The British Journal of Psychiatry (1966) 112: 839-846. doi: 10.1192/bjp.112.489.839
© 1966 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
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Psychiatrists as Teachers in Medical School

Analysis of Teaching Goals in a Department of Psychiatry

H. J. WALTON M.D., M.R.C.P.E., D.P.M.1 and J. DREWERY M.A.2

1 Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Morningside Park, Edinburgh 10
2 Director of Psychological Research, Crichton Royal Hospital, Dumfries

Psychiatrists in a university department were questioned about their preferences in teaching psychiatry to medical students.

1. Four different teaching areas were investigated, and account taken of the emphasis a lecturer gave to each area.

i. Lecturers who give particular emphasis to the teaching of systematic clinical psychiatry are characterized by: (a) an aim to influence good medical students to choose a psychiatric career; (b) a strong organic attitude.

ii. Lecturers who stress the second information area, psychodynamic knowledge about personality development and personal interactions, are characterized by: (a) wanting to foster self-knowledge in students; (b) wanting to change professional attitudes of students; (c) advocating that psychotherapeutic techniques should be taught.

iii. Behavioural science teaching is advocated by University lecturers and given little emphasis by clinical teachers holding Health Service appointments.

iv. Teaching about psychotherapeutic techniques is advocated by those lecturers who also lay stress on the relationship between student and teacher.

2. Lecturers who want students to manage patients under supervision also emphasize that small group teaching is required, and that one continuing tutor is necessary.

3. Most lecturers urge that any additional time becoming available for psychiatric teaching should be used to enable students to interview patients for themselves.

4. The examination method most favoured is a clinical examination, essays being approved of least.

5. Academic lecturers differ from hospital clinicians in their relative disapproval of family psychiatry.

6. Lecturers who most favour small group teaching advocate in addition that teaching should foster students' self-knowledge, that instruction should be provided about the patients' social environment, and that the patient should be viewed in his family context.

Submitted on October 29, 1965