PsychSIGN

Apply for the Assn of Women Psychiatrists' Award!

2011-12-15T09:18:00.001-05:00

The Association of Women Psychiatrists is pleased to announce the 2012 Leah J. Dickstein, M.D. Award, which recognizes a female medical student who best exemplifies the spirit of creativity, energy, and leadership that Dr. Dickstein herself epitomizes and seeks to foster in others.

Award

The Association of Women Psychiatrists is pleased to sponsor the Leah J. Dickstein, M.D. Award. The recipient of the AWP Leah J. Dickstein, M.D. Award will be expected to attend the Annual Meeting (in conjunction with the American Psychiatric Association meeting) in Philadelphia, May 2012 where she will receive this award. The winner will receive a plaque honoring her achievements and also be invited to join the award committee for the following year and encouraged to participate in other AWP activities. The awardee will receive $1000 to help defray the expenses of attending the meeting (with any remainder to be used at the awardee’s discretion). We look forward to receiving your nomination and completed application.

Eligibility

The award is open to female medical students who have demonstrated superior academic achievement, creativity, and leadership. Examples of appropriate disciplines or genres include: service or clinical aspects of medicine; science research; or excellence in art, music, literature, etc.

Timetable

The deadline for submission of application materials is February 15.

The winner will be notified by April 1 and will receive her award at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Women in Psychiatry’s Annual Meeting which is held in conjunction with the APA Annual Meeting.

Materials Required

Interested students must be nominated by their medical school. Nominations may be submitted from the Dean's Office (academic or student affairs), or from the Office of Women in Medicine at the school. No more than one student may be nominated from each institution. Please submit the following materials:

1. Nomination letter by a Dean or the Director of the Office of Women in Medicine. The nomination letter should provide supporting evidence of the student's accomplishments in creativity and leadership and describe the circumstances, which have allowed the nominator to observe the student's work.

2. Two additional letters of reference (at least one from a faculty member).

3. A completed award application and one page personal statement.

All application materials must be submitted as a one complete packet (no separate letters and applications will be accepted) and queries should be directed to Frances. Roton Bell at: womenpsych@aol.com Phone: 972.613.0985.

Contact Ms. Frances. Roton Bell at womenpsych@aol.com for application form. DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 15

Attend the American Psychoanalytic Association - Student Resident Day free!

2011-11-24T23:16:00.003-05:00

This event is open and free to all graduate students in mental health disciplines, psychiatry residents and medical students. Over the course of the day, students/residents will participate in interactive lectures, psychoanalytic case presentations, and group discussions with some of the top psychoanalysts in the nation. Visit www.apsa.org/studentresidentday for more details!

Saturday, January 14^th9:30AM – 5PM

New York Psychoanalytic Society & Institute

247 E 82nd Street (Between 2nd & 3rd Avenues)

AMSA Sexual Health Scholars Program

2011-09-13T01:08:00.001-04:00

AMSA Sexual Health Scholars Program

An Online Learning Community and Course

Application Deadline September 16, 2011

The American Medical Student Association (AMSA) is offering an online course on sexual health. The course will run October through March and will cover topics including: sexual health history taking, sexual health/reproductive options counseling, safer sex, sexuality across the lifespan, common sexual concerns and treatments, sexual health in medical education, and LGBTQ sexual health. The course stems from AMSA’s belief in comprehensive sexual health education throughout the life cycle.

Want more information?

*Learn more about the program requirements, logistics of the online course, and view the tentative curriculum here.

*Contact Sexual Health Scholars Program alum, Farah Ahmad.

*Apply online before the September 16 deadline!

Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity!

PsychSIGN Northeast (Region 1) Conference: Save the date!

2011-09-10T22:46:00.005-04:00

Like PsychSIGN California, we will also be meeting on Saturday, October 29, 2011! Our conference will be in Boston, at the Park Plaza Hotel. Can't top PsychSIGN California's description, so I'll copy it:

"You'll get to meet resident physicians who will give you the inside scoop on admissions, psychiatrists who are excited about their field, and fellow students who enjoy psycho-analyzing one another."

Details to follow. . . Watch the Region 1 website for details. . . Please feel free to write to Margaret at PsychsignR1@gmail.com with questions or suggestions!

