Electives
The objective of this time is to help a resident expand a research interest or an area of training in which he/she wishes more experience. A faculty mentor should be identified to work closely with each fellow to determine the most profitable use of this time, especially in consideration of his/her developing future career objectives. This elective time can be used for any of these purposes:
- To provide resident an opportunity to work on a mentored research project.
- To allow a resident to pursue more in-depth training in an area he/she desires;
- To provide selected additional outpatient clinical experience if another alternative is not developed.
Residents’ requests to complete electives in other institutions may be accommodated, if a mutual agreement is signed between the two institutions and the arrangements are made well in advance. The training director determines the appropriateness of an outside institution to serve as a training site. The quality of training and resident supervision is the primary concern for the determination of suitability of an outside institution.
Residents have used following training sites for their electives in the past:
Gateway Community Services - Jacksonville , Florida
Provides behavioral health care in a community setting and the opportunity to be involved with the National Juvenile Drug Court, one of only three in the nation. Faculty consists of child and adult psychiatrists. Supervision occurs on-site by designated faculty as well as through the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Residents provide psychiatric evaluation, diagnostic formulation, medication management, and staffing with the treatment team.
In addition to the seminars and conferences, this facility provides the resident with experience in working in a juvenile addiction receiving facility and an adolescent residential day treatment center. The outpatient addiction treatment also includes working with patients with dual diagnoses. The outpatient population ranges in ages from 12 through 17 years old. Diagnoses include substance abuse as well as other psychiatric diagnoses such as adjustment disorders, affective disorders, and attention deficit disorders.
Baby Gator
Baby Gator is the University of Florida’s Educational Research Center for Child Development. Baby Gator offers all day child care to three, four, and five year old children. Their goal is to teach children the social and emotional skills they will need when they enter kindergarten. This elective provides an excellent opportunity for residents to observe normal child development.
Student Mental Health Services
The Student Mental Health Service (SMHS) of the University of Florida is located on campus and is comprised of a multidisciplinary staff of experienced clinicians. Residents have direct patient contact with a unique population of young adults and interested residents may also seek out more extended electives for participation in longer-term psychotherapy, ongoing groups, or administrative functions of the service. Supervision is provided on-site and collaborative treatment planning and consultation with other mental health professionals is available. There is also a specialty program in Eating Disorders.
