Too Often Prescribing is a Shot in the Dark, But It Doesn’t Need to Be This Way
Dear Colleague,
We’d like to add you to our mailing list, to send updates on our Master Psychopharmacology Courses. As an incentive to sign up, we’ll enter you in raffle for the newest generation iPad. The iPad is a great way to review lectures online after attending any of our courses.
We will never share your email with anyone, for any reason.
Despite my rich experience as a psychiatrist treating thousands of patients, I still frequently confront clinical conundrums when treating challenging patients. To be frank, at those times I wish I had a “master consultant” – or, better yet, a group of master consultants, each an expert in their particular area of psychiatry – to whom I could turn to for advice.
Unfortunately, these wise men and women are not sitting around waiting for my phone call. So, are there more realistic resources I can turn to? There are, of course, thousands of books available on various aspects of psychiatric management. But, as of yet, we don’t have interactive books to whom I could present my clinical question and receive an individualized answer. And most current books simply do not delve into the intricacies of day-to-day clinical care.
Also, dozens of psychiatric conferences are held each year. So how good of a resource are they? I’d like to ask you to think for a moment about the conferences you have attended. Which scenario below more closely mirrors what you normally experience at these events? Your answer will shed light on our main question: why is prescribing so often like a shot in the dark?
Which of These Sounds Like a Conference You’ve Attended?
| Conference “X” | Conference “M” |
|---|---|
|
When lecturing about a new medication, the speakers present outcomes of large studies. They wow you with graphs, tables, and levels of statistical significance. Their conclusions, however, remain generic, with bullet points stating that this or that new medication is a worthwhile addition to our armamentarium and that more studies are indicated. At the end of the lecture, you file out of the conference room with a generally warm feeling of having learned something. You can’t really repeat, however, what you learned if someone asked you to summarize the main learning points of the lecture. And when you return to your office, nothing much changes in how you consider your medication options or what you prescribe to your patients. 
|
The speakers distill the state of the knowledge and then present concrete advice on how to incorporate the new medication under discussion into existing treatment algorithms and how to effectively and safely prescribe this medication. They present details of the pre-administration workup and ongoing monitoring guidelines. They then present real life clinical vignettes illustrating their decision-making and the benefits and challenges of maintaining a patient on this medication. They conclude by providing an extensive (a really extensive) question-and-answer period so audience members have a chance for a “consultation” focused on their particular clinical conundrum. You leave the lecture speaking excitedly with other participants about the nuances of the medication. You discuss amongst yourselves how you plan to use the medication and which patients are most likely to benefit. You exchange emails. When you return home you have a clear sense of when and how to use this new medication. When a patient asks you for details of the side effects and why you think this is the best med for them, your answer is clear and convincing. You are left with a feeling of clarity and confidence in your practical knowledge – in your ability to prescribe the medication safely and effectively without a need to second-guess your decision. |
The Master Psychopharmacology Course Is Born!
The scenarios I presented above are not hypothetical. The Conference ‘X’ describes my typical conference experience in my 20 years as a psychiatrist attending annual meetings and other psychiatric conferences. It is the type of experience that led me one day to stop and think – to virtually shout out loud – “There has to be a better way! I need something more from these meetings!”
And it was from this sense of frustration that conference “M” or the Master Psychopharmacology Course was born. It is my solution to meeting the needs of the psychiatrist who sits across from one or two dozen patients each day and makes crucial decisions about each of these from the patient's treatment.
Now, after having held five Master Psychopharmacology Courses, I can say with assurance that we have developed a course that is packed with practical, clinically-relevant, master-level, and down-in-the-trenches detailed prescribing guidance.
I am writing to invite you to our next Master Psychopharmacology Course taking place in Fort Lauderdale, FL on March 7-11, 2012. You will recognize most of our faculty members and may even have heard many of them speak. But – and this is important – the approach they take at the Master Psychopharmacology Course differs from their standard style. We have worked with this esteemed faculty – cajoled, begged, and even bullied them – to present the most practical and clinically relevant information so that your prescribing decisions are made with confidence and clarity.
If I sound like a zealot on the point of practicality, I guess I have to plead guilty. I not only promise you “actionable knowledge,” I guarantee it, as you’ll read below.