Discover the Association of Gay and Lesbian Psychiatrists (AGLP)

2011-09-10T18:40:00.001-04:00

The Association of Gay and Lesbian Psychiatrists (AGLP) is reaching out to medical students through PsychSIGN to raise awareness of their group and to encourage students to become members. Please see the attached document about ways to get involved with AGLP. If you do join, you will get a free subscription to the Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health.

AGLP holds their annual meeting along with the APA Annual Meeting, so they will be in Philadelphia with us in May. AGLP will also be working with PsychSIGN this year to provide some support for our National Conference in May.

The Association ofGay and Lesbian Psychiatrists (AGLP) isa community of psychiatrists that educates and advocates on Lesbian, Gay,Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) mental health issues.

AGLP is seeking medicalstudents who are interested in participating in the activities of theorganization either as a general member or as a member of the Advisory Council.As a member of the Advisory Council, some responsibilities would be: assistingwith the AGLP programming for medical students during the APA Annual Meeting;acting as liaison with medical students; representing the interests of medicalstudents within the organization. Ideas about other activities for the medicalstudent members of the Advisory Council are not only welcome, but encouraged!

If you are interested in theposition on the Advisory Council please contact Kenn Ashley at kashley@chpnet.org or 212 844 1864. Forfurther information about AGLP or joining: www.aglp.org

AGLP goals are to:

Foster a fuller understanding of LGBT mental health issues;
Research and advocate for the best mental health care for the LGBT community;
Develop resources to promote LGBT mental health;
Create a welcoming, safe, nurturing, and accepting environment for members; and
Provide valuable and accessible services to our members.

AGLP Strives to be a community for thepersonal and professional growth of all LGBT Psychiatrists, and to be therecognized expert on LGBT mental health issues.

Some AGLP activities:

Publish a quarterly newsletter (free to members)
Provide a free subscription to the Journal of Gay and Lesbian Psychotherapy for all full, associate, resident, and medical student members;
Conduct a full schedule of seminars and discussion groups concurrent with the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association (APA);
Sponsor social gatherings and a hospitality suite at the annual meeting of the APA and other psychiatric meetings;
Work within the APA to influence policies relevant to the lesbian and gay community;
Collaborate with other organizations of gay and lesbian physicians and mental health professionals;
Provide referral services for lesbian and gay patients;
Assist medical students and residents in their professional development;
Encourage and facilitate the presentation of programs and publications relevant to gay and lesbian concerns at professional meetings; and
Serve as liaison with other minority and advocacy groups within the psychiatric community.

Attend AACAP (Child & Adolescent Psychiatry) Conference in Toronto for free!

2011-09-10T18:27:00.000-04:00

Medical Students, Residents, and Trainees: Attend the Annual Meeting for FREE!

Register as a Monitor and we’ll waive your general registration fee.
Monitors assist AACAP staff in running the meeting by checking badges and tickets to confirm attendance, assist speakers as needed, and distribute and collect evaluation forms and/or other materials that the speaker provides. In return for working as a monitor for either one full day or two half days, monitors receive a complimentary registration for the meeting in addition to half-priced tickets for most ticketed events.

Reasons to become a Monitor:

FREE registration for all residents, trainees, and medical students
Six days of scientific content given by the top experts in the field
Customized programming, including a mentorship program
Networking opportunities with presenters and peers

Members-Only Benefit!
Monitor Registration opens August 1st for AACAP members only. Non-member registration opens one week later. This year, all Monitors choose their own assignments through the registration system. Increase your chances of getting the Monitor assignment that you want by becoming an AACAP member today!

Sign up for the AACAP Monitor Program.

Follow @psychpearls on Twitter!

2011-08-09T18:31:00.003-04:00

Dr. Margaret Chisolm, a psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins University, has a Twitter feed with information for students and residents who want to learn more about the psychiatry field. This is great for those who are on top of social media and take in 160-character thoughts!

Follow her at @psychpearls.

PsychSIGN California region 6 conference: save the date!

2011-08-02T16:07:00.002-04:00

Interested in psychiatry? Well, pack your bags, because we're headed to bright, sunny downtown San Francisco for a pre-Halloween psychiatry conference! You'll get to meet resident physicians who will give you the inside scoop on admissions; psychiatrists who are excited about their field, and fellow students who enjoy psycho-analyzing one another.

