Medical Students View Clinical Psychiatry

Does clinical clerkship alter students' attitudes to a career choice of psychiatry?

“…This change could be due to either personal (the goodwill generated) or subject (attraction to psychiatry itself) factors. It confirms the positive findings of others (Werkman et al 1973; Nielsen 1980; Crowder & Hollender 1981; Ghadirian & Engelsmann 1982; Wilkinson et al 1983). Some variables (e.g.…”

The impact of the educational environment on career choice and attitudes toward psychiatry

“…Research on these attitudes toward psychiatry have revealed that positive attitudinal changes were related to encouragement from consultants and fellow students (McParland et al 2003), students' clinical experiences (Eagle & Marcos 1980), and their direct involvement in patient care (Werkman et al 1973). In fact, a recent systematic review of 26 studies from 19 countries found that overall, attitudes toward psychiatry were found to be positive, with nine studies reporting an increase in students' interest in psychiatry as a career post-clerkship (Lyons 2014); however, much of the research focused on changes without attention to the exact mechanisms through which this change is achieved (Balon 2008).…”

The effect of a psychiatric attachment on students' attitudes to and intention to pursue psychiatry as a career

“…The teaching of psychiatry has been found to have a significant positive effect on students' attitudes to psychiatry, 3–6 with some studies suggesting that students' clinical experiences have the most influence on their eventual attitudes to psychiatry 7,8 . Specific factors that have been thought to be influential are the experience of direct involvement in patient care, 7,9 , 10 seeing patients who respond well to treatment 8,11 and student satisfaction with psychiatric staff and patients 12 . There is, however, no direct evidence linking specific components of psychiatry attachments to improved attitudes.…”