Psychiatry - Medical Careers For Ireland.docx

Psychiatry - Medical Careers for Ireland http://www.medicalcareers.ie/psychiatry/ Psychiatry is the branch of medicine which is concerned with the understanding, assessment, diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. These disorders relate to the brain and the mind, the person and their mental illness; how mental illness affects not just the person in their life, but sometimes who they are as a person; how to differentiate normal life stresses, distresses and difficulties from mental illness and how to understand the interactions between them and how we treat the person and their illness and/or their distress. Psychiatry is one of the most varied, interesting and rewarding specialties in medicine. Every day can be different and every patient seen is unique. Psychiatrists work in a number of settings including hospitals, research centers, universities, people’s own homes, day centers, residential centers and prisons. Training Pathway Training in psychiatry is divided between basic and higher specialist training. There are learning outcomes for each year. A learning outcome defines what a trainee can do after a learning experience. Training Level

Step 1 Medical School

Step 2 Intern Year

Step 3 Foundatio n Year

Step 4 Basic Specialty Training in

Step 5 Higher Specialist Training

Duration Entry Process

4-6 years Graduate or direct entry

1 year Entry through the HSE Intern Match

1 year Entry through competiti ve interview

Applicatio n Date

CAO process opens in November

Applicatio n process opens in October

Programm e Operated by:

Undergrad uate Universiti es

Intern Networks

Applicati on process opens in November College of Psychiatri sts

Psychiatry 2-3 years Entry based on successful completio n of foundatio n year Applicatio n process opens in November

3 years Entry based on successful completio n of Basic Specialty Training Applicatio n process opens in November

College of Psychiatri sts

College of Psychiatri sts

Basic training consists of an initial Foundation Year (FY) and usually another three years of Basic Specialist Training (BST). If a trainee has previous training experience and can demonstrate learning outcome attainment, basic specialist training may be accelerated by one year, subject to the approval of an Annual Review of Progress Panel. Completion of BST will result in the award of a Certificate of Completion of Basic Specialist Training (CCBST). BST gives trainees experience across the life span. Basic Specialty Training – Psychiatry Psychiatry Training in Ireland comprises a streamlined career path through Basic Specialist Training (BST) and Higher Specialist Training (HST) including integrated opportunities for research and teaching. The programme is operated and regulated by the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland under the aegis of the Irish

Medical Council (IMC). The College of Psychiatrists is the only body recognized by the IMC to provide psychiatry training. In 2012 the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland introduced a new Curriculum with continuous assessment which facilitates competency-based rather than time-based training. This allows for credit to be given to those entering Psychiatry training from other specialties and other jurisdictions and provides a mechanism for Trainees to accelerate through training based on competency. Duration & Organisation of Training As with other areas of medicine, there are a wide variety of sub-specialties in Psychiatry; for example focusing on working with adults, older people, children and adolescents, people with learning disabilities, those with addictions and those with combined mental and physical disorders. The initial 4 years of specialist training (1 year foundation, 3 years BST) consist of 8 x 6 month clinical attachments providing exposure to these varied subspecialties. How to Apply Entry to the Psychiatry Training Programme is advertised in the Medical Press each November and all application documentation is accessible from the College of Psychiatry website http://www.irishpsychiatry.ie/postgraduate-training/bst/. There is a single national recruitment and successful applicants will be allocated to one of the 9 Deaneries,

each of which is linked to a university. Allocation is based on applicant’s preference combined with ranking at interview. Higher Specialist Training Following successful completion of the Basic Specialty Training Programme trainees will move into their sub specialty area. Trainees select further training in either adult or child and adolescent psychiatry. In Ireland, psychiatry has four major areas of activity:  Adult Psychiatry  Child and Adolescent Psychiatry  Psychiatry of Learning Disability  Psychiatry of Old Age Adult Psychiatry Adult Psychiatry provides for the assessment, diagnosis and management of mental illness in persons who are aged between 18 and 65 years. Adult Psychiatrists treat a patient population that includes those with psychosis, mood disorders, organic brain disorders and personality disorders. They usually work within a team of other mental health professionals to provide care which may be delivered in the community or in-patient units. A thorough knowledge of pharmacological treatments, psychological approaches and an understanding of the social factors contributing to the development and perpetuation of mental illness is required in this specialty and is emphasised in training.

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Child and Adolescent Psychiatry provides for the assessment, diagnosis and management of severe mental health problems in Children and Adolescent from birth up to the age of 18. The majority of Child and Adolescent mental health services are based in multidisciplinary, community-based teams although there are a small number of day hospital units and inpatient beds around the country. The team is led by a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and usually consists of at least one Trainee Psychiatrist as well as other disciplines including Nursing, Psychology, Social Work, Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy. Child Psychiatry services are actively engaged in teaching, research and academic activities. Child Psychiatry services also engage in consultation and liaison with other agencies and specialties such as Adult Psychiatry, Paediatrics, Primary Care, Schools, Educational Psychology, Gardaí, Social Work and Psychology services, all of whom may be involved with a particular Child and their Family.

Psychiatry of Learning Disability Psychiatry of Learning Disability is a specialty that provides a service to those individuals with mental illnesses who also have a moderate to profound intellectual disability (I.Q <50) or those with a mild intellectual disability (I.Q. <70) if they have a comorbid autism spectrum disorder. The prevalence of mental

illness in individuals with intellectual disabilities has been estimated to be three times that of the general population. In addition, communication difficulties, genetic factors and comorbid physical illnesses such as epilepsy can combine to make the presentation of mental illness in this population very complex. Learning Disability Psychiatrists provide a service at community clinics and workshops, residential homes and some larger residential institutions that are being phased out. They also work as part of a multidisciplinary team that may include specialized Intellectual Disability Nurses, Clinical Psychologists, Occupational Therapists and Social Workers.

Psychiatry of Old Age Psychiatry of Old Age is a specialty that provides a service to those who develop mental illness over the age of 65. Mental illness in older people is common and often has a complex or multifactorial cause. Old Age Psychiatrists therefore provide a service in general hospitals, at community clinics, in patient’s own homes and in nursing homes. Treatment will sometimes involve admission to day hospitals and occasionally will involve admission to a specialised inpatient facility. Old Age Psychiatrists work as part of a multidisciplinary team that may include Mental Health Nurses, Clinical Psychologists, Occupational Therapists and Social Workers. In addition, they work closely with colleagues in general hospital departments including Medicine for the Elderly, Neurology, Neuropsychology, and Neuroradiology and in Primary Care.

The Principal Career Pathway in Psychiatry