Educational Resources | How to Get Involved | Considering a C-L Fellowship? | Applying to Fellowship
We present here links to educational resources about C-L psychiatry: please do have a look.
We discuss how you can become more involved in C-L psychiatry: especially consider attending the annual meeting, which takes place each November. The annual meeting hosts a “meet and greet” for trainees, where you can meet ACLP members and leaders, learn about opportunities for C-L psychiatrists, find a mentor, and have your questions answered.
Finally, we provide information about applying to a fellowship in psychiatry, the path to obtaining board recognition in our specialty.
Learn more about becoming an ACLP member here.
The APA and the ACLP will again present the annual webinar for trainees considering a C-L Psychiatry fellowship application, Applying to C-L Psychiatry Fellowships in 2024: A Virtual Q&A on Sunday, June 2, 202s, at 6-730 pm EST/5-630 pm CST/3-430 pm PST: link will be posted here when available.
On January 10, 2024, a total of 98 applicants matched to fellowship training programs in our subspecialty. This is a record number and a 19% increase from last year. This testifies to the ever-rising interest in the care of the medically ill. Employment prospects for jobs in both inpatient and outpatient C-L remain strong. There is a continued demand for psychiatrists skilled in working in medical settings, including academic and non-academic venues.
If you are interested in pursuing fellowship training, we do wish to assure you that many excellent programs still have open slots. Even if you missed the Match, do contact institutions listed in our directory and you are sure to find a variety of fellowship training opportunities starting in July.
ACLP RESOURCES
Concise educational materials related to common C-L topics, created by the ACLP Residency Education Subcommittee. Specific guides include:
As part of the Academy’s educational mission, the ACLP Residency Education Subcommittee has developed a series of lectures (PowerPoint presentations) on core topics in C-L psychiatry.
Episodes covering C-L clinical updates, new research, and interviews with leaders in the field.
Commentary on recent journal articles relevant to C-L psychiatry, updated quarterly by the ACLP Guidelines & Evidence-Based Medicine Subcommittee.
ACLP Guidelines for Scientific Writing
We offer guidelines and advice to those preparing scientific papers for journal publication: we are eager to encourage submissions to the Academy’s official journal, Journal of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry. Included are notes from Theodore Stern, MD, FACLP, past editor-in-chief of our journal.
ACLP Webinars (Members Only)
Case conferences providing trainees an opportunity to learn more about C-L psychiatry through interesting case presentations, moderated by leaders in the field. ACLP members will receive email announcements of upcoming events. Past webinars are recorded and may be accessed by members through the link.
Journal of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry (JACLP) (Members Only)
The official journal of the ACLP, with a new issue published every two months. Access is free to ACLP members!
Fellowship Education Resources
See the For Fellows page for more materials.
RESOURCES OUTSIDE THE ACLP
General Hospital Psychiatry Journal
General Hospital Psychiatry is bimonthly peer-reviewed journal that explores the many linkages among psychiatry, medicine, and primary care. ACLP members have access to online content.
Psychosomatic Medicine is the official peer-reviewed journal of the American Psychosomatic Society. The journal publishes experimental, clinical, and epidemiological studies on the role of psychological and social factors in the biological and behavioral processes relevant to health and disease. ACLP members have access to online content.
University of Rochester: Catatonia
Joshua Wortzel, MD, and Dr. Mark A. Oldham, MD, FACLP, from University of Rochester have developed educational resources on how to assess for catatonia using the Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale (BFCRS).
This app enables doctors to calculate QTc quickly. An online calculator from the Mayo Clinic is available here.
MGH Women’s Mental Health resource
This website provides a range of current information including discussion of new research findings in women’s mental health and how such investigations inform day-to-day clinical practice.
PULMCrit Archives – EMCrit Project
Evidence-based information from the fields of critical care, resuscitation, and trauma and translate it for bedside use in the Emergency Department (ED) and the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Covers need-to-know topics for anyone interested in learning the nuts and bolts of psychiatry.
The Maudsley Prescribing Guidelines in Psychiatry textbook
Provides up-to-date information, expert guidance on prescribing practice in mental health, including drug choice, treatment of adverse effects and how to augment or switch medications.
There are many opportunities for students to be involved in the ACLP, including:
The Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry welcomes new members from every country, from medical students to seasoned professionals in the field of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry.
At A Glance, ACLP Membership provides:
Each year, the ACLP holds a national meeting in November. Residents are welcome and encouraged to attend! Information on future and past meetings can be found here.
