Mission

To train competent and compassionate child and adolescent psychiatrists and Medical Corps Officers who care for the needs of psychiatrically ill patients and their families, while being able to provide preventive organizational consultation in any setting. This nests with our hospital's mission: Tripler Army Medical Center delivers world-class care in a dynamic environment, ensuring readiness of the force and the health of our ohana across the Pacific.

Vision

Ensures provision of safe and effective patient care. Develops Fellow’s skills, knowledge, and attitude. Provides foundation for continued professional growth and an attitude of life-long learning. 

Aims

• Prepare fellows to be outstanding child and adolescent psychiatrists in military, academic or community practice settings
• Train fellows to incorporate biopsychosocial and developmental factors through a culturally appropriate lens when developing their formulation of a patient
• Address the clinical limitations and determinants of health unique to our military community in this geographically isolated setting
• Expose fellows to high-functioning collaborative practice models with primary care and subspecialty colleagues as well as other advanced practitioners
• Nurture a learning, clinical and professional environment that supports physician well-being and community involvement

Fellows participate in one full day a week of didactic activities. These include many topics in the form of lectures, journal clubs, PBL and participation-based classes. Topics include but are not limited to development, neuropsychology, family therapy, attachment theory, CBT, psychodynamic therapy, psychopharmacology and therapeutics, psychological testing, neurodevelopment and anatomy, forensics, ethics, cultural psychiatry and many others.

The academic year is divided into 13 four-week block rotations. First-year fellows rotate in the community at The Queen’s Medical Center and at Kapiolani Women and Children’s hospital for inpatient and Consult Liaison experience. At Tripler they rotate on the Pediatric Neurology outpatient service and the Developmental Pediatrics outpatient service. They also assist with acute patients on the Tripler Consult Liaison Medical Services. The second-year fellowship year is spent with a full outpatient clinic panel at Tripler. Fellows are evaluated based on ACGME Milestones and given formative feedback regularly.

Elective rotations are fellow-driven as desired.  

Fellows take weekend day call when rotating at The Queen’s Family Treatment Center, as well as 24-hour weekend home call for Tripler’s Consult Liaison Medical Service.

The Military Psychiatry course is run in conjunction with the Psychiatry Resident PGY4’s. Many didactics and clinical experiences focus on the unique psychosocial stressors of military children and families.

All fellows will complete training in Pediatric Advanced Cardiac Life Support (PALS), and Basic Life Support (BLS).

Standardized patient interview exams are held in conjunction with the University of Hawaii fellows and faculty once or twice a year.

All fellows hold leadership positions their second year, teaching them leadership in academic medicine, clinic management and administration, and undergraduate medical education. There are many hospital level leadership opportunities as well for interested fellows.

The fellowship has no formal research publication requirement, though each fellow is expected to participate in scholarly activity which can include local and national presentations, PI/QI, etc. Each fellow will give a Capstone Grand Rounds to the department of Psychiatry the second half of their second year on a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry topic of their choosing. Each fellow is assisted in this by a faculty mentor.

If not completed in residency, fellows are expected to complete a PI/QI project. If they have already completed a project in residency, fellows are encouraged to do PI/QI as desired.

Many opportunities to attend professionally developing courses are given, and each fellow is assigned a yearly supervisor to work on this and discuss areas in which the fellow would like to grow. There are leadership development opportunities provided by the hospital and DHA as well.

The Tripler Army Medical Center, The Queen’s Health Systems, and Kapi’olani Women and Children’s Medical Center. All are located on the Island of Oahu. Fellows also spend one week a day for several months at one of several schools for a Tripler School-Based Behavioral Health and School Consultation experience. There are no travel requirements for this fellowship off island.

Interested applicants should reach out to program using our email (listed in the contact us section) to assist in planning for a rotation with the Tripler outpatient service and the Child Psychiatry Consult Liaison Medical Service team.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to interview with the Tripler Child and Adolescent Fellowship team. Fellowship applicants should reach out to program via email (see contact us section) to schedule interviews once application packet submissions are complete.

The Tripler Army Medical Center fellows take both the Adult Psychiatry ABPN boards and the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry ABPN boards.

Fellows have ample opportunities to teach medical students and residents who are rotating at Tripler Army Medical Center throughout the year. Fellows also regularly give presentations and lectures to other services on key topics in Child Psychiatry as part of our community outreach and support mission in the ever-growing need for primary care integration.

Fellows are encouraged to apply for Teaching Fellow or for a faculty appointment at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.

Our faculty consists of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists, Child and Adolescent Psychologists, Pediatric Subspecialists, and child and adolescent clinical social workers. 

Hawaii is a beautiful state with many things to do indoors and out. There are several historical sites you can visit such as Pearl Harbor. There are almost limitless recreational activities and hikes such as Koko Head, Diamond Head, Lighthouse and state and national park areas. Fellows are encouraged to submit milage passes for holiday and weekend passes to the other islands. There is a Wellbeing Chief fellow who participates in the GME Wellbeing Committee and plans wellbeing activities for the group. Many fellows take maternity/paternity leave during their two years here, and this is easily supported by the program. Fellows make take 30 days away from the program each year.