My Psychiatry rotation was completed in the CPEP (psych ER) at Queens Hospital Center in Jamaica, Queens. I would arrive at my rotation site at 8am-4pm every day from Monday to Friday. The day typically started off with morning rounds at 8:30, which I would attend with other students to read through recent admissions that may have arrived over night.

Once rounds were over, I would go with a provider to see the patients for the day, do a quick assessment on them, and gather any collateral information on them. During this time, the provider would decide what they want to do with the patient regarding admission/ discharge. Often times, I would call the patient’s families and gather collateral information that I would present to the provider. I would also write detailed progress notes and HPIs for patients, administer safety plans to patients who previously exhibited suicidal ideations, complete discharge papers, and complete 2PC forms. There were also times when I could conduct a Mini Mental Status exam on some patients, and was able to practice the skills I learned in PD.

I thoroughly enjoyed my psych rotation, as it taught me the importance of collateral information, working with a team that is established to protect both you and the patient, and being exposed to a variety of different psychiatric issues that will help me build my differential list in the future. The PAs and Doctors were a pleasure to work with and I learned so much from them! Although I understand that safety can be an issue, I would have liked to have more opportunities to conduct patient interviews on my own, as I feel that it would have been good practice– especially in this new setting. Additionally, I would have liked to conduct the MMSE on more patients so that I could eventually commit it to memory. Overall, I really enjoyed my rotation, and felt like I learned a lot from my time here.