This section contains information on our Training sites, our Philosophy and Research opportunities.  (Please scroll down)

Our training sites and affiliations

                      UCLA-OLIVE VIEW MEDICAL CENTER                                       UCLA-RESNICK NEUROPSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL     

 SEPULVEDA VETERANS AFFAIRS AMBULATORY CARE CENTER  WEST LOS ANGELES VETERANS AFFAIRS HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

            STUDENT COUNSELING AND HEALTH SERVICES AT                      

           CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE (CSUN)                                  CEDARS SINAI MEDICAL CENTER

                             SAN FERNANDO VALLEY MENTAL HEALTH CENTER (COUNTY OUTPATIENT HEALTH SERVICES)

Our Philosophy

The philosophical orientation of the UCLA-San Fernando Valley Psychiatry Training Program is that of a balance between biologic, dynamic, and behavioral conceptual viewpoints coupled with the acquisition of technical excellence in therapeutic skills.  There is a centrist vision which provides a broad base for the understanding of psychopathology and the development of effective therapies.  The trainees are encouraged to view the Axis I psychopathological processes as a part of a continuum of Axis II & III forces that either add to the diathesis of the Axis I presentation or influence the outcome/management of it.

Given the lack of a singularly applicable conceptual viewpoint within psychiatry, we emphasize integrated models that stress a balance of genetic, biophysiologic, developmental, and psychosocial factors in the making of the overall personality and illness.  Our goal is to train psychiatrists who will be able to function in a variety of settings, and will be comfortable in selecting and utilizing the broad spectrum of somatic, diagnostic, and therapeutic interventions within the field.  We expect our graduates to be prepared for a choice of various careers in teaching, research, administration, or clinical practice.

The model of instruction is one of skill acquisition.  The aim of this approach is to provide the intellectual and academic discipline that will be essential to keep current in this period of accelerating growth and change.  Theoretical eclecticism is adjunctive to eclecticism in techniques, i.e., we expect housestaff to obtain skills as well as knowledge.

The psychiatric housestaff gain experience and training in comprehensive psychiatric services providing both inpatient and outpatient care.  There is opportunity to follow patients longitudinally and to maintain follow-up care in the community.  This longitudinality of care is a basic tenet in the treatment philosophy of the training and clinical programs within the Department of Psychiatry.

The training program is structured to allow maximal elective time, up to 12 months, so that each resident may supplement his/her skills as a well trained general psychiatrist with individual interest in subspecialty modalities, including research, psychotherapy, biological, and community psychiatry.  The individual resident's personality and experiences are combined with a firm clinical grounding throughout the training years as his/her psychiatric identity emerges.

The program utilizes various measures to gauge the progress of housestaff and the training experience.  Direct observation of work with patients and performance in seminars is combined with a review of the written clinical record.  Open written and verbal feedback from supervisors is standard.  All housestaff take the Psychiatric Resident-in-Training Examination (PRITE) yearly as a measure of their cognitive knowledge based on national norms.  From the PGY I year on, mock oral exams follow the format of the American Board of Psychiatry. These exams are designed to document competence in clinical assessment, differential diagnosis, case formulation, and treatment plan.  A log of psychotherapy cases is maintained to ensure a balanced mix of clinical experience across diagnostic categories, and utilization of the widest possible variety of interventions.

Research

Our program provides residents with abundance of research elective opportunities at Sepulveda campus of VAGLAHS, Olive View Medical Center, and UCLA/NPI.  Residents are encouraged to pursue research experience, either participating in ongoing research projects, or applying for grants for their own research projects.  The program works closely with faculty, students, residents and fellows to stimulate the inclusion of high-quality, multidisciplinary research didactic training as part of the career development of young researchers.  This will also help support the improvement of core courses designed as in-depth instruction in the fundamental skills, methodologies, and theories necessary to build a well-trained academic clinical researcher.

The goals of our program are:

• To expand medical science for the advancement of future clinical diagnoses and treatment.

• To motivate students, residents and fellows to learn and participate in research projects.

• To gain core knowledge in understanding research hypothesis development, biostatistics, epidemiology, disease mechanisms, biotechnology, human genetics, and the legal, ethical, and regulatory issues related to clinical research.    

Resources:

• Research Electives and Chief-ships are available during PGY IV.

• To promote, guide and direct young investigator initiatives, we provide a dedicated research mentorship team to students, residents and fellows.

• Didactics, grand rounds, journal club reviews and individual supervision by experts in the field are arranged to enhance research training in the program.

• Residents are encouraged to learn about NIMH/VA grants for their future research projects.

For further information on current research activities, please contact:

Mitali Wadekar, MD

(Chief Resident in Research Education)

OR

Valery Chamberlin, MD

(Associate Director of Training)

Some current research opportunities include:

VAGLAHS-Sepulveda Campus:

• Mood disorders clinic. Contact: Boghos Yerevanian, MD, Ralph Koek, MD

• Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Ctr (GRECC), Neuropsychiatry clinic. Contact: Jaime Fitten, MD

• General Adult Psychiatry clinic. Contact: Neena Sachinvala, MD, Murray Brown, MD

• Adult Chemical Dependency program, Contact: Alan Schneider, MD

• Consultation and Liaison Psychiatry clinic. Contact: Javier Quintana, MD

• Adult Psychotherapy clinic. Contact: Steve Ganzell, PhD
  

UCLA-Olive View Medical Center:

• Adult Inpatient Psychiatry. Contact: Alex Kopelowicz, MD, Victoria Hendrick, MD

• Inpatient Consultation and Liaison Psychiatry. Contact: Saba Syed, MD

• HIV-Psychiatry. Contact: Robert Dasher, MD

• Psychiatry Emergency room, Contact: Amarjeet Randhawa, MD
  

UCLA/NPI:

• http://www.semel.ucla.edu/centerandinit.html

Community clinic:

• San Fernando Mental Health clinic. Contact: Alex Kopelowicz, MD