PSYCHSIGN REGION 6 (CALIFORNIA STATE) ANNUAL CONFERENCE (PSYCHIATRY STUDENT INTEREST GROUP NETWORK)

Featuring residency directors & speakers from San Mateo, UCLA, UC San Diego, Harvard, and more.
This event is free. We'll even feed you breakfast.
Psychiatrist Halloween costume NOT included.
Marriott Marquis Hotel, 55 Fourth St, San Francisco, CA, 1 block from Powell St BART/Muni Station

for more details and to register, go to PsychSIGN California

2011-04-08T18:58:00.003-04:00

NOTICE:
Registration for the 2011 PsychSIGN Conference in Hawaii is officially closed.

PsychSIGN 2011 Conference - May 13-15, 2011

2011-02-21T00:17:00.002-05:00

PsychSIGN's 6th Annual National Meeting is this May 13 - 15, 2011 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Hear from distinguished guest speakers, learn about the different sub-specialties, and interact with psychiatry residents!

FEES: As long as you arrange your own travel, PsychSIGN will pay for two nights of your hotel stay and meals! For travel funds, ask your psychiatry department chair or education director; and, apply for outstanding student travel grants through psychiatry organizations like the AACAP and APA.

Autumn Update

2010-09-26T17:42:00.000-04:00

As everyone finishes settling back into the new school year, I wanted to update you all with some changes we've made and some upcoming events for the coming months.

We've had some recent changes to the executive board. PsychSIGN is pleased to welcome new regional chairs Anya Bernstein (Stony Brook School of Medicine) and Elizabeth Beckman (University of Minnesota Medical School) to regions 2 and 4, respectively. They are both already actively involved organizing events for their regions and the nation and welcome any suggestions you ma have for the coming year. Feel free to write them and say hello!

We've also began a partnership with the APA's Members-In-Training board, led by Dr. Steve Koh. Essentially, these young doctors represent psychiatric residents in much the same way that PsychSIGN represents medical students in the APA's framework. We hope that this new partnership will result in a smoother transition for our student members as they become resident members. We will also be working together to have greater resident involvement in our regional and national conferences.

Speaking of those conferences, I'd like to formally announce a few PsychSIGN regional conferences coming soon. All of our regional meetings involve wonderful speakers, multi-specialty involvement, and resident advisors. Most even provide free lunch.

First, for those in Region 1 (the region north of NY, including the northeast US and eastern Canada), Matthew Singleton has put together a great meeting on 10/16 in Boston. If you haven't already signed up for this conference, please contact Matthew soon at psychsignr1@gmail.com. Everyone is invited, no matter what region you identify with.

Then on 10/30, regions 2 and 3 are combining forces to host an NYC meeting in partnership with AACAP but featuring a wide range of psychiatric specialists and leaders in the field. If you haven't already signed up to join us at the Hilton, please get in touch with Anya (psychsignr2@gmail.com) to RSVP.

Finally, on the west coast, Steve and Eric have been working on California meeting to be held on 11/13 at UC-Irvine. If you live west of the Mississippi, you shouldn't miss this event. Write to psychsignr6@gmail.com to learn more and sign yourself up.

On top of those meetings, we're all very excited for National Depression Screening Day on October 7th! About a dozen schools have signed up through PsychSIGN to host NDSD events in their cities and have received the full set of materials needed for a great day. If you're interested and haven't yet reached out, please let me know at psychsign@gmail.com.

Have a fantastic fall 2010!

Paul Nestadt, MSIV
New York Medical College
National President, PsychSIGN

Another Successful National Conference

2010-06-14T22:23:00.001-04:00

Hey Hey,

My name is Paul Nestadt, and it is my honor to have been selected as the PsychSIGN National Chair for 2010-2011. I am incredibly excited about the upcoming year!

First, I would like to introduce the newly elected executive board. Their names and contact information are listed below. If you have not already received an email from your regional chair, you should be hearing from her/him shortly.

National Chair: Paul Nestadt, New York Medical College, psychsign@gmail.com

Facilitator: Lara Cox, University of Pittsburgh, psychsignf@gmail.com

Region 1: Matthew Singleton, Yale University, psychsignr1@gmail.com

Region 2: Demitris Haldeos, SUNY Stonybrook, & Paul Nestadt, New York Medical College, psychsignr2@gmail.com

Region 3: Frank Fetterolf, Commonwealth Medical College, psychsignr3@gmail.com

Region 4: Rina Crawford, Northwestern University, & Jill Welte, University of Missouri, psychsignr4@gmail.com

Region 5: Stephanie Barnes, University of Puerto Rico, & Nathan Cleveland, Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine, psychsignr5@gmail.com

Region 6: Eric Tung, Western University of Health Sciences, & Steven Chan, UC-Irvine, psychsignr6@gmail.com

Region 7: Kuljit Dhaliwal, University of British Columbia, & Peter Jackson, University of Utah, psychsignr7@gmail.com

We all recently returned from our 5th Annual National Conference in New Orleans, where we were joined by 70 other medical students from around the country for 3 days of good times and general shrinkitude. Thanks to everyone who came down and made our meeting such an incredible success! Thanks also to Lara Cox and the other 2009-10 chairs for putting everything together. For those of you unable to attend, I’ve included a brief summary below.

On Friday evening, we had dinner sponsored by a number of professional subspecialty organizations in psychiatry; faculty members spoke about their excitement for the future of psychiatry and their particular areas of interest. The dinner was followed by an informal meet and greet at the Sheraton’s Pelican Bar which soon transitioned over onto Bourbon Street.

On Saturday morning, Lara formally began the conference with a wonderful keynote address before introducing David Lewis to speak about his work with schizophrenia and the development of our understanding of its biological underpinnings. We then split off by class year to get stage specific advice from Drs. Cox, Schlozman, Borja, and Mintz. In the next breakout session, some of us heard about the roles that media can pay in psychiatric practice from Steve Schlozman and Sergio Hernandez, while the others discussed psychiatric consequences of trauma with John Roca and Donald Sharps.

After lunch, half of the group heard from Joseph English and Lizbet Boroughs about the political and economic intricacies of psychiatric healthcare reform, in the context of the new Health Bill. Meanwhile, the rest of the group learned about psychotherapy from David Mintz, Adam Brenner, and Donna Sudak.

Our second plenary consisted of a rousing point counterpoint discussion of the DSM-V. William Narrow of the APA described the new directions that the manual is taking, while Paul McHugh of Johns Hopkins warned us of the consequences of allowing psychiatry to continue limiting itself to DSM diagnosis. We then conducted our regional elections before enjoying a great poster session in the Sheraton’s Napoleon Room. At night, many of us joined Steve Schlozman and George Romero for a viewing and discussion of Roman Polanski’s “Repulsion”. Remembering that we were in New Orleans, we eventually found ourselves back on Bourbon Street.

On Sunday morning, we had breakfast and enjoyed a panel of residents from every PsychSIGN region advising us on our next steps and answering questions about applying to residency. Finally, at noon, the new executive board met for the first time.

We all had a wonderful time at the conference, and would like to thank all of you who were able to attend once more. I hope to see even more of you at our conference in Hawaii next May! I’d also like to give you a preview of the things we have planned for this next year.

Keep your eye on our website (www.psychsign.org) for many of our new developments; we will be adding all sorts of new content over the course of the year. One of the many things that we plan to establish through the website is a Career Corner, where video and written interviews with psychiatrists from a variety of subspecialties discuss their paths and careers. We also provide a National Depression Screening Day toolkit online, with journal articles, personal anecdotes, and a Powerpoint presentation targeted specifically at depression in medical students and healthcare professionals; we would like to see a National Depression Screening Day event happening at every school in order to work towards student wellness and stigma reduction.

Over the course of this year, please be in touch with your regional chair about any psych events in your area or at your school. They can be a great resource for your school’s group, assisting with finding funding and attendees. We also have some great ideas for your student interest group activities. You can find some of these on the website and others by speaking with your regional chair.

Thank you so much! This is going to be a great year for us, and I look forward to working with you over the course of the year and seeing you in Hawaii next spring!

Sincerely,

Paul Nestadt

PsychSIGN 2010

2010-06-14T22:15:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to the new 2010-2011 PsychSIGN Leaders!
Welcome to the new, revamped website; any and all feedback is appreciated.

Welcome to New Orleans!

2010-05-19T14:19:00.002-04:00