In the first part of the series, we discussed about how thoughtful planning lays down the foundation for a successful external posting. Once you arrive at the host institution, you must execute the planning. The first three days: observe before you perform The temptation on arrival is to demonstrate competence, to show that you are a capable resident who can clerk patients, […]
INVITED ARTICLES
The Biopsychosocial Model: Seeing the Person Beyond the Diagnosis
“The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease.” – William Osler Imagine two patients presenting with the same complaint of low mood. One has a strong family history of depression and hypothyroidism. The other recently lost a parent, is socially isolated, and is struggling academically. Although both […]
Thirdhand Smoke – The Invisible Risk
In tobacco care, we often talk about smoking and secondhand smoke. But there is another exposure that is easy to miss and just as important to understand: thirdhand smoke. It is the toxic residue that remains after a cigarette has been smoked, and it stays behind on walls, furniture, clothes, carpets, dust, and cars. This […]
Learning by Association: Classical Conditioning
How do we account for most soft drink advertisements showing the drink being consumed in association with friends having a great time, celebrations, music and exciting adventures? This marketing approach leverages a simple principle, first discovered and described by Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov, called classical conditioning. Pavlov was engaged in the study of digestion in […]
External Posting Essentials: Part 1 – Before You Leave
The external posting is among the most underutilised opportunities in Indian psychiatry residency training. Each year, hundreds of MD Psychiatry residents are sent to other institutions for four to twelve weeks of training in subspecialty areas their parent departments cannot offer, most commonly child and adolescent psychiatry, psychotherapy, and deaddiction medicine. Some return transformed. Many […]
When Words Matter Most: Breaking Bad News with Empathy
Few moments in medicine are as emotionally challenging as telling a patient that life may never be the same again. Whether informing someone about a diagnosis of schizophrenia, cancer, dementia, or a poor prognosis, breaking bad news is a task that demands not only clinical knowledge but also compassion, patience, and communication skills. Bad news […]
Stress and Its Components
“When will it get better, Doctor?” your patient asks. And somewhere inside you, a quieter voice asks the very same thing. Before we reach for the textbook, sit with that for a moment. Because stress is not something we will only encounter in our patients, many of us are already living it. Hans Selye defined […]
Verbal, Non-Verbal, and Written Communication Skills: A Psychiatric Perspective
Communication is not merely the transmission of information but an observable expression of internal mental states, shaped by affect, cognition, and interpersonal dynamics. For undergraduate students, developing communication skills is fundamental not only for academic functioning but also for cultivating insight into self and others, an essential component of Psychiatry. Verbal communication encompasses spoken language […]
Empathy: The Most Powerful “Prescription” in Psychiatry
A patient enters the OPD quietly. They avoid eye contact, sit at the edge of the chair, and answer every question with a hesitant “yes” or “no.” As postgraduate residents, many of us initially focus on symptom checklists and diagnostic criteria. “Sleep?” “Appetite?” “Suicidal thoughts?” The interview moves on. The checklist is completed. But the […]
When Scrolling Starts Scaring: Social Media and Health Anxiety
What begins as a harmless scroll can quietly turn into something much heavier. A few minutes on social media after work or before bed can quickly shift from light entertainment to exposure to a stream of alarming health content. Videos about silent symptoms, posts describing missed diagnoses, and warnings about everyday habits are woven into […]