Department of Clinical Psychopharmacology

The department currently has a 100% pass rate for the Psychopharmacology Exam for Psychologists and three more are preparing for the exam now.

Two United States Navy psychologists began the MSCP program in Fall 2022. The Navy Medical Service Corps DUINS program offers fellowships and masters/doctorate level degree programs to officers. The U.S. Navy requested a hybrid format for the students, who are technically stationed in Idaho.

The newly opened ISU Integrated Mental Health Clinic in Meridian serves dual functions: to provide mental health services for the community and to aid in the professional development of mental health professional students. Services are offered by clinical faculty Dr. Lucy Wilkening and Dr. Eric Silk.

In late 2022, the Master of Science in Clinical Psychopharmacology program transitioned into a full department, becoming the Department of Clinical Psychopharmacology. The department continues to train psychologists to deliver comprehensive services in interprofessional settings and through research, further the understanding of psychopharmacology.

A massive step forward following the delivery of primarily online education during the COVID-19 pandemic, the department also launched the fully online, asynchronous program to compete with other Master of Science in Clinical Psychopharmacology (MSCP) programs nationally.

ISU is no longer the only MSCP in a College of PharmacyDrake University’s first class started Fall 2022. There are also a number of states working on legislation to allow prescribing authority for psychologists, including Colorado and Washington, providing recruitment opportunities in multiple states.

MSCP students are trained during the summer semesters. The clinic collaborates with other clinics for services and referrals (Primary Care, Counseling, etc.) and will provide low to no costs to those in need.

The department is hosting a visiting scholar, Juan Santiago Bermudez Ocampo, M.D. from the Master of Science in Toxicology program in the Faculty of Medicine at the Universidad Nacional de Columbia, Bogata. He is working with Gustavo Gonzalez-Cuevas in the Neurobehavioral Lab with zebrafish.

We look forward to another successful year in growing our program and working with states moving forward legislation that enhances access to safe and evidence-based mental health services as the foremost training and research program in psychopharmacology.