DIDACTICS

The standard didactic curriculum includes the various seminars, workshops, and topics across longitudinal series:

• Psychiatric Pathophysiology in Older Adults:

  • Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder

  • Schizophrenia and other Psychoses

  • Trauma Spectrum Illness

  • Delirium
     

• Psychopharmacology
   

• Sleep Disruption in Older Adults:

  • Insomnia, Obstructive Sleep Apnea

  • Sleep Psychopharmacology, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia
       

• Neuroimaging
   

• Frailty in Aging and Nutritional Needs of Older Adults
   

• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion

  • Care of the Aging LGBT Patient, Sexuality in Aging

  • Longitudinal Ethnogeriatrics Series

  • Geriatric Women's Mental Health
      

• Palliative, End-of-Life Care, and Pain Management in Life-Limiting Illness

• Medical Decisionmaking Capacity, Competency, and Forensic Topics in Geriatrics

• Careers in Psychiatry Series: Administrative, Academic, Private Practice

• Geriatric Psychotherapy

  • Coping with Aging

  • Bereavement and Loss

  • Psychotherapy in Cognitively Impaired Older Adults

• Comprehensive Functional Management of Older Adults

  • Physical, Occupationa, Speech therapies

  • Psychosocial Assessment of Older Adults

• Neurocognitive Disorders and the Aging Brain

  • Memory in Older Adults

  • Alzheimer's Clinical Research and IRB Processes

  • Executive Function in Older Adults

  • Parkinson's Disease, Parkinson's Plus, and Lewy Body Dementia

  • Reversible Dementias

• Substance Use Disorders in Older Adults

• Cardiac Psychiatry in Older Adults

Additional experiential workshops are also provided to offer fellows an opportunity to have hands-on simulation experience of complex management scenarios, in order to assess mastery of knowledge and demonstrate skills competency:

• De-Escalation of Challenging Behaviors: Fellows participate in a simulated experience of behavioral escalation in the context of dementia, with various contributory factors. Faculty experienced in non-psychotropic behavioral management observe and provide real-time feedback and skills reinforcement. Following the experience there are structured didactic sessions throughout the year to serve as check-ins for new or ongoing challenges.

• ECT Simulation: Fellows participate in a structured didactic experience providing a basic framework for approaching the evaluation and management of patients during a course of electroconvulsive therapy, followed by simulated case experiences intended to assess both basic skill competency and practice skills necessary to respond to unexpected outcomes.

• Geriatric Aging Experience: Currently in development, this simulation experience will provide fellows with an opportunity to experience some of the effects of aging as it impacts physical, cognitive, and sensory interaction with the world around them. Intended to develop a broad understanding of the lived experience of an aging person, this program is anticipated to be piloted in the 2025-2026 academic year.