The use of the medical team model on a consultation-liaison teaching service

This paper describes a consultation-liaison (C/L) teaching service that uses a medical team rounding model; four teams cover distinct geographic areas of the hospital, each team consisting of an attending psychiatrist, a resident, two medical students, and a psychology graduate student. Daily attending rounds on the medical/surgical wards provide prompt and direct patient care supervision for the team members, allowing for coordination of their activities and communication with the attending physician, who serves as a role model. Psychological testing can be readily integrated into the clinical setting; neurology and family practice residents can also get their psychiatric training in this setting. The medical team model of rounding is different from other models used on C/L services; its pros and cons are discussed.