Dr. Daniel E. Elswick is an assistant professor in Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry at West Virginia University. He is currently serving as the program director for the Psychosocial Oncology service at the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center. The program helps patients and their families cope with the psychological, social, behavioral and spiritual aspects of cancer diagnosis, treatment and survivorship. Dr. Elswick is also active as a staff psychiatrist for the Consult and Lesion Psychiatry service at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, WV. His main areas of interest are cancer survivorship and healthcare disparities among rural cancer patients.

Dr. Elswick has a unique educational and training background. He has completed a dual residency in internal medicine and psychiatry at West Virginia University. He completed his undergraduate work at the University of Charleston (WV) and attended the WVU School of Medicine in Morgantown. Dr. Elswick is a licensed physician in the state of West Virginia and is board eligible is both internal medicine and psychiatry.

Prior work experience includes serving as a staff physician at the Crisis Recovery Unit at Valley Community Mental Health in Morgantown, WV. He has also worked as an out patient adult psychiatrist for Fairmont General Hospital.

Participation in the education of medical students and residents is an important aspect of Dr. Elswick’s affiliation with the WVU School of Medicine. He has served a preceptor to second year medical students in their Physical Diagnosis and Clinical Integration course. He also coordinates several lecture series each year for the psychiatry residents and interns. Additionally, has serves on the planning and development team for the Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry’s annual research retreat.

Dr. Elswick has participated in more than a dozen clinical trials as a rater and sub-investigator at the WVU Health Research Center. He stays active with the center working on studies ranging from obesity and lipids trials to psychiatric trails on major depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder. He also has on going research in the area of Medical Decision Making. Dr. Elswick also serves as a staff physician for the Thought Disorders Program at Chestnut Ridge Hospital. This a unique program dedicated to caring for patients with severe and chronic illnesses such as schizophrenia. He has an active role in exploring ways to provide primary medical care to the patients in addition to providing there psychiatric care.

Service to the community is an important part of Dr. Elswick’s professional goals. He along with other members of his department provide free psychiatric services to Morgantown Health Right, a community bases nonprofit free medical clinic. Dr. Elswick won the first annual Carl Cather Jr. Community service award from the WVU School of Medicine in 2001. In 1996-1997, Dr Elswick spent a year working in community health in rural Appalachia as a AmeriCorps volunteer.