Didactic Experience

The University Of Illinois College Of Medicine at Peoria psychiatry department is dedicated to the mission of education. A robust and thorough didactic curriculum complements the comprehensive clinical experiences that form the foundation of the training program. Offered together in an inviting and collegial atmosphere, residents will find that the program prepares them for practice and for passing national board examinations.

The didactic curriculum has been carefully designed to meet five goals: 1) offer residents a progressive educational experience to advance knowledge from the basics to a detailed understanding of all aspects of psychiatry; 2) offer a variety of teaching modalities to meet each resident’s unique style of learning; 3) provide concurrent (versus consecutive) topics to achieve better long-term retention; 4) provide a learning environment that supports active participation; and 5) strive for excellence as measured by in-service examination scores and a 100% national boards pass rate. Our goal is no less than to assure that all residents pass national board examinations on the first attempt.

The curriculum content, schedule, attendance rates, faculty and guest speakers, and exam scores are periodically monitored so that the overall curriculum adjusts to the needs of the residents.

A corollary component of the education curriculum is the resident role in teaching others. All residents serve to work with and teach other students during clinical rotations. In addition, upper-level residents support the formal curriculum by teaching first year residents in select courses. Residents receive feedback regarding their content development, organizational, and presentation skills. Excellence in resident teaching is showcased at the annual departmental awards ceremony.