Background
North Greenville University’s (NGU) Physician Assistant (PA) program is committed to equipping students with the clinical expertise and compassionate care required to excel in diverse healthcare settings. As the demand for mental health providers grows, psychiatric training has become an increasingly crucial part of PA education.
However, NGU recognized that traditional psychiatry rotations often left students feeling unprepared for the complexities of mental health care. Many students entered their psychiatry rotations with limited exposure to real-world patient interactions, leading to a steep learning curve and, in some cases, a lack of confidence in their ability to pursue psychiatry as a career path.
The Challenge
NGU’s biggest challenge was ensuring that students were adequately prepared for their psychiatry rotations and had the opportunity to explore psychiatry as a viable career path. Specific pain points included:
- Lack of hands-on exposure to psychiatric cases before rotations.
- Limited structured training on key psychiatric conditions and patient management.
- Uncertainty about career opportunities in psychiatry among PA students.
- Need for an innovative, scalable approach that would make psychiatric training more engaging and impactful.
Our Solution
MomentMD collaborated with North Greenville University’s PA program to redefine how psychiatry training is delivered. Rather than waiting until students entered their rotations, we implemented a structured pre-rotation learning model, combining live virtual training with real-world psychiatric encounters.
Our approach included:
- Three-Day Live Virtual Clinical Setting:
After the webinar, students participated in a three-day live, virtual clinical experience, where they bbserved and interacted with psychiatric patients in real-time, while gaining exposure to various psychiatric disorders and treatment modalities through case-based learning. - Webinar-Based Foundational Training:
Each cohort attended a comprehensive psychiatry webinar, led by experienced mental health professionals. The sessions covered core psychiatric conditions, medication management, and behavioral health strategies, ensuring students had a strong theoretical foundation before entering clinical settings. - Career Exposure & Mentorship:
Students had one-on-one discussions with experienced psychiatry preceptors, offering them a firsthand perspective on careers in mental health.They received guidance on career paths in psychiatry, including subspecialties and professional development opportunities. - Seamless Transition to Clinical Rotations:
By participating in the virtual clinical experience before their official rotations, students entered their psychiatry rotations with confidence, reducing the initial adjustment period. Faculty noted that students were more engaged, asked better clinical questions, and performed at a higher level during their rotations.
Results & Impact
The implementation of this structured psychiatry pre-rotation model has had a transformational impact on NGU’s PA students:
Enhanced Preparedness:
- Students entered their rotations with foundational psychiatric knowledge, allowing them to engage more effectively with patients.
Increased Student Confidence:
- After the three-day virtual experience, students reported feeling more confident about their ability to diagnose and manage psychiatric conditions.
Greater Interest in Psychiatry Careers:
- Prior to the program, few students considered psychiatry as a career path. Post-program, with more students expressing interest in mental health-focused careers.
A Scalable, Sustainable Training Model:
- The webinar + live clinical model provided a cost-effective, scalable way for NGU to enhance its psychiatry curriculum without increasing clinical site burdens.
Lessons Learned & Next Steps
This partnership reinforced the value of structured pre-rotation clinical training, particularly in fields like psychiatry, where early exposure can make a significant difference in student confidence and career interest.
- Expanding Virtual Training: Based on the success of this initiative, NGU is exploring expanding virtual training into additional specialties, such as primary care and women’s health.
- Long-Term Psychiatry Preceptor Network: We are working with NGU to create a dedicated psychiatry preceptor pipeline, allowing for ongoing mentorship and specialized clinical training.
- Integration into NGU’s Core Curriculum: Faculty have expressed interest in making this a permanent, required part of their PA program, ensuring that every student benefits from this early psychiatry exposure model.
By reimagining how PA students experience psychiatry training, NGU and MomentMD have created a cutting-edge, scalable solution that not only prepares students for their rotations but also inspires the next generation of mental health providers. 🚀
Ready to empower your students with the preceptorships they need to succeed? Get in touch with us here.