Through a new elective in HIV psychiatry, APA will provide 10 minority medical students with a unique opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge and experience in the mental health aspects of HIV and AIDS.
The new program is designed “to identify minority medical students and those who have primary interests in services related to HIV/AIDS and substance abuse and its relationship to the mental health or psychological well-being of ethnic minorities,” according to Diane Pennessi, senior project manager in APA’s Office of HIV Psychiatry.
APA will provide stipends to the chosen students with funds from the APA/SAMHSA Minority Fellowship Program. Participants will be paid for the cost of travel and receive a stipend to cover other expenses.
The core of the elective will be an intense, three-day training program in HIV psychiatry that will include topics such as the impact of HIV on the brain and mind; cultural issues in those at risk for or infected with HIV; the impact of antiretroviral medication on viral replication in the central nervous system; the emotional impact of HIV and its effect on the family, friends, and social network of infected individuals; and the pharmacological treatment of psychiatric symptoms and disorders in those infected with HIV.
The elective will take place in September. Students will be assigned to one of five training sites, each of which will have a mentor for the students. After a week at their assigned site, participants will travel to Washington, D.C., for the three-day training portion and then, after attending APA’s fall component meetings, will return to their training site for an additional two weeks.
The sites that have signed up to date are medical schools at Harvard University, Columbia University, Emory University, and the University of Miami. APA is hoping to sign up one more site.
Applicants must be third- or fourth-year students in good standing at an accredited school of medicine or osteopathy in the United States. They must submit to APA a completed application form, a statement of interest no longer than one typewritten page, a letter from their school’s dean indicating that they are in good academic standing, and a copy of their curriculum vitae.
Students chosen to participate will be granted APA membership if they do not already have it and will be able to attend APA’s fall component meetings in Washington, D.C., where they will participate in meetings of the APA Committee on AIDS.
APA has indicated that the elective is a suitable rotation for students interested in psychiatry, internal medicine, pediatrics, or medical research careers.
The application deadline is March 30, with selections to be announced in late April.
Applications are posted online at www.psych.org/aids. Additional information can be obtained from Pennessi by phone at (703) 907-8668 or e-mail to [email protected]. ▪
