Psychiatry Training for Medical Students

The Department of Psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine provides a comprehensive and integrated medical student education program woven throughout all phases of the MD curriculum. This includes foundational instruction within the pre-clerkship Brain & Behavior module, an immersive core clinical psychiatry clerkship, a wide array of senior electives and advanced specialty electives, as well as opportunities for early engagement and sustained involvement in psychiatric research. Together, these components are designed to equip students with a robust understanding of psychiatric principles and prepare them for diverse clinical and academic careers.

Leadership Team

Anil A. Thomas, MD
Director of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry
Anil.Thomas@nyulangone.org

Mark Abroms, DO
Psychiatry Clerkship Director
Mark.Abroms@nyulangone.org

Jeffrey Sanchez
Program Coordinator
Jeffrey.Sanchez@nyulangone.org

Program Mission

Our primary mission is to elevate psychiatric literacy across all medical specialties by equipping the next generation of physicians with a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of psychiatric disorders. Recent breakthroughs in neuroscience and psychiatry have significantly advanced our knowledge of the complex biological and environmental factors that contribute to mental illness, including mechanisms of gene expression, alterations in brain structure, and the profound impact of emotional processes on physical health. Through this foundation, we aim to foster a workforce of clinicians who are well-prepared to integrate psychiatric principles into holistic patient care.

Curriculum Overview

Pre-clerkship Brain & Behavior Module:
This module provides foundational knowledge of core psychiatric illnesses and the latest developments in brain science.
Core Clinical Psychiatry Clerkship:
Students apply this knowledge in clinical settings, gaining hands-on experience.
Electives and Advanced Electives:
Opportunities to explore specific clinical and research interests in greater depth through a variety of offerings.
Research Opportunities:
Summer Research Opportunities (SROs), a 12-week scholarly concentration, and a dedicated research year are available to students pursuing academic inquiry.

Clinical Expertise and Faculty

Our department is proud to host world-renowned experts across a broad spectrum of psychiatric subspecialties, including post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, addiction medicine, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), mood and anxiety disorders, dementias, brain imaging, and neuromodulation. This diverse expertise provides students with unparalleled opportunities to engage with cutting-edge research and clinical practices.

Additionally, students have the opportunity to collaborate closely with specialists in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. This collaboration offers valuable exposure to critical areas such as pediatric trauma, anxiety disorders, and other child and adolescent mental health conditions, further enriching the educational experience.

Pre-clerkship Curriculum in Psychiatry

Psychiatry faculty are integral contributors to the interdisciplinary Brain & Behavior module delivered during the first year of the MD program. Psychiatry residents actively participate by leading small-group patient interviews, which serve to connect foundational classroom concepts with real-world clinical experience.

Throughout the duration of the module, students concentrate on the neurobiological foundations of psychopathology and psychiatric disorders, while also exploring their emotional, behavioral, and cognitive components. The curriculum comprehensively addresses key areas such as psychopharmacology, evidence-based psychotherapies, and somatic treatments, further enhanced by collaborative, team-based learning exercises designed to deepen comprehension and critical thinking.

In addition to didactic instruction, students participate in supervised small-group clinical sessions on inpatient psychiatry units. These sessions provide crucial early exposure to patient care, facilitating the development of essential clinical skills including psychiatric interviewing, history-taking, mental status examination, and phenomenological assessment of psychiatric symptoms. Clinical experiences are conducted across affiliated sites, including NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, NYU Langone Health, and the VA NY Harbor Healthcare System.

Core Clinical Clerkship in Psychiatry

Under the leadership of Drs. Mark L. Abroms and Anil A. Thomas, the required five-week psychiatry clerkship provides an immersive clinical experience focused on the comprehensive care and treatment of patients with psychiatric disorders. Students are assigned to inpatient units at NYU Langone Health, Bellevue Hospital, or the VA NY Harbor Healthcare System, with opportunities to work on both adult and adolescent psychiatric services.

In addition to inpatient responsibilities, students spend one half-day each week in outpatient clinic settings, working closely under the supervision of faculty and psychiatry residents. Clinical duties include conducting initial psychiatric evaluations, documenting clinical encounters, and managing patient follow-up, thereby reinforcing essential clinical and communication skills.

