The UC Davis Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Internal Medicine enthusiastically support the combined internal medicine/psychiatry residency program. This program includes components of both internal medicine and psychiatry residencies (32.5 four week blocks or 30 months in each specialty), which are accredited by the Residency Review Committees for Internal Medicine and Psychiatry, both of which are under the auspices of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Residents in this five-year program will complete training requirements for both internal medicine and psychiatry with resultant board eligibility in both specialties.

UC Davis Internal medicine/psychiatry residents will be trained in psychiatry, internal medicine and areas that integrate these two fields, with a strong focus on treating the patient and not just a disease. In addition to dedicated staff from both departments, we currently have six dually trained faculty members in general medicine and psychiatry, all of whom are full-time internal medicine/psychiatry supervisors and mentors. Moreover, our two internal medicine/psychiatry clinics, VA psychiatric intensive care unit, and county-based, special population inpatient unit are all staffed by “med/psych” faculty.  We believe these unique clinical sites and the relatively high number of dually trained faculty are essential components for a top-notch internal medicine/psychiatry training experience.

Between the UC Davis Family Medicine/Psychiatry and Internal Medicine/Psychiatry Programs, we have a total of 15 residents and look to expand to 17 by July 2012.  Our two combined training programs have been awarded a $2.8 million dollar grant (over a six-year period) from the California Department of Mental Health to help build our combined programs and further develop a replicable and integrative “Med/Psych” curriculum that can be used at other training programs. Part of this curriculum includes the development of a text titled, Lippincott’s Primary Care Psychiatry.  This recent publication was a collaborative effort from residents and faculty in the Departments of Psychiatry, Internal Medicine and Family Medicine, and serves as an important learning tool for those who wish to learn more about the practice of  psychiatry within the primary care setting.

If you would like to learn more about our innovative curriculum and get a preview of the program by meeting the residents and staff, we offer a one-month internal medicine/psychiatry elective rotation. If you have an interest in combined internal medicine and psychiatry training, please do not hesitate to contact me directly with any questions.

Robert McCarron, D.O.
Director, Internal Medicine/Psychiatry Residency Training
E-Mail:  robert.mccarron@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu