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About David Brenner, MPAS, PA-C

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"For me, psychiatry is a calling.
I am passionate about what I do."

I am a psychiatric physician associate with over 20 years experience.  My area of expertise is psychopharmacology, or the use of medication in treating mental health symptoms.  .

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I began my career as one of only two psychiatric PAs at Rikers Island Correctional Facility, treating patients in the Acute Mental Observation Unit.  From there, I worked with adults with special needs at the Center for Developmental Disabilities in Queens, NY.  Over the subsequent years, I practiced in office-based, hospital-based, and emergency room-based settings, treating a wide variety of patients and conditions. I spent several years practicing consult-liaison psychiatry, affording me great experience diagnosing and managing mental illness in the setting of comorbid acute and chronic medical illness.  In addition to my clinical work, I served as professor of psychiatry at Stony Brook University's Masters-level physician assistant program and guest-lectured at two other distinguished schools.     

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I specialize in the treatment of a variety of mental health conditions. These include, but are not limited to, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic attacks, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders, and certain personality disorders. As mental health issues often stem from biological and psychological factors, I may also recommend talk therapy or lifestyle modifications.

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I believe in taking an integrative approach to treating patients, combining well-researched conventional medicine with evidence-based complementary therapies to care for the whole person.

Education

Master of Science in Advanced Physician Assistant Studies - AT Still University, Mesa, AZ.  Graduated with honors

Physician Assistant Certification - St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Centers Physician Assistant Program, Fresh Meadows, NY.  Graduated with honors

Teaching Experience

Clinical Assistant Professor - Stony Brook University Physician Assistant Program, Stony Brook, NY

Guest Lecturer - St. Vincent’s-Catholic Medical Centers and Pace University Physician Assistant Programs, New York, NY

Professional Recognition and Honors

Master Clinician Certification for Psychopharmacology - Neuroscience Education Institute, San Diego, CA.  Three-time recipient (2005, 2017, 2022)

Affiliations

American Academy of Physician Assistants

North Carolina Academy of Physician Assistants

Association of Physician Assistants in Psychiatry

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