100 + 100 Guarantee
As is our habit here at American Physician Institute, we guarantee every single thing we do. The Master Psychopharmacology Course is no exception. This is my offer to you. Please attend the Master Psychopharmacology Course. If you are in any way dissatisfied – if you think I did not meet my promise to you – then please tell me or one of our staff. We will refund 100% of your tuition plus an additional $100 as our penalty for having disappointed you.
Earn Up To 24.5 Hours of AMA / PRA CME Credit
Your CMEs are included in the tuition of the Master Psychopharmacology Course. Nothing additional to buy! Note that many employers, group practices and training programs will reimburse you for the costs of a Cat 1 CME activity. If you’re not sure if yours does, it’s worth finding out
One more thing. The Master Psychopharmacology Course includes an additional day, that we call, Legal Armor for the Psychiatrist. We’ve made it easy and affordable for you to join us for this very special pre-conference day.
The Master Psychopharmacology Course comes with a pre-conference day – an 8 hour self-contained course called Legal Armor for the Psychiatrist.
Over the years we’ve received countless questions about malpractice risk which is a frequent source of concern and unease among physicians. So we have produced an integrated course led by two very experienced forensic psychiatrists, Drs. James L. Knoll IV and Phillip J. Resnick.
Legal Armor for the Psychiatrist gives you a way to protect yourself and to live with a much higher level of security and comfort. The faculty members tell you how you can protect yourself, to add certain steps to your procedures, and to stop doing some things you may be doing that may be placing you at increased risk, whether or not you realize that they are risky and avoidable. And if you are involved in a medical malpractice case (an estimated 75% of psychiatrists will), the faculty will address step-by-step how best to proceed and what critical actions you must take. Since the focus is on practical information you can apply to your day-to-day practice, you receive actionable guidance and plenty of time to ask questions of the faculty regarding any type of medical-legal concern you may have.
In my opinion, Legal Armor for the Psychiatrist is crucial to your career success and to your peace of mind. Just think how one small tip – out of many you’ll learn – could possibly save you from a painful confrontation with the legal system. This course is truly a gift of learning you can give yourself that will continue to provide you with protection for the rest of your career.
And if you attend the Master Psychopharmacology Course, you are eligible for a 50% Legal Armor for the Psychiatrist tuition discount.
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Titles/Affiliations/Positions:
- Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Associate Psychiatrist, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
- Director, Perinatal Psychiatry Clinical Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
Education:
- MD, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY
- Residency in Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
- Clinical Fellow in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
For more than 20 years, Dr. Cohen has been actively engaged in research, teaching, and clinical care related to psychiatric disorders throughout the female reproductive lifecycle.
After completing a chief residency in psychiatry, he founded the Perinatal and Reproductive Psychiatry Clinical Research Program, where he serves as Director. Along with colleagues in the Perinatal Program, Dr. Cohen helped to create and maintain the Perinatal Information Resource Center at www.womensmentalhealth.org.
Dr. Cohen has given more than 200 lectures nationally and internationally on issues in women’s mental health, as well as chairing numerous symposia. He also has experience in directing continuing medical education courses in the area of reproductive psychiatry.
Dr. Cohen has also shared his expertise through the authorship of more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and 30 book chapters. He is an ad hoc reviewer for more than 20 scholarly medical journals, an editorial board member for Archives of Women’s Mental Health, and co-editor of the text Mood and Anxiety Disorders During Pregnancy and Postpartum.
Titles/Affiliations/Positions:
- Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY
- Director, Autism and Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Program, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY
Education:
- MD, State University of New York, Downstate Medical College, Brooklyn, NY
- Resident and Chief Resident, Psychiatry, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY
- NIMH Research Fellowship, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Manhattan, NY
Dr. Hollander has been listed under NY Magazine’s “Best Doctors” and “Best Doctors in America” numerous times. He has also received national research awards from the American Psychiatric Association and a Distinguished Investigator Award from the National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Depression. Dr. Hollander has served as the Esther and Joseph Klingenstein Professor and Chair of Psychiatry and Director of the Seaver and Greater NY Autism Center for Excellence at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
Dr. Hollander has published more than 450 scientific reports and edited nearly 20 books in the psychiatry field including The Clinical Manual of Impulse Control Disorders (2006). Dr. Hollander has also made frequent television appearances on Dateline NBC and the Today Show, as well as having interviews in the New York Times and People Magazine.
