Education and Training
Overview
The Vanderbilt Addiction Center provides the academic focus within Vanderbilt University for research, education, and clinical care activities related to the pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment of alcohol and other drug abuse and dependence. VAC represents an interdepartmental network of investigators and clinicians from the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Engineering, the College of Arts and Science, and Peabody College. Investigators and clinicians work individually and in collaboration with other faculty members.VAC identifies important research opportunities, assists investigators in identifying collaborators within and outside Vanderbilt, and facilitates research by providing a forum for interdisciplinary discussions among clinical and basic scientists.
Research Training
Addiction Psychiatry Interdisciplinary Research Training (APIRT) Program (NIDA T32)
"Linking Clinical Phenotypes and Molecular Underpinnings of Addiction"
Physicians interested in a research career in Addiction Psychiatry may apply for this 2-3 year program for addiction research training. The Addiction Psychiatry Interdisciplinary Research Training (APIRT) Program is a consortium between the research intensive Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) and the historically African American Meharry Medical Center (MMC), to provide training for addiction psychiatrists embarking on research careers in an era of increasingly specialized clinical practice, neuroimaging approaches, and powerful genetic paradigms, all in the context of high throughput molecular technologies and unprecedented advances in information science.Trainees may also complete a Masters of Science in Clinical Investigation (MSCI) degree. MSCI trainees must complete an interdisciplinary clinical research project, rigorous didactics, and an application for continued research support to NIDA. The APIRT program also offers unique laboratory exposure to trainees that foster an understanding of the scope (potential and limitations) of fundamental research, rather than the capacity to become basic researchers. Trainees will also receive individualized biostatistical and bioinformatics training, and interdisciplinary training sponsored by the participating units. The objective of the APIRT Program is to provide training to meaningfully investigate - in interdisciplinary teams, using high-performance computing research methodologies in real world settings - the linkages between clinical observations and biological data from emerging technologies in neuroimaging and genomics/proteomics for refining diagnosis and treatment of patients with addiction and co-occurring disorders. APIRT is enhanced by an interactive group of investigators with NIDA and other NIH support, well-established and readily available research core programs, and a strong commitment to the Meharry/Vanderbilt Alliance, with its emphasis on research, teaching, and clinical care to address health care disparities and developing academic leaders from under-represented minority populations.
For additional details or to apply, contact: Dr. Peter Martin
Psychiatric Neuroimaging Research Fellowship
The Psychiatric Neuroimaging Program in the Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, offers a Psychiatric Neuroimaging Research Fellowship. This 1-year research training fellowship trains qualified psychiatrists in principles of neuroimaging as applied to psychiatric conditions. The specific condition or topic of study is broad but should focus on brain functions associated with psychiatric illnesses.
Trainees interested in addiction neuroimaging research are encouraged to apply.
For additional details or to apply: http://kc.vanderbilt.edu/neuro/psy_fellowship.aspx
Clinical Education
Clinical education in addictions is provided to medical students and resident physicians in the inpatient and outpatient treatment services of the Division of Addiction Psychiatry.
The field of Psychiatry is at a tremendously exciting crossroads, bringing new molecular and neurophysiological advances together with growth in psychotherapeutic approaches to achieve treatment successes that are greater than ever before. We are delighted to offer a wide variety of opportunities for training and knowledge development in general Psychiatry and addiction psychiatry.
Medical Students
Addiction Psychiatry training is offered to 3rd year medical students during their clerkships and elective opportunities for Vanderbilt students and students visiting from other medical schools are offered in the 4th year.
Clerkship in Addiction Psychiatry
Objectives: Students will care for patients undergoing alcohol and drug dependence management on an acute care dual diagnosis unit in Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital, supervised by Addiction Psychiatrists who work in the Vanderbilt Addiction Center (VITA). Students will have responsibility for the psychiatric care of patients in daily work and teaching rounds, reviewing rehabilitation plans for the patients and participating in group therapy discussions, attending staff conferences and developing a comprehensive knowledge of the detoxification and rehabilitation of persons with substance use disorders in addition to their medical/psychiatric complications. They will learn the team concept of care through a multidisciplinary approach. The student will have the opportunity to take clinical responsibility for the care of these often complex patients under the direct supervision of the attending physician.
Prerequisites: Psy 5020; Med 5020
Contact: Ronald M. Salomon, M.D.
Clerkship Director
Residents
The Vanderbilt Psychiatry Residency program was founded in 1947 and offers an opportunity for residents to receive training in general psychiatry and to begin a career balanced with clinical and academic possibilities.
As one of the leading centers in the nation for medical education, advanced patient care and biomedical research, Vanderbilt has a tradition of preparing physicians for careers in psychiatry.
Our four year program is ACGME accredited with 8 resident positions each year. Entering at the PGY 1 level assures the progression through a carefully considered sequence of training designed to develop a broad set of clinical and academic skills.
Resident physicians learn about the broad range of addictions and their treatments through rotations on the Consultation Liaison Service, Division of Addiction Psychiatry inpatient and outpatient experiences, on-call experiences, and rotations at the Nashville Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center.
Link to: Department of Psychiatry Education and Training Page
