Medical students' attitudes and views of psychiatry - 15 years later

Medical students' views and attitudes of psychiatry may influence recruitme nt. A 39-item questionnaire assessing demographic characteristics and balan ced positive and negative views of psychiatry was answered by 479 students from four medical schools at the end of their third-year psychiatric clerks hip during the 1993-1994 academic year. The students' attitudes and views o f psychiatry were mostly positive. Exceptions were the perceived low respec t of psychiatry by other medical disciplines and low salary. The perception of psychiatry among medical students has improved, compared with a similar study done in the 1980s, but the decline in recruitment continues. Student s' views and attitudes of psychiatry do not explain the decline in recruitm ent into psychiatry.