MEDICAL-STUDENT ATTITUDES TO PSYCHIATRY - LACK OF EFFECT OF PSYCHIATRIC-HOSPITAL EXPERIENCE

Medical students' attitudes towards psychiatry before and after their final (sixth) year psychiatric clerkship at a large psychiatric hospit al were measured. We anticipated that exposure to severe, chronic psyc hiatric illness would affect student attitudes, and we undertook this study to investigate the direction and parameters of attitude change. However, no significant change in attitude was found. Variables consid ered included the students' interest in a career in psychiatry, their perception of the adequacy of their psychiatric training, their final examination results, and the gender of students and preceptors, none o f which were found to correlate with attitudes.