the world. This scope of services extends from the initial assessment of both routine and complex behavioral health diagnoses to management in various settings, including outpatient, partial hospitalization, and inpatient settings. Two-year program led by faculty devoted to teaching and clinical care. Within the fellowship, working with a range of specialists, including pediatricians, clinical psychologists, social workers, developmental pediatricians, pediatric neurologists, and more, is a part of our multidisciplinary aspect. Fellows will develop a skillset that allows for them to be effective collaborators with other specialties and advocates for their patients.

Mission, Vision and Aims

Mission

In accordance with the mission of the USUHS School of Medicine, the CAP Fellowship educates and prepares uniformed services health professionals to support both the military and its family members in the United States and abroad.

Vision

The vision for our program is to promote mental health and train well-rounded psychiatrists through excellence in education and clinical practice.

Aims

Train highly skilled, highly effective, and emotionally resilient military child psychiatrists to aid in the mission of helping families.
Implement fellowship initiatives to better support wellness of trainees and faculty.
Perform continuous, sustainable, and meaningful program evaluation.
Ensure recruitment of the most talented and qualified candidates into the CAPS fellowship training program.

Curriculum and Schedules

Weekly Clinician’s Corner
Weekly Grand Rounds
First Year Didactics
- Child Psychotherapy Seminars (Psychodynamic, Play-Based, CBT)
- Integrated Growth & Development, Psychopathology, and Psychopharmacology
- Digital Health in BH
Second Year Didactics
- Family Therapy
- Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Consultation-Liaison Series (School-Based, Hospital-based, Military)
- Forensic Child & Adolescent Lecture Series
- Substance Abuse in Children
- Costs of Healthcare Analysis
- Administrative/Military Psychiatry: Being a Service Chief
First and Second Year Didactics
- Continuous Case Conference
- Developmental Assessment & Formulation
- Journal Club/Evidenced Based Medicine

1st Year	2nd Year
Outpatient Clinic Pediatric Neurology Developmental Pediatrics Research and Scholarly Activity Augusta Military Medical Center Child and Adolescent Partial Hospital – 4 blocks Inpatient – 2 blocks Consult Liaison Substance Use	Outpatient Clinic – 5 blocks Outpatient Consult Liaison – 3 blocks Augusta Military Medical Center, School Behavioral Health/Forensics, WRNMMC Armed Forces Center for Child Protection Elective – 2 blocks

Lourie Center for Children’s Social and Emotional Wellness, leader in the DMV for young children and at risk youth
Children’s National Medical Center
Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress—Independent Research & Opportunities
Walter Reed- Outpatient Consultation and Continuity Clinic (2nd year) offering enhanced collaborative care experience with Pediatrics and Sub-Specialties and military consultation locally and Outside the Continental United States

Only during inpatient months (less than four months of total training) and 1-2 adult call shifts during second year for those appropriately credentialed.

Administrative/Military Psychiatry: Being a Service Chief: Required course for 2nd year fellows on the 3+2 matriculation cycle. This course focuses on the military unique curriculum of operational, occupational, and systems issues in military psychiatry.

Second year Fellows are assigned leadership roles within the fellowship to include the following:

Academic Chief - Serve as primary liaison between PD/APD/Faculty and all CAPS Fellows regarding research and scholarly activities, curriculum & didactic experiences, and enhancing educational opportunities in training program.
Administrative Chief- Serve as primary liaison between Clinic & Program Leadership, external staff and trainees, and all CAPS Fellows regarding clinical rotations, accountability, training environment, and program administrative policies and procedures.
Wellness Chief- Serve as primary liaison between PD/APD/Faculty and all CAPS Fellows regarding fellow burnout prevention and wellness endeavors.

Scholarly and Professional Development Opportunities

Fellows complete a rotation at the Center for Traumatic Stress, Child and Family Programs to develop and complete scholarly activity.

Fellows participate in quality improvement programs within the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship complementing the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Services Clinic. Fellows also have the opportunity to complete quality improvement projects within Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Fellows attend a weekly clinician’s corner to discuss cases and learn best practices from their peers, fellowship leadership and faculty, and experts in the field. Fellows are allowed to research and request elective opportunities within the National Capital Region that is outside of the suggested electives to increase their knowledge and skillset.

Participating Sites

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center: Armed Forces Center for Child Protection, Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Outpatient Pediatric Neurology
A.T. Augusta Military Medical Center: Child and Adolescent Partial Hospitalization Program
Children's National Medical Center (Washington, DC)
Pathways Addiction Medicine, Annapolis, Maryland
Center for Traumatic Stress, part of Uniformed Services University Bethesda, Maryland
Ivymount School, Rockville, Maryland

Applicant Information, Rotation and Interview Opportunities

Medical students and psychiatry residents can participate in rotations in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship. Rotations are typically four weeks long. Rotators will complete their rotation plan in collaboration with the fellowship Academic Chief and fellowship Administrative Chief.

Those interested should contact WRNMMC Graduate Medical Education at dha.bethesda.Walter-Reed-Med-Ctr.mbx.gmerequests@health.mil regarding rotation logistics.

Interviews are conducted virtually, and they are approximately 45 minutes in length. Applicants will be emailed information about their specific interview date and time with a link. Applicants will be asked structured questions. In the interview, there will typically be at least three people present – a program director or associate program director, a faculty member, program coordinator, and a 2nd year fellow.

Program graduates take the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry board exam. This exam is offered annually. To become fully board certified, applicants are eligible to take board certification exam in September following graduation. To be eligible to take specialty board exams, graduates must complete all pre-requisites required by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Teaching Opportunities

2nd year fellows act as a mentor and are paired with medical students who attend USUHS or other medical schools and are interested in completing a rotation with the National Capital Consortium Child & Adolescent Fellowship.

Faculty and Mentorship

Faculty members are board certified or trained in the following specialties and subspecialties:

General psychiatry
Child and adolescent psychiatry
Forensic psychiatry
Addiction psychiatry
Neurology
Clinical psychology
Developmental psychology

Fellows will be assigned a global supervisor throughout the fellowship, with changes occurring every six months. Global supervisors will provide continuous guidance on clinical patient encounters.

Well-Being

Fellow and faculty wellness is our primary aim and one of our main focuses in this program. This is made evident by our successful implementation of opportunities for taking your well-earned military leave from the program, our regularly scheduled wellness activities including team building activities in the place of didactics every fifth Wednesday, and our more subtle extensive opportunities for health, welfare, and support for residents should they need his assessments during their program.