Controversies in psychiatric education: a survey of residents' attitudes

Abstract

The authors administered a questionnaire including statements regarding controversies in psychiatric education to 86 residents in six programs in the Washington, D.C./Baltimore, Md., area. The residents were asked for their opinions on educational policies, ideological issues in psychiatry, their identification with traditional areas of medicine, and future regulatory practices for psychiatry. The data gathered show some shifts in attitudes among first-second-, and third-year residents. They also show a marked inclination toward dynamic-analytically oriented psychotherapy. The authors conclude that substantial changes will be required in the core curriculum of residency education if the prediction that tomorrow's psychiatrist will be a complete psychobiologist is to be fulfilled.