The fellow will have 40% dedicated research time and would receive training in the use of various research instruments such as Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Present State Examination (PSE), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies (DIGS), Family Interview for Genetic Studies (FIGS), Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN), Structured Clinical Interview for DSM IV (SCID), Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines (DIB), Abnormal Involuntary Movements Scale (AIMS), Simpson and Angus EPS Rating Scale (SAS), Extra-pyramidal Symptoms Rating Scale (ESRS), Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale (BARS), Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI), etc.
The fellow would also familiarize himself/herself with ongoing clinical trials and neuro-imaging research protocols in the Schizophrenia & Psychotic Disorders Program and the Brain Sciences Center at the VA Medical Center. The fellow will actively assist in the performance of at least one of these protocols. The program is currently involved in doing pharmaceutical industry sponsored clinical trials for schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, paraphrenia, and borderline personality disorder. The fellow will be designated as sub-investigator on two or three clinical trials.
It is anticipated that by the end of the first year’s training, the fellow would have conceived an original research idea, reviewed the research literature, and developed this into an independent protocol/grant application. The fellow would be encouraged to apply for research funding as a young investigator from NARSAD, Stanley Foundation or ELBJ Schizophrenia foundation or similar sources to pursue this idea on his/her own.
The fellowship program will arrange teaching seminars in the following areas:
The unique aspect of this Fellowship Program is the training in administrative skills imparted in an academic/teaching VA Medical Center. The fellow will have the opportunity of choosing a particular administrative area for sub-specialization.
Depending upon the interests of the fellow, he/she will be able to work on Mental Health services research at the VAMC. He/she will participate in data collection, organizing of the data, analysis of the data, compiling results, and researching the published literature in this area. It is expected that during the second year of fellowship, the fellow will be able to analyze the data, write up a research report for presentation in a major conference.