Psych Essentials is a medical education podcast developed and hosted by UW Psychiatry PGY3 residents Lindsay Lebin, MD, and James Koved, MD. The podcast is aimed at medical students and allied health professionals (nursing, occupational therapy, social work trainees) on their psychiatry rotations. Based on free and open access medical education (FOAM) principles, Psych Essentials covers core topics ranging from the mental status exam to obtaining a structured history to basic psychopharmacology. Each episode lasts 15-20 minutes.

Drs. Lebin and Koved co-write and record the podcast, publishing new episodes every two weeks. Episodes are free and available online, with a companion website that hosts supplementary materials and solicits feedback from listeners. In addition to their educational goals, Lebin and Koved have also submitted and presented their research on incorporating digital materials into medical education at national conferences.

Psych Essentials is available online at http://psychessentials.org/ and as a free download via the iTunes podcast store. Psych Essentials has made a global impact, with more than 12,000 downloads and listeners around the world.