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Merry N. Miller, M.D. serves as the Chair of ETSU Psychiatry.
Click here to view a letter from the Chair.

George R. Brown, M.D. serves as the Associate Chair of ETSU Psychiatry.
Click here to view a letter from the Associate Chair.

Hal Elliott, M.D. serves as the Director of Residency Training for ETSU Psychiatry.
Click here to view a letter from the Director.

Buffalo Mountain
View of Buffalo Mountain from the Mountain Home VA campus near Ned R. McWherter Hall.

Department Philosophy

Our department is dedicated to the advancement of Psychiatry on behalf of the citizens of East Tennessee by being active participants in the training of medical students and resident physicians, active in the acquisition of new information through medical research and by providing mental health services to Eastern Tennessee, Southern Virginia, South-Eastern Kentucky, and Western North Carolina.

Location

The Quillen College of Medicine is located in the foothills (elevation ~1500') of the Appalachian Mountains in Johnson City, Tennessee (pop. ~55,000, Tri-Cities Region ~400,000). The area enjoys four full seasons, replete with early spring, temperate summers, amazing fall colors and winters without significant snowfall. The campus of ETSU is within 10 miles of excellent trout fishing, canoeing, hiking, camping, swimming and a full range of outdoors activities. The area offers a rich mixture of Appalachian Culture (storytelling, pottery, writing, song, crafts) and contemporary American Culture (museums, symphony, ballet, auto-racing, college sports, and numerous fine dining and shopping establishments).

Map of VA campus
Google Maps View of ETSU campus (South East corner) and Mountain Home VA Campus (Between HWY 11E and HWY 321).

Departmental Teaching Programs
  • Medical Student Educational Programs: Our faculty is actively involved in medical student education throughout the medical school curriculum. Our faculty directs required courses in years one and two of the medical school curriculum. The courses are designed to introduce students to behavioral science information relevant to medical practice and to principles of clinical psychiatry (especially assessment, diagnosis and treatment). All students rotate through a required psychiatry clerkship during their third year and participate in both inpatient and outpatient training experiences. Our faculty also offers a wide array of electives that are available for fourth year medical students. These electives are available for all students, not just those considering specializing in psychiatry. Additionally, these electives can be taken by students from other medical schools. Information about these electives can be obtained from the office of Academic Affairs at ETSU Quillen College of Medicine. Our faculty also is actively involved in advising students and serving on committees within the College of Medicine which address significant issues related to medical student's education and training.

  • Residency Program: Our training program includes a wide range of experiences to residents in training. We offer experiences with each of the following patient populations: adult, child and adolescent, veterans, and geriatric - in multi-site inpatient and outpatient settings. Additionally, we offer training in off-site clinics at nearby communities in both rural small hospital and family practice settings. Our faculty is well rounded and accomplished in a wide range of psychiatric skills including: Adult; Child and Adolescent; Geriatric; Consultation/Liaison; Forensic Psychiatry; Disorders Affecting Women; Analysis; Current Therapy Methods; Medical Ethics; Psychiatric Research; Cross Cultural Psychiatry; Hypnosis; ECT; TMS; and EEG as a Psychiatric tool. These skills are applied to a variety of academic and service related tasks which include: teaching medical students, service to the University in numerous organizational committees, and medical psychiatric and psychological care to the communities of Eastern Tennessee. Our faculty is engaged in numerous research projects in which Residents are strongly encouraged to take an active role. Our Residency program is accredited by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education