ACLP RESOURCES

ACLP “How To” Guides

Concise educational materials related to common C-L topics, created by the ACLP Residency Education Subcommittee.  Specific guides include:

• Doing a Consult
• Acute Agitation
• Alcohol Withdrawal
• Buprenorphine microinduction
• Catatonia
• Clozapine
• Creating a Behavioral Plan
• Death and Dying
• Delirium
• Demoralization
• Depression
• Medication Syndromes
• Microaggressions
• Opioid Use Disorder
• Perinatal Psychiatry
• Psychopharmacology after Bariatric Surgery
• QTc Prolongation
• Suicide Risk Assessment
• Transplantation

ACLP Core Curriculum

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.

ACLP Podcasts

Episodes covering C-L clinical updates, new research, and interviews with leaders in the field.

ACLP Quarterly Annotations

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

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).

 QT calc app

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).

Psychiatry BootCamp Podcast

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:

Joining the ACLP

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:

• A subscription to our journal, Journal of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, and online access to two additional related journals
• A robust annual scientific meeting. Members save at least 25% on annual meeting registration fees
• Online educational content, including guidelines and practical information, available exclusively or free to members
• Opportunities to contribute and participate in the Academy’s committee structure
• Special interest groups and forums that bring together members with like interests in various aspects of psychosomatic medicine to discuss issues, therapies, and training
• A distinguished Fellowship and Awards program

Annual meetings

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.

ACLP Trainee travel grant

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.

ACLP Mentorship program

The goal of the ACLP Trainee and ECP Mentorship Program is to offer guidance and additional support to psychiatry interested in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry.

ACLP Webb Fellowship

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.

ACLP Subcommittees

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

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/CL_Psychiatry
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/clpen/
• Podcasts: https://clpsychiatry.org/member-resources/academy-podcast/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@academyofconsultation-liai2280

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.

• Gabriel Heiber, MD 

• Mike Strong, MD

• Julia Novikov, MD

• David Fipps, DO

• Rebecca Olufade, MD

• Shannon Mazur, DO

• Bo Fu, MD

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. 

Finding a C-L Job

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 2024: A Virtual Q&A.

Click here to download the slide deck.

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.