Mood Disorders Fellowship

Mood Disorders Fellowship

Program Description

Fellows will define the specific aims and objectives of their fellowship taking advantage of the clinical and research activities related to understanding and treating mood disorders.  Available activities include:

  • Training in semi-structured and structured comprehensive psychiatric assessments.
  • Training in acute, maintenance and prophylactic pharmacological treatment of patients with primary mood disorders in subspecialty and clinical research settings.
  • Training and clinical experience in psychotherapy and psychoeducation for individual patients.
  • Neurostimulation treatment for complex and treatment refractory patients – ECT, DBS, VNS, TMS.
  • Training in early appropriate diagnosis in late adolescent populations in the Young Adult Program.
  • Participation in an integrated clinical and research program for patients with or at familial risk of bipolar disorder.
  • Participation in or development of clinical research project(s).
  • Training in research methods and data analysis.

Educational Objectives

Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes
At the end of the fellowship, the fellow will be expected to:

  • Conduct a semi-structured or structured comprehensive diagnostic psychiatric interview.
  • Understand and feel competent in the subspecialty care of patients with primary mood disorders.
  • Be familiar with assessment measures as an aid to treatment evaluation and quality of recovery.
  • Be aware of various treatment approaches that optimize outcomes in patients with complex bipolar disorder and treatment resistant depression.
  • Work comfortably and effectively as the psychiatric specialist in a multi-disciplinary specialty psychiatry service.
  • Contribute to advancement of knowledge about mood disorders by taking an active role in research projects.
  • Be familiar with and able to participate in a clinical translational research project including phases of data collection, organization, analysis and publication of results.

Supplementary Information

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Main Location
Foothills Medical Centre, Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education-TRW Building

Level of Training
Post-Specialty Psychiatry Training

Length of Rotation
Twelve months

Funding
An honorarium commensurate with PGY-6 pay is available on a competitive basis.  Fellows with a license who are qualified to bill Alberta Health Care may bill fee for service for up to one day of clinical work per week.

Qualifications
FRCPC or equivalent license to practice in Alberta.

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Supervisors
Dr. Leanne Birkett
Drs. Cindy Beck, Glenda MacQueen, Alex McGirr, Iliana Ortega, Scott Patten, Raj Ramasubbu, Val Taylor

Description of Supervision
A single or two academic supervisors will be appointed by mutual agreement between the fellow and the faculty.  The fellow, in collaboration with the supervisor(s), will draft a specific set of aims and objectives for the fellowship.  Implementation of these aims and objectives and supervision of the fellow, in meeting them, will be agreed upon between the fellow and the supervisor(s).

Evaluation Method
Ongoing formal and informal feedback from academic supervisors will be provided on a regular basis.  The measure of successful completion will include a presentation at Grand Rounds and/or one publication in a peer reviewed journal.