Psychiatry Clerkship Design: Student Preferences

Abstract

Medical students in four different psychiatric clerkship settings rated anonymously their overall learning experience and each of 37 specific aspects of their clerkship experience. Students also listed the five most important and the five most dissatisfying aspects of the clerkship. Highest average ratings were accorded to: seeing patients with a variety of diagnoses and in a variety of settings; studying under faculty who teach well and are interested in students’ learning; and learning interviewing. Lowest ratings were for supervision by residents, and learning psychotherapy and psychoanalytic theory. There were no significant differences in ratings among clerkships. The data firmly support two conclusions: that the essence of a satisfying clerkship is a great deal of skillfully supervised contact with patients, and that students view the learning of interviewing, psychiatric diagnosis, and psychopharmacology as significantly more important than the learning of psychoanalytic theory and psychotherapy. An ideal psychiatry clerkship—as suggested by the data—is described.