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About The CollegeFounded on May 8, 1963, in St. Louis, Mo., The American College of Psychiatrists (The College) is a not-for-profit honorary association dedicated to providing continuing education to its Members, promoting the latest advances in the specialty, and supporting the highest standards in psychiatry. The Board of Regents, which is made up of six officers and nine other Board Members, is the executive council of The College. The Board administers all professional and business affairs of the association, and oversees The College’s Member-driven committees. Membership in The College is limited to 750 practicing psychiatrists who have demonstrated outstanding competence in the field of psychiatry, and who have achieved national recognition in one of the following fields: clinical practice, research, academic leadership, and teaching. New Members must be nominated by Fellows or Members of The College who are personally familiar with their work and career. To encourage involvement in The College, active Members are expected to attend at least one out of every three Annual Meetings. At age 70, Members may assume Emeritus status, at which point they are no longer required to attend meetings or pay dues. SERVING MEMBERSThe Annual MeetingThe American College of Psychiatrists’ Annual Meeting offers Members a chance to exchange information and participate in high-quality continuing medical education programs in a relaxed setting. More than 50 percent of the Members attend the Annual Meeting. The College organizes each four-day Annual Meeting around a central theme. Typically, the program format includes large general sessions and smaller breakout courses. Faculty members include leading scholars, clinicians, and researchers drawn from The College and the profession at large.Themes from past Annual Meetings include:2008: Interventions in Psychiatric Care across the Lifecycle Annual Meetings also include a variety of social activities, designed to allow Members and their spouses or partners to interact with colleagues and friends. The College NewsletterThe College publishes an in-house newsletter three times a year, which it distributes to all Members. Advancement to Fellowship StatusIn recognition of Members’ contributions to the field of psychiatry and service to the association, The College promotes individuals to Fellowship status. Members may serve The College by:
*The President-Elect makes all assignments to components. The Bowis AwardEach year, The College presents the Bowis Award to a Member or Fellow who has played an important leadership role in The College. The winner receives a gold medallion and a certificate of appreciation. ADVANCING THE SPECIALTYAwardsThe College acknowledges outstanding contributions to psychiatry by presenting the following Awards:
The Psychiatrists In-Practice Examination (PIPE®)The Psychiatrists In-Practice Examination (PIPE®) is an evaluation tool designed to provide comprehensive self-assessment of professional skills for practicing psychiatrists, promote lifelong learning, and provide category 1 CME credits. This assessment consists of a 200 item, multiple-choice self-assessment examination, which covers the six core competencies currently specified by The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. PIPE® is Web-based through The American College of Psychiatrists Web site (www.ACPsych.org). Test-takers are provided with feedback on each item, including a written discussion of correct responses and two reference citations directing test takers to additional information about each topic. The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology has reviewed the Psychiatrists In-Practice Examination (PIPE®) and has approved this product as part of a comprehensive lifelong learning program, which is mandated by the ABMS as a necessary component of maintenance of certification. CONTRIBUTING TO THE FUTURE OF PSYCHIATRY (Resident Opportunities)The Psychiatry Resident-in-Training Examination (PRITE®)One of The College’s most valuable contributions to the profession is the annual Psychiatry Resident-in-Training Examination (PRITE®). The College designed PRITE® as an educational resource for psychiatric Residents and training programs. Each section of the exam focuses on a particular component of psychiatry, offering references to support and explain correct answers. Nearly all psychiatry Residents in the United States take the exam three to four times during training. PRITE® provides feedback to the individual Residents about the status of their knowledge as compared to others at the same level of training. In addition, the exam offers Residency training directors insight into the performance of their Residents on the PRITE® examination so that they can prepare and adjust their programs to make them more effective.
A related specialty exam, the Child PRITE®, is designed for child Fellows. Its 200 questions survey child and adolescent psychiatry issues in depth. The PRITE® FellowshipEach year, The College selects two second year psychiatry Residents and two first year child psychiatry Fellows from the United States and Canada to serve on the PRITE® Editorial Board. These Fellows participate as full members of the Editorial Board by contributing and editing 40 or more PRITE® questions annually. The College pays for each recipient to attend the June meeting of the PRITE® Editorial Board and one Annual Meeting. The Laughlin FellowshipEach year, The College selects 10 third-, fourth- and fifth-year Residents from the United States and Canada and pays for them to attend two successive Annual Meetings. The Laughlin Fellows are chosen from an elite pool of applicants deemed likely to make a significant contribution to the field of psychiatry. They participate in all educational and social functions held during the Annual Meeting, making valuable contacts with their peers and College Members. Staff:
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