PsychEd Episode 64: Introduction to Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry with Dr. Raed Hawa and Dr. Alan Wai
PsychEd: Educational Psychiatry PodcastShow Notes
Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This episode covers Introduction to Consultation Liaison Psychiatry with Dr. Raed Hawa and Dr. Alan Wai, both from the University of Toronto. Dr. Raed Hawa is an esteemed CL psychiatrist and educator with interests in undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing medical education. He also practices general sleep medicine with particular clinical interest in insomnia, comorbid psychiatric and medical illnesses, and sleep-related movement disorders. He currently serves as the President of the Canadian Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and is a Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. Dr. Hawa is also Deputy Psychiatrist-in-Chief at University Health Network. Dr. Hawa has earned American Board Certification in Psychiatry with subspecialty certifications in Sleep Medicine and Psychosomatic Medicine (Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry). His expertise and contributions to the field have been recognized through his designation as a Distinguished Fellow of both the American Psychiatric Association and Canadian Psychiatric Association. Dr. Alan Wai is a Psychiatrist at University Health Network in Toronto and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. He provides inpatient CL psychiatry care and mental health and psychiatric care embedded in the Immunodeficiency Clinic at Toronto General Hospital, where he sees both persons living with and at risk of HIV. He received his medical degree from the University of British Columbia and completed his psychiatric residency training at the University of Toronto. The learning objectives for this episode are as follows: By the end of this episode, you should be able to… Outline the history and evolution of CL Psychiatry.
Define the role and scope of CL Psychiatrists in diverse medical settings.
Identify and assess common psychiatric disorders in CL settings.
Provide differential diagnoses and a general approach to a CL patient through a sample case.
Guest: Dr. Raed Hawa, Dr. Alan Wai Hosts: Annie Yu (PGY3), Sena Gok (MD), Matthew Cho (CC3) Audio editing by: Sena Gok Show notes by: Sena Gok Interview content: (00:13) Introduction (01:09) Learning Objectives (01:36) First Guest Introduction (03:18) History of CL Psychiatry (10:33) Subspecialties within CL Psychiatry (14:00) Collaborative Care of CL Psychiatry (20:03) Preparation for CL Rotation (22:32) Bariatric Clinic and CL Psychiatry (27:45) Future of CL Psychiatry, AFC Certification (33:29) Second Guest Introduction (34:18) Role and Scope of CL Psychiatry (39:32) A Day in CL Psychiatry (44:08) Cultural Competence in CL Psychiatry (47:53) Introduction to Patients in CL Clinics (50:14) Resources for CL Psychiatry Rotation (53:08) Clinical Vignette (01:00:25) CL Psychiatric Assessment Approach (01:09:24) Agitation Management in CL Psychiatry (01:13:51) Closing (01:15:05) End Credits Resources: Massachusetts General Hospital Handbook of General Hospital Psychiatry Academy of CL Psychiatry (ACLP) Educational Resources AFC (Area of Focused Competence) in CL Psychiatry Canadian Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Website PsychEd Episode 22: Psycho-Oncology Assessments with Dr. Elie Isenberg-Grzeda PsychEd Episode 35: Pain Psychiatry with Dr. Leon Tourian PsychEd Episode 36: Understanding Eating Disorders with Dr. Randy Staab PsychEd Episode 37: Treating Eating Disorders with Dr. Randy Staab PsychEd Episode 57: HIV Psychiatry with Dr. Adriana Carvalhal and Dr. Leigh van den Heuvel References: Please visit the episode's page on our website for the full list of references: https://www.psychedpodcast.org/blog/clpsych
For more PsychEd, follow us on Twitter (@psychedpodcast), Facebook (PsychEd Podcast), and Instagram (@psyched.podcast). You can provide feedback by email at [email protected]. For more information, visit our website at psychedpodcast.org.
More from PsychEd: Educational Psychiatry Podcast
Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This short episode covers medical considerations in eating disorders. Hosts: Dr. Shelly Palchick (PGY1) and Dr. Angad Singh (PGY3) Audio Editing: Dr. Angad Singh (PGY3) For more PsychEd, follow us on Instagram (@psyched.podcast), Facebook (PsychEd Podcast), X (@psychedpodcast), and Bluesky (@psychedpodcast.bsky.social). You can email us at [email protected] and visit our website at psychedpodcast.org.
Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This episode covers homelessness and mental illness with Dr. Vicky Stergiopoulos, senior scientist with the General Adult Psychiatry and Health Systems Division at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). She is also a full professor in the Department of Psychiatry and the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. She has served in several administrative roles, including vice-chair, clinical and innovation (2017-2022) and co-Director of the Division of Adult Psychiatry and Health Systems (2012-2017) in the Department of Psychiatry, as well as physician-in-chief at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (2016-2022), psychiatrist-in-chief at St. Michael’s Hospital (2011-2016) and medical director, Inner City Health Associates (2017-2011). Dr. Stergiopoulos completed her medical training at Dalhousie University and residency training in psychiatry at the University of Toronto. She holds a MHSc in health administration from the University of Toronto’s Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation and completed director’s education training at the Rotman School of Management. The learning objectives for this episode are as follows: Define homelessness and housing insecurity and identify key social determinants that shape health outcomes in this population
Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This short episode covers the basics of CYP450 metabolism as it applies to psychotropic medication. Hosts: Dr. Celine Prell (PGY4), Dr. Angad Singh, (PGY3) Audio Editing: Dr. Celine Prell (PGY4), Dr. Angad Singh, (PGY3) For more PsychEd, follow us on Instagram (@psyched.podcast), Facebook (PsychEd Podcast), X (@psychedpodcast), and Bluesky (@psychedpodcast.bsky.social). You can email us at [email protected] and visit our website at psychedpodcast.org.
Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This episode covers Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with Dr. Kenneth Fung and Dr. Iline Guan. Dr. Kenneth Fung is Staff Psychiatrist at the Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network. He is Professor and Director of Global Mental Health with the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. His research, teaching, and clinical interests include both cultural psychiatry and psychotherapy, especially ACT, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and mindfulness. He is the Block Co-coordinator of the Cultural Psychiatry Core Seminars for psychiatry residents, and the seminar co-lead and psychotherapy supervisor in CBT at the University Health Network. Dr. Guan is a psychiatrist who practices outpatient general psychiatry at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, where she works in the Mood and Anxiety Ambulatory Services and the Northern Psychiatric Outreach Program. She also works with Inner City Health Associates in downtown Toronto. She has had training across various psychotherapy modalities, including psychodynamic therapy, CBT, DBT, IPT, MBSR/MBCT, and ACT. She is involved in resident teaching and psychotherapy supervision at the University of Toronto, and has implemented a pilot ACT group program in the Mood and Anxiety clinic at CAMH. The learning objectives for this episode are as follows: Describe the theoretical model and core processes underlying ACT
Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This short episode covers factitious disorder. Hosts: Jo Kikukawa (MS3), Dr. Kate Braithwaite Audio editing: Dr. Kate Braithwaite References: 1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5, text revision (DSM-5-TR). 5th ed. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association Publishing; 2022. 2. Irwin, M. R., Bursch, B., & Solomon, D. (2025, July 21). Factitious disorder imposed on self (Munchausen syndrome). UpToDate. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/factitious-disorder-imposed-on-self-munchausen-syndrome?search=factitious+disorder&source=search_result&selectedTitle=1~90&usage_type=default&display_rank=1&searchCorrelationId=681d447e-f8e6-4338-b905-ff937cad5972&searchCorrelationTerm=factitious+disorder#H368608737 3. PsychDB. (2021, December). Factitious Disorder. Factitious Disorder - PsychDB 4. Roesler, T. A., & Jenny, C. (2026, June 12). Medical child abuse (Munchausen syndrome by proxy). UpToDate. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/medical-child-abuse-munchausen-syndrome-by-proxy?search=factitious+disorder&source=search_result&selectedTitle=3~90&usage_type=default&display_rank=3&searchCorrelationId=681d447e-f8e6-4338-b905-ff937cad5972&searchCorrelationTerm=factitious+disorder#H90255160 5. Yates, G., & Bass, C. (2017). The perpetrators of medical child abuse (Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy) - A systematic review of 796 cases. Child abuse & neglect, 72, 45–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.07.008 For more PsychEd, follow us on Instagram (@psyched.podcast), Facebook (PsychEd Podcast), X (@psychedpodcast), and Bluesky (@psychedpodcast.bsky.social). You can email us at [email protected] and visit our website at psychedpodcast.org.