Education & Training Programs

Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship Program

The Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship at the Medical University of South Carolina is a 12-month accredited program that provides a variety of training experiences in matters of psychiatry and the law. Our program is committed to educating fellows in forensic psychiatry and allowing them to cultivate their own individual interests while having support and guidance from our faculty, who have a wealth of expertise in the field.

Fellows have the opportunity to conduct a variety of criminal evaluations, including competency to stand trial evaluations and criminal responsibility evaluations for adult and juvenile populations. Additionally, fellows are exposed to a variety of civil forensic cases, including disability evaluations, fitness-for-duty evaluations, guardianship and conservatorship, parental fitness, child custody, gun rights restoration evaluations, and sexually violent predator evaluations. Fellows also gain experience in the probate court serving as designated examiners for both mental health and chemical dependency judicial commitment hearings. They have the opportunity to provide consultative services for specific cases within the MUSC Department of Psychiatry, generally related to suicide and/or violence risk assessments for hospitalized patients. Clinical experiences occur primarily in the correctional setting, working with adults at the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) as well as youth at the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ).

Unique to MUSC, a fellow's forensic training can be tailored to fit their personal interests. We also work closely with forensic psychologists and this interdisciplinary environment fosters a deeper understanding of the field. Forensic psychologists provide additional expertise on psychometric testing while also helping to supervise and teach the forensic psychiatry fellows. There is also a forensic psychology fellowship in our division and psychiatry and psychology fellows have specific opportunities to work and learn together.

Didactics include a weekly landmark case series and courses in the basics of law and psychiatry. Mock trials and office case conferences are utilized to prepare fellows to present testimony in court. As a part of the academic component of the program, fellows complete a quality improvement project under the direction of the program director. Fellows also present during grand rounds each year and this is historically one of the most popular talks in the department. Additional benefits include a funded trip to the Annual Meeting of AAPL as well as attendance at the Forensic Psychiatry Review Course. And of course, living in Charleston, South Carolina for the year is a special perk, with beaches, wonderful culinary experiences, and a variety of interests in our beautiful historic city. Please feel free to reach out to us directly with any questions!

For additional information: Please contact Dr. Edward Thomas Lewis III, M.D. (Fellowship Director), at lewiset@musc.edu or via telephone at 843-792-1461.

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Forensic Psychology

We are currently recruiting for one position in the MUSC Postdoctoral Fellowship in Forensic Psychology. Housed within the Community and Public Safety Psychiatry Division (CPSPD) of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina, this 12-month fellowship offers comprehensive training in the application of psychology to legal contexts across criminal and civil systems.

The program is designed to provide rigorous education in both the theoretical foundations and practical applications of forensic psychology while delivering meaningful services to the state of South Carolina. A central strength of the fellowship is the breadth of evaluations available within the CPSPD, allowing fellows to gain experience across adult and juvenile systems in both criminal and civil domains.

Criminal Law Core Experiences
A substantial portion of training occurs through a contract with the South Carolina Office of Mental Health, through which MUSC provides forensic evaluations for 12 counties. Fellows gain extensive experience conducting:

• Competency to stand trial evaluations
• Criminal responsibility/capacity to conform evaluations
• Court-ordered juvenile competency and responsibility evaluations

Fellows also participate in non-contracted criminal cases referred from various agencies, broadening their exposure to diverse legal referral questions and populations.

Civil and Non-State Forensic Evaluations

In addition to criminal work, fellows assist with a wide range of civil and administrative evaluations, which may include:

• Independent medical and malpractice evaluations
• Adoption and child custody evaluations
• Parental fitness and termination of parental rights assessments
• Disability claim evaluations
• Workers’ compensation evaluations
• Law enforcement pre-employment psychological evaluations
• Sexual/violence risk assessment
• Other forensic consultation services

Case distribution varies based on referral patterns across CPSPD programs.

Didactics and Professional Development

Structured didactic training includes:

• A weekly Landmark Case Law seminar
• Courses and lectures on topics at the intersection of law and mental health
• Opportunities for mock trials, testimony preparation, and observation of expert testimony

Fellows are expected to complete a scholarly project, which may include a manuscript, conference presentation (local, national, or international), or another approved research endeavor. Fellows also gain experience in teaching and supervision, including work with psychology trainees and medical students completing rotations within the CPSPD.

The division frequently conducts grant-funded forensic research, in which fellows are encouraged to participate.

