Podcast: Staying Engaged in Psychiatry Beyond the Lecture Hall

In this episode of “On Your Mind with Erin Crown,” host Erin Crown, MHS, PA-C, Psych-CAQ, talks with Gus Alva, MD, DFAPA, a California-based psychiatrist and investigational researcher, at a regional psychiatry meeting he created: Jersey City Psychiatry Conference. The conversation is the kind that usually happens in hallways and over dinner, and it covers why clinicians gather, what they gain from one another, and how that exchange ultimately reaches patients.

Asked what is on his mind, Alva describes a sense of excitement about where psychiatry is heading. He sees continuing education as a joy rather than a chore, and he connects it to a principle he applies to clinical care: the guidance clinicians give patients about sleep, nutrition, hydration, and physical and mental activity should apply to clinicians as well.

Crown notes how difficult health care work has become for everyone on the care team, from physicians and nurse practitioners to therapists, case managers, and administrative staff. She says the expectation to keep going persists even as awareness of burnout grows. Alva suggests gratitude as a counterweight. He encourages clinicians to revisit what drew them to the profession and to recognize how much patients in deep suffering can benefit when clinicians come prepared.

The 2 also discuss the role of industry. Alva, who has more than 30 years of experience in clinical research and 13 years in academia, says many groups hold an overly negative view of pharmaceutical sponsors. He points out that industry carries most of the financial risk of drug development, where failed programs are common and costly. Crown adds that conversations with medical science liaisons and peers have made her a more informed prescriber. Both agree that such engagement can be productive without compromising professional or ethical standards.

Crown shares a case that shows why staying informed matters. A new patient told her she had 6 months to help before they would likely attempt suicide. Because she knew esketamine was approaching market, she was able to offer the patient realistic hope until it became available, and the patient eventually remitted.

Alva explains that he started regional meetings to give back after benefiting from mentors himself. He wanted to bring together trusted faculty and focus on practical topics, such as psychedelics, that attendees can act on immediately. Upcoming meetings are planned for South Florida and Southern California.

What psychiatric topic is on your mind? Let us know at PTEditor@mmhgroup.com!

Ms Crown is a psychiatric physician assistant at State College, Pennsylvania, and owner of Future Options Research.

Dr Alva is a board-certified psychiatrist and the Mood Disorders Section Editor for Psychiatric Times.