WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) announced Catherine Chan, a rising second year medical student, as one of twelve recipients of the 2016 AACAP Summer Medical Student Fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, supported by the Ruth and Peter Metz Family Foundation.
Student doctor Chan sought the AACAP fellowship to gain additional experience in the field of psychiatry with a child and adolescent population.
“I have had a growing interest in the field of Psychiatry after working with homeless women in Los Angeles’ Skid Row district,” said Chan. “In the year that I worked with the participants at the Downtown Women’s Center, I observed the women’s growth and increased confidence in their activities and persistence to overcome their situations (domestic violence, substance abuse, and/or mental health disorders). I also realized the significance of good mental health in my environment personally and with my loved ones.”
AACAP’s Summer Medical Student Fellowships offer a chance for medical students to explore a career in child and adolescent psychiatry, gain valuable work experience, and meet leaders in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry. The fellowship opportunity provides up to $3,500 for eight to twelve weeks of clinical or research training under a child and adolescent psychiatrist mentor. The fellowships are administered through AACAP’s Department of Research, Training, and Education and AACAP’s Training and Education Committee, under the direction of Jeffrey Hunt, MD, and Howard Liu, MD.
“My undergraduate research focused on genetics, so my goal for participating in the fellowship is to gain hands-on experience in child and adolescent psychiatry and exposure to clinical research,” continued Chan.
“This summer, I will be under the mentorship of Dr. Margaret Stuber at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA,” said Chan. “She has had over 30 years of experience in the field and currently serves as the Daniel X. Freedman Professor of Psychiatry and the Assistant Dean of Well-Being and Career Development, Director of Systems Based Medicine. Our interests greatly align, and I am honored to have her as a mentor.“
Student doctor Chan and the other eleven summer medical student fellows will present their research during AACAP’s 63rd Annual Meeting, October 24-29, 2016, in New York, NY.