Benefits and Professional Opportunities

Fellows receive:

• Full funding to attend a scholarly conference
• Eligibility to apply for board certification with the American Board of Forensic Psychology (ABPP) upon program completion, due to the program’s approved waiver of the standard five-year practice requirement
• Training in a multidisciplinary division, working alongside forensic psychologists, forensic psychiatrists, licensed professional counselors, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, social workers, and other professionals

Finally, fellows enjoy living in beautiful, coastal Charleston, South Carolina, offering a rich cultural environment, historic charm, and access to beaches and outdoor recreation.

MUSC Postdoctoral Fellowship Program description and application (PDF)

Training Directors: Abby L. Mulay, Ph.D. and Emily Gottfried, Ph.D.  

For additional information: Please contact 843-792-1461 or via email at forensicfellowships@musc.edu.

Resident & Medical Student Electives

Resident Elective

Forensic Psychiatry and Community Mental Health

This is a 1 to 12 month part-time elective that allows the resident to function in the role of consultant regarding forensic mental health issues. There are multiple different opportunities to include participation in: criminal court ordered evaluations for competency to stand trial and criminal responsibility; civil court ordered evaluations under the state’s Sexually Violent Predator Act; family court evaluations for child custody, termination of parental rights, and adoptions; civil court evaluations for workers’ compensation and disability claims; group treatment of persons who have committed sexual offenses; probate court assessments; other forensic evaluations, treatment settings, and research projects. The resident is also able to observe court room testimony and etiquette by attending trials and other legal proceedings. As mental health education is a primary goal of this rotation, the resident may also attend and facilitate seminars on mental health issues relevant to the legal system. Supervision is provided by forensic psychiatrist and psychologic and is coordinated by Dr. Fields, Dr. Lewis and Dr. Gottfried.

Medical Student Elective

Forensic Psychiatry is a challenging and exciting field that interfaces psychiatry with the legal system. Students will learn the fundamental principles of forensic psychiatry, including principles related to mentally ill criminal defendants, issues related to the treatment of mentally ill in correctional and outpatient settings, civil commitment procedures, and the fundamental differences between forensic psychiatric evaluations and clinical psychiatric evaluations. They will be provided opportunities to learn about legal matters as they pertain to psychiatric patients of all ages to include children, adolescents and adults. For the interested, a Sexual Behaviors Clinic and Lab track and a research track are available within this course. Interdisciplinary Education: This elective not only benefits students interested in Psychiatry, but also those interested in Internal Medicine (and subspecialties), Family Medicine, and Pediatrics.

Internship Opportunities

Internship positions are available on an unpaid and volunteer basis for undergraduate college students or for recent college graduates. CPSPD internships are a great way to get experience for graduate studies. The primary role of a CPSPD intern is to be a Research Assistant. In this capacity, interns help code and de-identify data to be used in ongoing CPSPD research studies, enter the data into statistical analysis software, and learn to clean and analyze data. Motivated interns may have the opportunity to contribute on manuscripts prepared to submit for publication and submit presentations for conferences. All interns have the opportunity to observe criminal and/or civil forensic evaluations conducted in the CPSPD as their schedules allow. Occasionally there are paid Research Assistant positions and these are advertised, when available.

For more information, contact Dr. Emily Gottfried.

Prior projects completed by CPSPD Interns: (+denotes intern)

Mishoe+, S., Dwyer, R.G., & Gottfried, E. (April, 2018). Assessment of sexual behaviors: Clinical interview vs. self-report. Poster presented at the South Carolina Psychological Association Conference, Myrtle Beach, SC.

Fiallo+, O., Gottfried, E., Lewis, E.T., & Dwyer, R.G. (March, 2017). Substance Use and SASSI Scores in a Sample of Men Charged with a Sexual Offense. Poster presented at the South Carolina Psychological Association Conference, Myrtle Beach, SC.

Ruddy+, T., Gottfried, E., Shier, E., & Dwyer, R.G. (March, 2017). Characteristics of Psychopathy in a Sample of Men Charged with a Sexual Offense. Poster presented at the South Carolina Psychological Association Conference, Myrtle Beach, SC.

Mishoe+, S., Gottfried, E., & Dwyer, R.G. (March, 2017). Prevalence of ‘Deviant’ Sexual Fantasies and Behaviors in a sample of Men Charged with a Sexual Offense. Poster presented at the South Carolina Psychological Association Conference, Myrtle Beach, SC.

Badolato+, M., Gottfried, E., & Dwyer, R.G. (March, 2017). The Abel Assessment for Sexual Interest and Child Molestation in a sample of Men Charged with a Sexual Offense. Poster presented at the South Carolina Psychological Association Conference, Myrtle Beach, SC.