Page 46 - 2017-2018 Department of Psychiatry Annual Report

Resident Reflection: Gaëlle Bélanger

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Subspecialty Resident

Why did you pursue this also support the development of of following a variety of more complex
subspecialty residency? supervisor, manager and leader roles or rare cases (particularly during my
in its trainees. Residents are often
inpatient rotation). I really appreciated
Pursuing my psychiatry training with a not trained in these roles, but they learning from the trauma informed
subspecialty in child and adolescent are essential domains of practice in care model that is integrated in all
psychiatry was a straightforward the academic and hospital settings. services at the IWK. I leave here
decision for me. I knew I wanted Third, the Dalhousie and IWK staff having enriched my psychotherapy
to pursue a clinical career in child have the well-deserved reputation knowledge and skills in motivational
and adolescent psychiatry in an of offering a friendly, supportive interviewing, CBT for OCD,
academic center, and I wanted to and collegial learning and working attachment based interventions for
improve my knowledge and skills environment which contributes to preschool children and their parents,
in this field. While I am sure that all learner’s safety and wellness. Lastly, and family therapy.
Royal College accredited centres as I came from Montreal with my
offer very strong training in core young children and partner, I knew What is next for you?
areas of practice, I chose Dalhousie Halifax would be a great place to live In July, I will be moving back to the
for four specific reasons. First, the due to the availability of nature within Montreal area with my family to start
IWK program offers a very wide the city, and the city’s reputation for practice in the 0-12 population in a
array of strong expertise from friendliness. university affiliated hospital. All the
core fields of competencies (e.g. knowledge, skills and experience I
neurodevelopmental, mood, anxiety, What did you hope to have gained this year help me feel
psychotic disorders and family more confident in starting this new
therapy) to more specific ones that accomplish? adventure. I will certainly miss the
are rarely available within the same I can honestly say that my hopes IWK staff and atmosphere, as they
center (e.g. substance use disorder, and expectations in regard to the have built a uniquely friendly and
forensic psychiatry, eating disorders, program and the staff were met. strong team of professionals.
child and infant psychiatry, and I also discovered the advantage
research on mental health education of training in a regional centre of
in the education system). Second, expertise for the Maritimes, as, during
the program design and requirements my core rotations, I had the privilege

46 DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY