Psychiatry is an essential clinical branch of medicine. The department is located in the western part of the faculty neighbouring the department of paediatrics it will be moved to its new location near prof Daoud lecture theatre soon .the department was established as a separate dept. in 1970.

 The first head department was professor Eltigani Elmahi-the first psychiatrist in Sudan- his successors were:

• · Prof: Hassan Haj Ali
• · Prof: sheikh idris Abdelrahim
• · Dr : Ahmed Osman Siraj
• · Dr :Mahmoud Abbakar Suleiman
• · Dr :Ahmed Osman Siraj (again)
• · Prof: Taha Ahmed Baashar
• · Dr: Abdullah Abdelrahman

Curriculum

Psychiatry is a branch of medicine deal that with diagnosis and management of mental disorders , teaching includes:

Sociology:

cultural and sociocultural concepts- the individual family and society- community structure – health and disease – social interactions – stress and psychosomatic illnesses- social services – and supportive networks – ethnic and socio-cultural diversity in Sudan – health practices and behaviour : socio-cultural dimensions – research methods concerning society .

Psychology:

science of psychology –the psyche: drive, needs an emotional – conflict developmental stages – psychology of family interactions – relevance of psychology to medicine – basic learning process – learning and conditioning – motivation drive and emotions –physical aspects of emotions and psychosomatic relationship of basic perceptual processes – thinking –intelligence & it is measurement –heredity ,environment and behaviour –personality –psychological reactions to illness-man and society –maturity and old age .

Psychiatry: course contents: general psychiatry which include diagnosis, classification, aetiology, symptoms and signs, cognitive disorders, schizophrenia and other related psychotic conditions, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, somatoform and dissociative disorders, alcohol and substance related disorders , personality disorders and sexual disorders . Also should include special topics ;suicide and violent behaviour , childhood and adolescence , legal issues in psychiatry, psychosocial treatment and somatic treatments .

The department activities:

• · Lectures: delivered by professors ,associate and assistant professors.
• · Seminars: done by students attended by staff and other interested consultants.
• · Tutorials: done in small groups under the supervision of all the staff.
• · Clinical rounds: is the clinical teaching of small student groups in psychiatric hospitals, delivered by the department staff and cooperating experienced psychiatric consultants.
• · Examination: now is only done by the end of the 6th year s part of the MBBS exam .written exam consists of one best of five as well as clinically oriented problem solving questions. Clinical exam consists of one clinical case for history, mental state examination, diagnosis and management .

MD exams :

The department participates greatly -with the Sudanese medical specialization board – in training and examinations.

The department supervises researches in both behavioural sciences and psychiatry for under and postgraduates within and outside the university .

The department also provides counselling and medical services for the medical students .

Future plans:

• · Increase the number of staff.
• · Increase staff members contribution in international conferences.
• · Establish psychological lab.
• · Establish master and MD programmes by research.
• · Contribution to improve awareness and removal of psychiatric stigma among publics.