How Much Psychiatry Are Medical Students Really Learning?

Abstract

THE CURRENT literature on psychiatric education is a very full one. Over 100 papers of varying caliber have appeared during the past five years, indicating clearly that this is an issue of major interest to the profession. Of these, nearly two thirds have to do with teaching medical students, and nearly one third with teaching general physicians and specialists (other than psychiatrists) already in practice. Approximately one tenth of these articles deal with teaching psychiatric residents, and only very few contend with the question of providing further training in psychiatry for interns and residents in medicine, surgery, and specialties other than psychiatry. The scope of these articles also varies: there are more general ones, which survey the achievements of the last 20 years and then propose yet more diversified and accomplished training programs. Some simply outline the programs at particular training centers, and others emphasize the benefits of specific teaching