Education & Training Programs

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.

We are now recruiting to fill one fellowship position with the MUSC Postdoctoral Fellowship in Forensic Psychology! The Postdoctoral Fellowship in Forensic Psychology within the Community and Public Safety Psychiatry Division (CPSPD) of the Psychiatry and Behavioral Science Department at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) is a 12-month program that provides a comprehensive training experience in areas where psychiatry is applied to legal issues. Our program is committed to educating clinicians in the theoretical and practical aspects of forensic psychiatry while simultaneously providing an invaluable service to the state of South Carolina. As a major strength of the fellowship, fellows are required and encouraged to gain exposure to a wide variety of both criminal and civil evaluations with both adults and juveniles through the array of programs offered within the CPSPD.

A large portion of the criminal law core experience is provided through a contract with the South Carolina Department of Mental Health to provide competency to stand trial and criminal responsibility/capacity to conform evaluations for 12 counties in South Carolina. Through this experience, fellows gain experience conducting court-ordered evaluations in these areas with both adults and juveniles. Additionally, fellows will participate in non-state contracted criminal cases referred to our office from various agencies.

Non-state cases may include several types of evaluations including criminal responsibility/capacity to conform, competency to stand trial, independent medical and malpractice evaluations, adoption evaluations, child custody evaluations, parental fitness, termination of parental rights, disability claim assessments, worker's compensation evaluations, conservator & guardianship evaluations, law enforcement pre-employment evaluations, and other forensic consulting. The frequency with which each type of case will be assigned is based upon the rate of referrals in each given program. At MUSC, we also provide Consultation Liaison services to the Institute of Psychiatry and the Medical University Hospital for issues such as violence and suicide risk assessment.

Didactics include a weekly landmark case law series and courses relevant to the intersection of law and mental health. Mock trials and testimony observation are utilized to prepare fellows to present testimony in court. As part of the academic component of the program, fellows complete a research project (paper and/or local, regional, national, or international presentation, etc.). Fellows will gain experience providing some teaching and supervision to students and/or medical students on a rotation in the CPSPD. Further, the CPSPD often has ongoing grant-funded forensic research projects that fellows can participate in.

Benefits are provided to include a fully funded trip to the Annual Meeting of the American Psychology-Law Society (AP-LS). The waiver obtained by our program allows graduates to apply for board certification with the American Board of Forensic Psychology (ABPP) upon completion of fellowship and waives the requirement that one must practice in the field for five years prior to becoming eligible to apply. Fellows have the benefit of working in a multidisciplinary division and work alongside forensic psychologists, forensic psychiatrists, licensed professional counselors, social workers, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and others. Best of all, Fellows also get the benefit of enjoying the relaxing coastal environment of Charleston, South Carolina.

MUSC Postdoctoral Fellowship Program description and application

Training Director: Sheresa Christopher, Ph.D., ABPP

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

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 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.