Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship Program Details
The fellowship program at the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) has a strong academic
orientation, an emphasis on public policy, and provides exposure to a large breadth
of clinical experiences which are able to be tailored to the interests of each fellow.
Developing the skills of critical analysis and writing for the courts is emphasized.
The over 240 hours of didactics, include frequent collaboration with forensic specialists
of many disciplines and with other nearby forensic psychiatry fellowships. An academic
project is chosen early in the year with over two weeks of protected research time
for its initial development. Presentation at AAPL is strongly encouraged. Given that
the clinical responsibilities are less than 4 days per week, the fellows have ample
opportunity to choose from a number of scholarly activities to pursue. Additionally,
those interested in advocacy and public policy will be given opportunities to participate
on national, state and local levels including projects with the Georgia Division of
Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.
The program has multiple clinical sites including two forensic psychiatric hospitals,
Augusta State Medical Prison, MCG Consult-Liaison and Forensic Private Practices.
This allows a breadth of clinical experience ranging from maximum security forensic
patients to minimal security patients in a step down program involved in work study
programs. A wide range of civil and criminal forensic evaluations are observed and
performed. In addition to the ACGME expected evaluations, the fellow is afforded
participation in the expert witness work of the faculty. Finally, a one month elective
is scheduled in the latter half of the year, to further develop the fellow’s skills
in an area of particular interest.
Faculty members include psychiatrists with subspecialty certification in forensic
psychiatry, forensic psychologists, lawyers (from the medical school and hospital),
judges, law enforcement officers, and other professionals with special interests and
expertise in branches of forensic mental health.