Impact of an Outpatient Psychiatry Rotation on Family Medicine Residents and Interns

Abstract

The present study examined the relative impact of a training program for Family Medicine Residents and Rotating Interns located in a Psychiatric Walk-In Clinic. Specifically, it was of interest to assess students’ satisfaction with the orientation to the rotation, the degree of involvement in different activities and the amount of supervision received, as well as the skills acquired during the rotation. In addition to the information collected immediately following the rotation, student perceptions of the relative benefits of the rotation to their medical practice and their general attitude toward mental health facilities were obtained in a follow-up survey. The results indicated that students were generally satisfied with their rotation. In particular, their level of satisfaction was related to the exposure to a wide variety of psychiatric patients, the supervision received, and the fulfillment of their expectations of the rotation. The findings also indicated that the training program did not meet all the needs of the students, particularly in the area of the assessment and treatment of couples and families and the utilization of psychotropic medications.