Sierra Tucson Launches First Ever Student Rotation with Midwestern University

    TUCSON, AZ, December 17, 2014 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Sierra Tucson, an international leader in the treatment of complex, co-occurring behavioral health disorders, has partnered with Midwestern University's Glendale, Arizona campus to offer students in the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine the opportunity to obtain rotation at Sierra Tucson. While Sierra Tucson currently offers rotations to University of Arizona residents who have graduated from medical school, Midwestern University students will be the first pre-graduate students to work at Sierra Tucson.

While at Sierra Tucson, Midwestern University students will be given access to a more diverse group of patients than other student rotation institutions, such as a hospital or outpatient clinic, where they work with a limited range of patient types and are often working with new patients every day. At Sierra Tucson, the students will be given the opportunity to learn from the process from admission through discharge, giving them a much deeper education and understanding of the treatment timeline.

"We are pleased to be able to offer Midwestern University students the opportunity to work side by side with not only Sierra Tucson attending physicians but also UofA residents in training, giving them full access to a much more textured education then they would receive at other rotation institutions," said Dr. Michael Genovese, Medical Director at Sierra Tucson. "With this hands-on introduction to psychiatry from admission to discharge, we hope to show students the many aspects and levels of psychiatry and possibly debunk any misconceptions that some students have about psychiatry."

The University and Sierra Tucson hope to bring in two students at a time who will undergo rotation for a six-week period. The partnership gives third and fourth year Midwestern University students the opportunity to work alongside Sierra Tucson staff and be exposed to inpatient level 1 psychiatry hospital and level 2 residential Sierra Tucson patients undergoing treatment in general psychiatry, mood disorder, trauma, eating disorders, complex pain, and substance use. Sierra Tucson will be working with Midwestern University's Dr. Charles Finch, D.O., FACOEP, Chair, Department of Integrated Medicine, Professor, Emergency Medicine, Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine and Dr. Martin Reiss, D.O., Assistant Professor to facilitate student involvement.

To gain rotation with Sierra Tucson, students are pre-screened by Midwestern University and Sierra Tucson and then provided an individual curriculum appropriate to them. While at Sierra Tucson, students in rotation will be immersed in meetings and interactions alongside Sierra Tucson staff and will receive guidance from Sierra Tucson's Medical Director. The first students will be entering rotation in the near future.

The hands-on Sierra Tucson rotation widens future residency and employment opportunities for students as they look to continue their education after Midwestern University and one day enter the employment field. With greater experience in the field, they are better positioned for future opportunities.

About Midwestern University
Midwestern University is a graduate degree-granting institution specializing in the health sciences with ten colleges and two campuses. The Arizona campus, located on a 156-acre site in Glendale, is home to over 3,100 students and six colleges. The Illinois campus, located on a 105-acre site in Downers Grove, is home to over 2,900 students and four colleges. The University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, a Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. For more information, visit https://www.midwestern.edu/ or call 623.572.3215.

About Sierra Tucson
Sierra Tucson is a world-class psychiatric hospital and residential treatment center specializing in the treatment of depression, anxiety, substance use disorder, trauma recovery, eating recovery and complex pain. We employ a wide range of modalities spanning neuromodulation, pharmacology, individual and group psychotherapy, family therapy, equine therapy and a number of integrative treatments. We are committed to providing our patients compassionate care and clinical excellence. Every patient and family member receives the Connections Program, one of the many things that makes Sierra Tucson the world leader in the treatment of behavioral health illnesses. The program adds an additional twelve months of individualized support to the residential experience, helping patients continue to maintain a healthy lifestyle following inpatient and residential treatment. Since 1983, Sierra Tucson's renowned programs have effected positive change in the lives of more than 30,000 patients and 73,000 family members. Sierra Tucson is a member of CRC Health Group, the most comprehensive network of specialized behavioral health programs in the nation. For more information, please visit http://www.sierratucson.com.

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