Psychiatry Residency Programme
The discipline of psychiatry deals with mental health and psychiatric disorders. The prevalence estimates for the common mental disorders (CMDs) in developing countries is estimated to be higher than western countries. In contrast, there is a dearth of trained mental health professionals in Pakistan .
Psychiatry residency programme at AKUH offers a broad based training in recognition and management of mental disorders. It has the largest and one of the most diverse teaching faculties in the country.
The philosophy of residency training programme is to produce leaders in mental health with the necessary vision and skill to establish and deliver basic mental health services. The emphasis in the training programme is on acquiring essential diagnostic and therapeutic skills. Trainees from all over the country are encouraged to apply, through advertisements in national newspapers.
The Psychiatry Residency Programme is recognised by the CPSP for FCPS (Psychiatry) training.
Objective
The Psychiatry Residency Programme at AKUH, Karachi is design ed to produce competent psychiatrists who have the skills to pursue a career in academic and/or clinical psychiatry in a culturally informed manner. They would also act as leaders in mental health, setting up and developing mental health services as well as promoting mental health awareness and education.
Duration of training
The Psychiatry Residency Programme is of four years duration with structured rotations.
Eligibility
- MBBS or equivalent degree approved by PM&DC with 58% or above marks in the final examination
- One year internship with six months in Medicine (and allied disciplines) and six months in Surgery (and allied disciplines)
- FCPS Part I in Psychiatry is mandatory
The final selection is based on MCQ examination scores and interviews. The candidate's potential for learning and merit is the sole criteria for selection.
Number of residents
The department has 8 residency positions at the moment. Depending on the number of residents completing their residency each year the department advertises about 2-3 residency position each year.
Scope and content:
Clinical training
The Department of Psychiatry at AKU offers a broad range of mental health services, including in-patient, out-patients, day care and home health care treatment. The average numbers of patients in out-patients is about 16,000/year, of which about a quarter are initial patients. There is an 18-bedded inpatient unit, with an average of 500 admissions per year. The department conducts more than 40 clinics per week including both psychiatry and psychotherapy services, and there is a well-developed and steadily growing psychiatric daycare and rehabilitation service. In addition to the general psychiatric services, the department also offers specialised psychiatric services such as like Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Substance Misuse, (including inpatient detoxification &outpatient motivational interviewing based psychotherapy), Consultation-Liaison service (also covers psychiatric emergencies presenting to emergency room), Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Old Age Psychiatry services.
As the services have grown the psychiatry residency programme at AKU has also undergone a major overhaul during the last several years and is now almost completely subspecialty based. During their 4-years residency residents rotate in General Adult Psychiatry, Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, Old Age Psychiatry, Substance misuse Psychiatry, Rehabilitation Psychiatry and Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. There is a plan to start a Forensic Psychiatry rotation in the near future. In addition to this residents do mandatory rotations in neurology, internal medicine and psychology, as required by the CPSP.
In their 3 rd and 4 th year residents conduct outpatient resident clinics under supervision of faculty, in general adult psychiatry, as well as child& adolescent psychiatry and substance misuse. They also rotate in a subsidised clinic run by an NGO for 6 months. They learn to deliver ECT under supervision and take on psychotherapy cases under supervision of faculty.
Research
Residents are encouraged to pursue research and scholarly activities. There are many opportunities to learn research methodology and to get hands-on experience of research by participating in research conducted by faculty, besides doing their own dissertation. Within the last few years our residents have been authors in more than twenty publications, both national and international.
Didactics
The residents have two dedicated protected sessions for teaching/training per week. On each Monday afternoons residents have a topic-based group discussion three Mondays per month, followed by a mock long case presentation or TOACS on alternate months. On each Wednesday mornings residents have a Grand Ward Round, followed either by an evidence-based journal club, a case presentation, a research presentation, or a guest lecture. On Friday mornings there is a didactic psychology teaching session with a consultant psychologist followed by a work-based experiential group on the model of Balint group facilitated by a consultant psychologist.
Evaluation
Residents are evaluated by the faculty in the middle of and at the end of each rotation for clinical skills, interpersonal relationships, understanding of psycho-social issues, and knowledge acquired. Psychiatry residency in-training exam (MCQs + SAQs) is also conducted every three months to help residents assess their own progress. Residents are given formal feedback on their progress at the end of every residency year by the Programme Director and Coordinator.
On-call duties
Residents are on-call every fifth night. They are required to stay in the Hospital.
Administrative set-up
The department comprises of following faculty members:
Full-time Faculty
Professor
Dr Murad Moosa Khan
MBBS, MRCPsych UK
Associate Professor
Dr Ehsan ullah Syed
MBBS Karachi
Diplomate American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
Assistant Professors
Dr Haider Ali Naqvi
MBBS Karachi; FCPS Pakistan
Dr Syed Ahmer
MBBS Karachi; MRCPsych UK
Programme Director
Instructor
Dr Naila Bhutto MBBS
Dr Bhutto graduated from this programme in 2009
Programme Coordinator
Non-full-time Faculty
Professor
Dr Riffat Moazam Zaman
MA Karachi; MA, PhD USA
Lecturers
Dr Hanif Mesiya
MBBS Karachi; Diplomate American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
Dr Saiqa Khan
MA, PhD Karachi
Dr Muhammad Naim Siddiqui
MBBS Punjab; MCPS Pakistan; DPM and MRCPsych UK
