Education

There are many opportunities for Medical Family Therapists (MedFTs) interested in pursuing academic and teaching careers. MedFTs have found employment in mental health training programs (e.g., Marriage and Family Therapy, Counseling, Psychology), medical education, and residency education.

MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING PROGRAMS:

MedFTs may serve as faculty or adjunct instructors in mental health training programs. Responsibilities often include providing didactic instruction, supervision, and mentorship to the upcoming mental health workforce. MedFTs, in particular, may encourage students to provide mental health services from a BPSS framework, collaborate with other professionals to provide whole person care, and promote agency and communion with their clients. Additionally, MedFTs may provide instruction and supervision to students interested in providing mental/behavioral health care in medical settings.

MEDICAL AND RESIDENCY PROGRAMS:

*To understand the structure of medical education in the United States, see Mowry (2015)

MedFTs in medical and residency programs educate medical students and resident physicians on mental health, behavioral health, and psychosocial factors related to health and illness. Education may occur through the development of educational materials, didactic instruction, consultation, observation and feedback, and more. Additionally, MedFTs can offer guidance to develop skills related to BPSS assessment and diagnosis, patient engagement, family engagement, culturally attuned patient-provider interactions, and working as part of an interdisciplinary team. Furthermore, the medical field has a high rate of burnout (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality). MedFTs can promote supportive educational systems, teach self-care skills, and educate upcoming physicians on the prevention of and response to burnout and compassion fatigue. MedFTs may be found in family medicine, internal medicine, rehabilitation, and many other departments.

Many internships and fellowships for MedFTs include a teaching component. Explore internships here.