Titles/Affiliations/Positions:
- Director, Forensic Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY
- Editor in Chief, Psychiatric Times
- Associate Professor, Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY
Education:
- MD, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, TX
- Resident of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, TX
- Fellow, Forensic Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
Dr. Knoll, who has been listed in “Best Doctors in America” by Central New York Magazine, has worked extensively in the field of Forensic Psychiatry. He has served as a forensic evaluator for state and federal courts, corrections, and the private sector. He is currently the Editor-In- Chief of the Psychiatric Times and Co-Editor of the Correctional Mental Health Report.
Dr. Knoll has collaborated with both the FBI and the American Society for Industrial Security to publish guidelines for reducing workplace violence. He has also authored over 100 articles and book chapters.
Position
- Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL
- Executive Director, American Physician Institute for Advanced Professional Studies, Oak Brook, IL
Education
- MD, University of Illinois Abraham Lincoln School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
- Residency, Dept. of Psychiatry, University of Illinois Medical Center and Clinics at Chicago, Chicago, IL
- Fellowship, Senior Staff Fellow at the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MA
Dr. Krasuski spent three years as a Senior Staff Fellow at the National Institute on Aging, NIH, where he did research in the neuroimaging of dementing disorders. Currently, he spends most of his time lecturing to thousands of physicians yearly on psychiatric topics. He is known for his ability to clearly explain complex and little understood topics.
Position
- Senior Associate Dean, Clinical Research, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL
- Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL
Education
- MD, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
Dr. Newcomer has been lecturing in the field of psychiatry for over 20 years. He has received numerous honors and awards including Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Newcomer has served as Director for the Clinical Trials Unit, Institute for Clinical & Translational Science, Washington University, and as member of the Interventions Committee for Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders, Personality Disorders, and Disorders of Late Life for the National Institute of Mental Health.
Dr. Newcomer has published hundreds of psychiatric reports, abstracts, and chapters, along with serving on numerous editorial boards including Schizophrenia Bulletin and Neuropsychopharmacology.
Position
- Professor, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
- Adjunct Professor, Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Cleveland, OH
- Director, Division of Forensic Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
Education
- MD, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
- Fellowship, William Beaumont Hospital, El Paso, TX
- Residency, University Hospitals of Cleveland, Cleveland, OH
Dr. Phillip J. Resnick is a leading international authority on forensic psychiatry, specializing in the clinical prediction of the risk of violence and the assessment of malingering and deception. He has consulted on and / or provided expert testimony as a witness on a number of well-known criminal cases including those of Jeffrey Dahmer, Timothy McVeigh, Susan Smith, Andrea Yates and the Unabomber. Dr. Resnick is also a past president of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. He has written extensively on forensic topics and is widely considered to be one of the most outstanding speakers in the field of forensic psychiatry today.
Position
- Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
- Founding Director, UCLA Memory Clinic, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
- Founding Director, Memory and Aging Research Center, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, Los Angeles, CA
- Director, UCLA Center on Aging, Los Angeles, CA
Education
- MD, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
- Chief Resident, Psychiatric Consultation-Liaison, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
- Fellow in Geriatric Psychiatry, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
Gary Small, M.D., is Professor of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, the Parlow-Solomon Professor on Aging at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Director of the UCLA Longevity Center on Aging, and Director of the Geriatric Psychiatry Division at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior.
Dr. Small has authored over 500 scientific works and received numerous awards and honors, including Senior Investigator Award, American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, and the Weinberg Award for Excellence in Geriatric Psychiatry from the American Psychiatric Association. Scientific American magazine named him one of the world’s top innovators in science and technology. He is co-author (with Gigi Vorgan) of several popular books, including the New York Times best seller, The Memory Bible, as well as The Memory Prescription, The Longevity Bible, iBrain, The Other Side of the Couch (Los Angeles Times best seller), and The Alzheimer’s Prevention Program. Dr. Small’s discoveries have made the headlines of The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today, and he frequently appears on The Today Show, Good Morning America, PBS, and CNN.
Position
- Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Chief, Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA
Board Certifications
- Psychiatry
- Addiction Psychiatry
Education
- MD, Tufts University School of Medicine, Medford, MA
- Resident, Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA
Dr. Weiss has been lecturing for more than 20 years throughout the country on the topics of alcohol and drug abuse. He has received numerous awards in recognition of his work, including the 14th Annual H. David Archibald Award for Outstanding Research and/or Practice in the Addictions, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto and Distinguished Fellow, American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Weiss is the Chief of the Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse at McLean Hospital; he serves as the Vice President of Greater Boston Council of Alcoholism and has served as a member of the Treatment Research Committee on the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Dr. Weiss serves on the editorial board of numerous journals including the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse and is a reviewer for at least 15 scholarly medical journals. He has published more than 300 journal articles and book chapters, as well as researching in the field of alcohol and drug abuse for more than 25 years.
In my opinion, these presentations are crucial to your career success, as well as your peace of mind. Just think how one small tip - out of the many you'll learn - could possibly save you from a painful confrontation with the legal system.
See you in Florida,
Jack Krasuski MD
Executive Director &
Medical Editor
4-Day
Master Psychopharmacology PLUS Legal Armor Intensive Day
March 8-11, 2012
$1090 $840 thru
February 29, 2012
3-Day
Master Psychopharmacology
March 9-11, 2012
$895 $645 thru
February 29, 2012
Can’t Attend In-Person?
Try Our Home Study version
The Home Study version of this course includes the same great features as the live course: online & mobile lecture access, the course syllabus, and CME credits!
Master Psychopharmacology PLUS Legal Armor Intensive Day
Home Study Materials
Available March 2012
$690
Master Psychopharmacology
Home Study Materials
Available March 2012
$495
PS: Dear Colleague,
As Psychiatrists, we constantly seek out ways to improve our practices through meetings and seminars. The problem is that most psychopharmacology courses present lots of theory with no direct guidance. The speakers don’t put themselves on the line by presenting concrete guidelines for prescribing. They talk about research and trials – but how does that help you, when you’re face-to-face with a tough, treatment-resistant patient?
The Master Psychopharmacology Course is different. We give you actionable, down-in-the-trenches guidance on how to effectively expand your armamentarium and improve your day-to-day patient care. You get to rub shoulders with current masters in the field of Psychiatry, asking questions and absorbing practical step-by-step treatment plans from these same experts. The knowledge that comes from decades of investigation is now presented to you in clear and practical terms.
If this is the type of guidance you’re looking for in pharmacotherapy (with the Master Psychopharmacology Course) and in risk reduction (with the Legal Armor for the Psychiatrist course) then I ask you to register to join us in Fort Lauderdale. I can safely say – and I’m backed up by our guarantee – you won’t regret it.
Take care and please introduce yourself to me at the course.
Jack Krasuski MD
Executive Director
877-225-8384
PS: There is one more thing I wanted to add about the Master Psychopharmacology Course that makes it different: there is a much higher degree of camaraderie and interaction among participants than you experience in your average course. The more interactive nature of the course naturally leads to more discussion among participants. Doctors then frequently go out for dinner or entertainment together. After all, we will be meeting at a hotel on the beach in March in Florida. There’s no reason to not make this a vacation too.
In my opinion, these presentations are crucial to your career success, as well as your peace of mind. Just think how one small tip - out of the many you'll learn - could possibly save you from a painful confrontation with the legal system.
See you in Florida,
Jack Krasuski MD
Executive Director &
Medical Editor
4-Day
Master Psychopharmacology PLUS Legal Armor Intensive Day
March 8-11, 2012
$1090 $840 thru
February 29, 2012
3-Day
Master Psychopharmacology
March 9-11, 2012
$895 $645 thru
February 29, 2012
Can’t Attend In-Person?
Try Our Home Study version
The Home Study version of this course includes the same great features as the live course: online & mobile lecture access, the course syllabus, and CME credits!
Master Psychopharmacology PLUS Legal Armor Intensive Day
Home Study Materials
Available March 2012
$690
Master Psychopharmacology
Home Study Materials
Available March 2012
$495
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