Beyond the chalkboard: the interacting domains in undergraduate psychiatric teaching

What Influences Mental Illness? Discrepancies Between Medical Education and Conception

OBJECTIVE

This preliminary study examined the differences between what was taught during a formal medical education and medical students' and psychiatry residents' conceptions of notions regarding the causes and determinants of mental illness.

METHODS

The authors surveyed 74 medical students and 11 residents via convenience sampling. The survey contained 18 statements which were rated twice based on truthfulness in terms of a participant's formal education and conception, respectively. Descriptive statistics and a Wilcoxon signed rank test determined differences between education and conception.

RESULTS

Results showed that students were less likely to perceive a neurotransmitter imbalance to cause mental illness, as opposed to what was emphasized during a formal medical education. Students and residents also understood the importance of factors such as systemic racism and socioeconomic status in the development of mental illness, which were factors that did not receive heavy emphasis during medical education. Furthermore, students and residents believed that not only did mental illnesses have nonuniform pathologies, but that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders also had the propensity to sometimes arbitrarily categorize individuals with potentially negative consequences.

CONCLUSIONS

If these notions are therefore part of students' and residents' conceptions, as well as documented in the literature, then it seems appropriate for medical education to be further developed to emphasize these ideas.

All the world's a stage: evaluating psychiatry role-play based learning for medical students

OBJECTIVE

This paper describes an evaluation of an innovative approach, role-play based learning (RBL), as a vehicle for teaching psychiatry. The aim of this intervention, where medical students perform both doctor and patients roles, was to provide an interactive learning format that engaged students while developing clinical knowledge and communication skills in a structured, reflective environment.

METHOD

Questionnaires were completed by 107 students from three clinical schools of the University of Melbourne. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics and thematic content analysis.

RESULTS

Student evaluations of the RBL sessions were overwhelmingly positive. Respondents reported improvements in engagement, confidence and empathy, as well as in their learning, and that the sessions provided good preparation for internship as well as for exams.

CONCLUSION

The RBL tutorial programme is unique and flexible and could readily be adapted for use in other specialty rotations. It is also timely, given the increased interest in simulation prompted by increasing pressure on training places across the health sciences in Australia.

What attracts medical students towards psychiatry? A review of factors before and during medical school

Potential psychiatrists decide on their careers before, during or after medical school. This article summarises the literature focusing on the first two groups. Pre-medical school factors associated with choosing psychiatry include gender, academic aptitude, ethnicity and migration, exposure to mental illness, economic considerations and medical school route and selection. Factors involved in influencing career choice at medical school level include attitudes towards psychiatry, teaching methods, quality and length of clinical exposure, electives and enrichment activities, and personality factors. Considering these factors may improve recruitment to psychiatry and address shortages in the speciality.

Academics of the future? A survey of final year medical students

Objective: The aim of this study was to survey final year medical students at an Australian medical school about their views and experiences regarding academic medicine Methods: A four page questionnaire was developed and administered to each group of final (6th) year medical students upon completion of their psychiatry rotation Results: For 82% clinical teaching would probably or definitely be part of their future careers, while 63% expected that they would undertake formal teaching. Thirty-three percent of students anticipated limited or no involvement in research. While 26% of students expected that they would undertake a higher degree, only 13% were interested in pursuing an academic career Conclusions: The dearth of academics in medicine and in psychiatry in particular is of considerable concern. This study provides some possible avenues for further exploration to address this professional challenge.

Effectiveness of a training programme for primary care physicians directed at the enhancement of their psychiatric knowledge in Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVE

A substantial number of patients with psychiatric disorders consult primary care physicians for comprehensive health care; however, the diagnosis and effective treatment of psychiatric disorders are deficient in primary health care. The aim of this intervention study is to assess the pre- and post-psychiatric training knowledge of primary care physicians.

METHOD

The setting of this study was Buraidah Mental Health Hospital. The research design consisted of a pre- and post-test comparison of physicians' responses (n = 70) with a control group (n = 40). The instrument includes a Knowledge Test comprised of 50 questions on primary care psychiatry.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences between the intervention and control groups with regard to several confounding sociodemographic variables, but physicians' age and duration of medical practice were significantly higher in the control group. There were significant differences between knowledge of intervention and controls prior to psychiatric training and this difference was further highly significant post-psychiatric training. The gain in knowledge of intervention group post-psychiatric training was highly significant as compared to pre-test knowledge but there was no difference in the knowledge of the control group.

CONCLUSION

Psychiatric training courses can enhance physicians' knowledge in clinical psychiatry with possible psychiatric implications, including early diagnosis and better treatment of primary care patients with psychiatric problems.