Psychopharmacology Training in Psychiatric Residency Programs: The Canadian Scene

Abstract

A survey among psychiatric residents about their satisfaction with and concerns about their training in psychopharmacology was conducted. One hundred and seventy responders (61%) from ten post-graduate psychiatric programs in Canada completed the questionnaire. The questionnaire assessed the residents' satisfaction with the training they had received over the previous six months as well as over their entire residency period. The questionnaire enquired specifically about the quantity and quality of supervision in the use of different medications for different therapeutic purposes. It also looked at the quality of supervision of drug therapies within hospital services, inpatient, outpatient, consultation and emergency services. Residents also were asked about coverage of specific topics and ranked different methods of learning. The survey uncovered a number of deficiencies mostly related to the teaching of basic psychopharmacology, integration of psychopharmacological and psychosocial issues and the lack of teaching of clinical appraisal of recent advances. Factors that may have contributed to the development of such deficiencies as well as specific recommendations are discussed.