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Attitudes toward psychiatry among Irish final year medical students

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

D Sloan ,
S Browne ,
D Meagher ,
A Lane ,
C Larkin ,
P Casey ,
N Walsh  and
E O'Callaghan
D Sloan
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University College Dublin, and St Vincent's Hospital, Elm Park, Dublin 4
S Browne
Affiliation:
St John of God Psychiatric Services, Stillorgan, Co, Dublin
D Meagher
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University College Dublin and Mater Hospital, Eccles St, Dublin I, Ireland
A Lane
Affiliation:
St John of God Psychiatric Services, Stillorgan, Co, Dublin
C Larkin
Affiliation:
St John of God Psychiatric Services, Stillorgan, Co, Dublin
P Casey
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University College Dublin and Mater Hospital, Eccles St, Dublin I, Ireland
N Walsh
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University College Dublin, and St Vincent's Hospital, Elm Park, Dublin 4
E O'Callaghan*
Affiliation:
St John of God Psychiatric Services, Stillorgan, Co, Dublin
*
*Correspondence and reprints: O'Callaghan, Cluain Mhuire Family Centre, Newtownpark Avenue, Blackrock, Co Dublin, Ireland
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Summary

This study investigated the attitudes of medical students towards psychiatry, both as a subject on the medical curriculum and as a career choice. Three separate questionnaires previously validated on medical student populations were administered prior to and immediately following an 8-week clinical training programme. The results indicate that the perception of psychiatry was positive prior to clerkship and became even more so on completion of training. On completion of the clerkship, there was a rise in the proportion of students who indicated that they might choose a career in psychiatry. Attitudes toward psychiatry correlated positively with the psychiatry examination results. Those that intended to specialise in psychiatry achieved significantly higher examination scores in the psychiatry examination.

Keywords

psychiatryattitudesmedical studentsmedical educationmedical speciality career choice
Type
Original articles
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 11 , Issue 8 , 1996 , pp. 407 - 411
Copyright
Copyright © Elsevier, Paris 1996

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