The clerkship curriculum is further enriched by a structured series of didactic lectures, case-based seminars, and simulation exercises that cover a broad spectrum of psychiatric conditions and psychopharmacology. Students are also trained in the preparation of comprehensive, evidence-based case reports that integrate clinical data and scientific literature.

Assessment of student performance includes a psychopharmacology examination, a clinical reasoning exam, an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), and the Psychiatry Subject Examination administered by the National Board of Medical Examiners, ensuring a rigorous evaluation of both knowledge and clinical competency.

Core Clerkship On-Call Experience

As an integral component of the core psychiatry clerkship, students complete one on-call shift at the Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP) located at Bellevue Hospital, as well as one shift with the NYU Langone Health Psychiatry Consultation–Liaison Service. These immersive experiences provide critical exposure to acute psychiatric care in high-intensity clinical settings.

In addition, students participate in a shift at the Children’s Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (C-CPEP) at Bellevue Hospital. This nationally distinguished program offers a unique opportunity to observe and engage in the evaluation and management of pediatric psychiatric emergencies, enhancing students’ understanding of child and adolescent mental health crises.

Together, these on-call rotations significantly enrich the clinical training during the core clerkship by offering real-time experience in emergency psychiatric assessment, triage, and interdisciplinary care.

Electives in Psychiatry

Upon successful completion of the core psychiatry clerkship, medical students have the opportunity to pursue electives in a wide range of psychiatric subspecialties. These electives, each typically lasting four weeks, are designed to deepen clinical knowledge and provide hands-on experience in areas including consultation–liaison psychiatry, addictions medicine, forensic psychiatry, acute inpatient care, psychiatric emergency services, women’s health and psychiatry, psychoanalytic medicine, and select outpatient clinics.

Additionally, a unique psychiatric publishing elective is offered in collaboration with the author of Kaplan & Sadock’s Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry, providing students with valuable exposure to academic psychiatry and scholarly publication processes.

Electives focusing specifically on child and adolescent psychiatry are available through the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Detailed descriptions of all elective offerings can be accessed in the NYU Grossman School of Medicine elective catalog.

Advanced Electives in Psychiatry

Advanced electives are tailored for students who intend to pursue careers in psychiatry or who seek an in-depth exploration of specialized topics within the field. These electives, typically four weeks in duration, offer concentrated clinical experience and mentorship in subspecialty areas such as geriatric psychiatry, autism spectrum disorders, substance use disorders, reproductive psychiatry (with an emphasis on women’s mental health), and child and adolescent psychiatry.

These advanced training opportunities empower students to customize their educational pathway, engage with complex clinical cases, and gain a comprehensive understanding of diverse psychiatric practice environments. Through these electives, students refine their clinical skills while preparing for residency and future practice in psychiatry.

Research Opportunities in Psychiatry

Research projects within the Department of Psychiatry are designed to foster close mentorship and cultivate core competencies essential for successful residency training and future academic pursuits. NYU Grossman School of Medicine’s C-21 curriculum emphasizes early integration of research, offering students a funded Summer Research Opportunities (SRO) program that combines hands-on investigation with concurrent clinical exposure in either adult or child and adolescent psychiatry.

Following completion of the core clerkship, students may extend their scholarly engagement through a 12-week scholarly concentration, enabling more in-depth research and opportunities to present or publish their findings. For those pursuing a clinician-scientist career path, a dedicated research year is also available between the core clerkship and advanced clinical rotations.

Research areas of focus within the department include, but are not limited to:

Schizophrenia
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Neuroscience, Artificial Intelligence, and Computational Psychiatry
Anxiety, Stress, and Prolonged Grief
Psychedelic Medicine
Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Mood Disorders and Cognitive Psychiatry
Substance Use Disorders
Forensic Psychiatry
Geriatric Psychiatry
Women’s Health and Psychiatry
Consultation–Liaison Psychiatry

All research projects are expected to articulate clear and attainable objectives, leading to a rigorous and high-quality scholarly product. Students interested in exploring research opportunities are encouraged to contact Dr. Anil A. Thomas, Director of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry, to discuss potential projects, identify suitable mentors, and receive guidance on project development.

Contact Information

For further inquiries about medical student education in psychiatry, please contact: