17.3 DISSEMINATING MENTORSHIP AND ADVANCED TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES TO EARLY CAREER CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRISTS

Abstract

Although autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID) are common, few child and adolescent psychiatrists specialize in working with patients who have these diagnoses. A recent initiative from AACAP's Autism and Intellectual Disability Committee has been to foster awareness of, and interest in, advanced training opportunities to work with this unique population among trainees and those early in their careers. This session will describe how this initiative developed and some of the lessons we learned about when and where opportunities exist to develop interest in advanced ASD and ID training. The presentation will discuss several approaches taken by the Early Career Working Group of AACAP’s Autism and Intellectual Disability Committee to disseminate mentorship and advanced training opportunities to trainees and early career child and adolescent psychiatrists. Our working group identified 8 programs across the country that provide advanced training to child and adolescent psychiatrists interested in working with the ASD and ID population. We distributed a flyer advertising these programs to child and adolescent psychiatry fellows at AACAP’s 66th Annual Meeting in 2019 but had limited engagement. However, we unexpectedly found that medical students and general psychiatry residents were interested in learning more about these programs. In light of this, at AACAP's 67th Annual Meeting in 2020 (virtual meeting), we prioritized ensuring that AACAP’s Autism and Intellectual Disability Committee would have a presence at medical student and trainee mentorship events. In 2021, we aim to maintain that presence, as well as to take advantage of the new ubiquity of videoconferencing to offer face-to-face mentorship opportunities beyond the annual AACAP meeting. By the time they are child and adolescent psychiatry fellows, many trainees may already have career plans. Engaging with and mentoring people earlier may be more effective in encouraging an interest in ASD and ID among trainees.