Beyond attending the meeting’s academic and networking sessions, residents are encouraged to submit their work to be featured in the conference. The submission deadline typically falls in late March or early April and is open to both members and non-members.
To encourage residents to join ACLP, attend the annual meeting, and eventually become new leaders of the Academy, a limited number of travel grants are available to help offset the cost of attending the annual meeting.
The goal of the ACLP Trainee and ECP Mentorship Program is to offer guidance and additional support to psychiatry interested in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry.
The Webb Fellowship Program is designed to foster the career development and leadership potential of advanced psychiatry residents and C-L psychiatry fellows who plan to engage in an academic career in C-L psychiatry.
ACLP Special Interest Groups (SIGs)
Many ACLP members are especially interested in one or more subspecialty areas of consultation-liaison psychiatry. We are pleased to sponsor a range of special interest groups which bring together professionals to discuss clinical care, teaching, and research in subspecialty areas. For many years, SIGs have provided vital networking, mentoring, and collaborative support to hundreds of our members. SIGs meet at the annual meeting and also throughout the year via listserv, teleconferencing, and email.
Our organization would not be enjoying our current success without the talent and dedication of over 200 Academy committee volunteers. Only current Academy members may serve on a committee or subcommittee. You may view the list of current committee appointments here.
Social media links
Why do a Fellowship
Consultation-liaison psychiatry (formerly psychosomatic medicine) was recognized as a subspecialty by the American Board of Medical Specialties in 2004. Board certification in C-L Psychiatry requires completion of a one-year accredited fellowship in the field and passing a written exam in the field. Fellowship training in C-L psychiatry will bring you to an expert level in the psychiatric care of the medially ill. Board certification is critical in opening a path to academic positions in the field.
Thanks to Terry Rabinowitz, MD, DDS, FACLP, former chair of the Academy’s Fellowship Education Subcommittee, for the answer to this question:
Consultation-liaison psychiatry (CLP) is that branch of psychiatry that deals with the understanding and advancement of medical science, education, and health care for persons with comorbid psychiatric and general medical conditions. It is also referred to as Hospital Psychiatry. Whatever its name, it is an exciting and gratifying psychiatry subspecialty that, given the direction medicine and medical care is heading in the U.S., will be an important way new psychiatrists will be able to play an active role in the comprehensive medical care of a large portion of the population.
Training in CLP currently follows completion of a General Psychiatry residency training program; CLP fellows typically spend one additional year in training, although some training programs include an optional additional year. There are now about 60 ACGME-accredited CLP Fellowship training programs, with numbers steadily increasing. Satisfactory completion of a CLP fellowship qualifies each graduate to sit for the subspecialty board examination in CLP administered by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
There are many ways a specialist in CLP may be helpful to an in- or outpatient and to those caring for someone with comorbid psychiatric and medical or surgical conditions. Some examples include: treatment of delirium tremens in an elderly woman with unsuspected alcohol dependence who just received coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG), consultation to an outpatient HIV/AIDS Clinic to help manage psychotropic medications for a patient about to begin a new antiretroviral regimen, co-treatment with the Maternal and Fetal Medicine Service of a young woman with bipolar disorder who is taking lithium for mania prophylaxis and who wishes to become pregnant, and inpatient consultation to the Oncology Service for a depressed middle-aged man with newly diagnosed, widespread pancreatic cancer.
C-L psychiatry gives one the opportunity to “hold onto” a great deal of his or her medical and surgical training and to use it effectively and, in addition, the chance to work more closely with medical and surgical colleagues than is typically the case for most psychiatrists. It’s a great way to make a big difference in the lives of those with complicated medical or surgical conditions who are suffering emotionally, those in hospital whose behaviors place them or others at risk, and for those who care for them.
ACLP Trainee interviews
Fellows talk about their path to C-L Psychiatry and how their fellowship year compared to their expectations.
A C-L psychiatrist, Samual Greenstein, MD, discusses the importance of fellowship training. He shares his path of working as an attending for several years before joining fellowship training. See his article here.
Senior C-L psychiatrists discuss their career pathways in the field. All report satisfaction with their subspecialty choice. See the presentations here.
Looking for your first C-L psychiatry job, or NEXT C-L job? Don’t know where or how to look? Look no further? The ACLP Networking Subcommittee hosted the second annual “Finding a C-L Psychiatry Job 101.”
In this virtual Q&A, our panelists will answer YOUR questions on why work in C-L and what C-L jobs look like, inpatient vs outpatient and academic vs community, when and how to apply, deciding to move positions, and building your C-L career. We will also give tips on how to successfully network at academic conferences like the ACLP Annual Meeting and highlight ACLP networking programs. Intended for both trainees and attendings, we will provide practical advice on finding your place in C-L!
Becoming a C-L Fellow [pdf]
Congratulations! You’re embarking on an exciting time in your career development – the pursuit of fellowship training. The information in this document will be helpful as you navigate the process of researching, applying, interviewing, and choosing a fellowship location. There are many programs in all areas of the country, with a variety of different approaches to training. If you are interested in C-L psychiatry, you will have no trouble finding a suitable program. Most applications are submitted in August and September and this is the time that you will have the most choice. Even if you apply later in the year, many programs will still have openings. Beginning in fall 2013, the fellowship selection process operated as a match through the National Residency Match Program (NRMP) and is similar to the process which you used to match for psychiatry residency. Since 2023, ERAS has been an option for submission of applications to most programs. We do encourage you to contact and consider multiple programs.
Applying for C-L fellowship Video
Together with the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the ACLP presented its annual webinar for trainees considering a C-L Psychiatry fellowship application, Applying to C-L Psychiatry Fellowships in 2023: A Virtual Q&A.
A new webinar, again jointly sponsored with the APA, will be offered on Sunday, June 2, 202s, at 6-730 pm EST/5-630 pm CST/3-430 pm PST. Link will be posted here when available.
We wish you the best of luck with your pursuit of fellowship training. We do assure you that a wide variety of programs, with different sorts of emphasis and features, in different areas of the US, will welcome your application.
Directory of NRMP Match-Participating C-L Fellowship Programs
In the listings, click the institution name for additional details about that program. There are many different fellowship programs, with different emphases. For example, while all programs include outpatient C-L training, some programs include a larger fraction of outpatient experience or different types of clinical setting.
If you are a military applicant with Federal funding for your fellowship, inform programs in your application of this fact. There is a separate track in the Match process for these applicants.
ERAS now available for Applications to C-L Fellowship
We are excited to announce that the ACLP has decided that C-L Psychiatry may use ERAS (the Electronic Residency Application System) as a method for fellowship application starting with the 2023-2024 recruitment season. Fellowship programs will decide for themselves whether to accept applications via ERAS, email, or both. Make sure to check the ACLP web program listings as well as individual fellowship websites to confirm.
For further information on ERAS and submission timelines, please review the following website: Applying to Fellowships with ERAS. The timeline for applications is given at: ERAS Fellowship Timeline. In order to obtain your ERAS token, see: ERAS Token.
Most applicants will be interviewing in the late summer or fall. This year, the deadline for submission of Match rankings by applicants and programs will be in December, and the results of the Match will be announced January.
For applicants submitting by email, note that many fellowship programs accept the ACLP Common Application, which can be found here: ACLP Fellowship Common Application.
Fellowship Candidate Interviews
The ACLP joined the American Association of Directors of Psychiatry Residency Training (AADPRT), the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC), many other medical organizations, and most educational institutions in making the following recommendation: all interviews for candidates applying in fall 2023 for Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Fellowships be done by virtual means. Both local and distant applicants should be interviewed only by remote technology. There should be no in-person or second-look visits, but programs may schedule virtual events or tours. If these are offered, they should be offered to all applicants.
All-virtual interviewing has been employed successfully since the fall of 2020, fostering increased diversity of applicants and the elimination of travel expenses among the many benefits.
The ACLP Fellowship Education Subcommittee will announce policies and recommendations for each upcoming application cycle.
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The Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry is a professional organization of physicians who provide psychiatric care to people with coexisting psychiatric and medical illnesses, both in hospitals and in primary care. Our specialty is called consultation-liaison psychiatry because we consult with patients and liaise with their other clinicians about their care.
With nearly 2,000 members, the Academy is the voice of consultation-liaison psychiatry in the US with international reach.
Please browse our website, read our journal, Psychosomatics, and come to our annual meeting which is in November each year. In 2020 it will be a virtual event – see www.CLP2020.org for more details.
If you are a C-L Psychiatrist and not yet a member please join our great organization and welcoming, inclusive community. Please visit this page for details on joining.
Michael Sharpe, MA, MD, FACLP
ACLP President