TRAINING IN PSYCHIATRY - AN EXAMINATION OF TRAINEE PERCEPTIONS .1.

Objective: To look at the perceptions of New South Wales (NSW) psychia tric trainees in relation to their training experiences and the role a nd quality of the consultant-registrar relationship. Methods: A self-r eport questionnaire was developed to probe trainee perceptions of the consultant-trainee relationship in all those who had completed at leas t I year of training in psychiatry (n = 138) in NSW, as well as all co nsultants who had completed their training in the last 5 years (n = 95 ). Test-retest reliability was assessed at 3 months for each of the su bscales (r=0.70-0.89) and found to be acceptable. Validity issues are discussed. Results: The results are discussed with special reference t o the perceived competence, availability, breadth of knowledge and wil lingness to accept responsibilities of the supervising consultant. Con sultant competence as a clinician was consistently rated as more impor tant than being emotionally supportive. Conclusion: In addressing thes e issues, we aim to increase the degree of self-consciousness and refl ectiveness of the profession of psychiatry within the Australian conte xt. If there is to be a substantial shift for the better in trainees' perceptions of consultants, it is likely that the general consultant e xperience will have to be improved rather than providing small amounts of exposure to high quality consultants.