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Psychiatry Ethics and Philosophy of Psychiatry (PEPP) Concentration

Description

The Department of Psychiatry Ethics and Philosophy of Psychiatry Concentration (PEPP) is intended to promote original research and other scholarly work related to ethical, philosophical, legal, and policy issues in by psychiatry residents at the University of Utah. Residents who participate in PEPP should have a strong interest in pursuing theoretical, empirical, or policy-oriented work related to mental health care or neuroscience.

Objectives

PGY1

  • Identify mentors (may be outside of Department of Psychiatry).
  • Participate in the bioethics journal club as your clinical schedule allows.
  • Attend Evening Ethics lectures and similar events hosted by the Center for Health Ethics, Arts, and Humanities as your clinical schedule allows.
  • May begin to develop scholarly project.

PGY2

  • Work with mentor(s) to develop and implement scholarly project, including reading list, project timeline, key collaborators.
  • If needed, work with mentor(s) to apply for pilot funding for project.
  • Participate in bioethics journal club and Center for Health Ethics activities as clinical schedule allows.
  • Participate in resident ethics didactics.
  • Attend HMHI Ethics Committee meetings as schedule permits.

PGY3

  • Continue to Implement scholarly project, including applications for pilot funds if appropriate.
  • Check-ins with mentor(s) approximately 6 times per year regarding project progress.
  • May participate in courses on main campus, e.g., audit a philosophy seminar.
  • Participate in bioethics journal club and Center for Health Ethics activities as clinical schedule allows.
  • Attend HMHI Ethics Committee meetings as schedule permits May submit scholarly project for presentations, e.g., at AAPP or ASBH.
  • Participate in resident ethics didactics.

PGY4

  • Complete scholarly project.
  • Check-ins with mentor(s) approximately 6 times per year regarding project process and dissemination of results.
  • Submit scholarly project for presentations or publication.
  • Participate in bioethics journal club, Center for Health Ethics activities, and HMHI Ethics Committee as schedule permits.
  • May participate in courses on main campus.
  • Participate in resident ethics didactics.
  • May contribute to resident or medical student ethics teaching.

Academic Opportunities

  • Huntsman Mental Health Institute Program in Psychiatry Ethics: this research program, supported by HMHI, offers the support of a research assistant; it also provides connections to graduate fellows from the Department of Philosophy.
  • University of Utah Bioethics Journal Club:  this monthly journal club involves faculty, graduate students, and residents from across the University and other institutions.  It involves monthly discussions of selected publications in bioethics.
  • University of Utah Center for Health Ethics, Arts, and Humanities: this interdisciplinary center unites faculty from medicine, philosophy, law, pharmacy, theater, and other fields.  It promotes collaborative scholarship, contributes to medical student and resident teaching, hosts regular invited speakers in ethics and the medical humanities, and has a monthly literature and medicine reading group.
  • Association for the Advancement of Philosophy and Psychiatry: this national organization hosts an annual meeting, coincident with the American Psychiatry Association annual meeting, involving two days of presentations related to philosophy and psychiatry.
  • American Society for Bioethics and Humanities Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Affinity Group: This group hosts a brief meeting coincident with the annual meeting of ASBH in which bioethicists present work related to psychiatry and mental health care.
  • Huntsman Mental Health Institute Ethics Committee: Residents may participate in discussions of ethics consultation cases and other ethical issues at monthly ethics committee meetings.
  • Specialized mentorship for scholarly projects.

Certificate Requirements

  • Submit a scholarly project for presentation or publication by May 31st of PGY4 year.

Contact Information

  • Faculty Lead:  Brent Kious, MD, PhD & Zachary Schwartz, MD
  • Resident Lead:  Ivy Christofferson, MD & Harrison Schurr, MD