Sites/Rotations

The program is based at UNR. Residents rotate at community-based institutions for required, selective and elective rotations.

The clinical curriculum:

  • utilizes the strengths of the institution and area, particularly in collaborations with diverse, community-based institutions, providing residents the opportunity to participate in a range of activities with a diverse patient population, including the underserved.
  • emphasizes activities that enhance physician training. Opportunities include:
    • patient centered care
    • longitudinal outpatient experiences in psychotherapy and psychopharmacology
    • integration and collaboration with primary care and other specialties
    • community-based activities
    • opportunities for advocacy
    • opportunities to participate in ongoing educational, research/scholarship, and administrative projects
  • values residents as educators, with numerous clinical interactions with medical students, primary care residents, and trainees from other specialties and disciplines
  • encourages increasing autonomy and confidence by allowing residents to provide limited after-hours coverage for some sites and patients

Residents have a mix of required, selective, and elective rotations which are completed either as a block or longitudinally. The first two years of training contain a mix of inpatient and outpatient experiences with some elective time, 3rd year is mostly outpatient, and the 4th year is primarily elective with senior resident teaching/leadership opportunities. Residents finish their required psychiatry experiences by the end of their 3rd year.

Please review the sample rotation and didactic schedules below:

Sample rotation and didactic schedule

Core Rotations

  • Ambulatory Medicine/Primary Care, longitudinal primary care clinics
  • Geriatric Medicine/Palliative Care
  • Neurology - Outpatient Clinic and Inpatient Consultations
  • Inpatient Psychiatry
  • Geriatric Psychiatry
  • Consultation/Liaison and Emergency Psychiatry
  • Addiction Psychiatry
  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Consultation/Liaison and Outpatient Clinics
  • Outpatient Psychiatry
  • Longitudinal Psychotherapy and Psychopharmacology Training Clinics
  • Electives: Private Practice, Forensic Psychiatry, Rural Telepsychiatry, First Episode Psychosis, Lifestyle Practice, Reproductive Psychiatry / Women’s Mental Health, Adolescent Substance Use, Neurodevelopment, Collaborative Care, Juvenile Justice, Advocacy Research/Education/Administrative Experiences, Teaching Resident, Chief Resident, and others tailored to resident interest

Primary Rotation Sites

University Health is a multi-specialty group that provides outpatient primary care and some specialty services at several locations. Residents rotate in psychiatry training clinics that provide services to children, adolescents, adults, and families primary assessment, psychopharmacology, and psychotherapy. Residents have a 4-year psychotherapy clinic and a 3-year psychopharmacology clinic. Other rotations at this site include educational, scholarly, and administrative electives.<

The VA Sierra Health Care System is a federal health care system that primarily provides services for US Armed Forces veterans, though some services are available for dependents of veterans. The facility provides a range of inpatient, outpatient, and community-based services from one major site and some satellite sites. Most of the patients are from Washoe County though the system serves all Northern Nevada. Mental health services include acute inpatient psychiatric units, outpatient mental health clinics, a consultation/liaison service, and an addiction service.

Northern Nevada Adult Mental Health System (NNAMHS) is a comprehensive, community-based behavioral health system for adults. Inpatient services are provided at the Dini-Townsend psychiatric hospital, located on the same campus as the central NNAMHS site. Numerous outpatient services are available, which include but are not limited to the Washoe Community Mental Health Center, Outpatient Pharmacy Services, Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT), a Psychosocial Rehabilitation Program, a Medication Clinic, Service Coordination, Mental Health Court, Residential Programs, and Telepsychiatry. This system serves an indigent adult population.

Renown Regional Medical Center is a general community hospital with several locations that provides acute and ongoing primary, emergency, and specialty care for children, adolescents, and adults. It is UNR's primary clinical partner. Psychiatric services include general and child/adolescent psychiatric consultation/liaison services and outpatient clinics.

Lake's Crossingis a maximum security, forensic psychiatric facility. The program provides inpatient and outpatient services statewide to patients with mental health issues who are involved in the criminal justice system. Most patients here are individuals with potential competency issues and who may need restoration to competency so they can proceed with their adjudication. The program also treats individuals who are found not guilty by reason of insanity as well as those who cannot be restored to competency and need the level of care of a maximum-security facility

*Residents also rotate at other sites such as community-based outpatient private practices, rural telepsychiatry, and agencies.