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I am delighted that you are considering a career in psychiatry
and hope that our website communicates some of the excitement we at Stony
Brook feel about this discipline. An understanding of what controls behavior
is one of the major scientific undertakings of modern society. The old
question of mind-body is being given new meaning in the neurobiological
and psychological investigation of the brain.
Psychiatry, which looks at disorders of thought, emotions and behavior
is a discipline that encompasses elegant biological control mechanisms
and subtle psychological processes. As such, it has the widest scientific
and human base of any medical field. How to begin to study this field is
an important decision.
At Stony Brook, we take a decidedly empirical approach to psychiatry.
Initially, you will learn the phenomenology of the illness, then treatment
approaches and theories. In our view, psychiatric theories both biological
and psychological, are at best rough approximations, and the patient, rather
than the theory must be kept at the center of the study. What we hope you will
bring to the study of psychiatry is an empathy for your patients and unlimited
curiosity.
We look forward to seeing you.
Mark Sedler, MD, MPH
Chairman
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science
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