Academic psychiatry : the journal of the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training and the Association for Academic Psychiatry
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This paper describes a reflective learning program within a larger curriculum on behavioral and social science that makes use of close reading, written representation of experience, discussion, and textual response. This response may in turn lead to further reflection, representation, and response in a circular pattern. A unique feature of this program is that it pays attention to the representation itself as the pivotal activity within reflective learning. Using the narrative methods that are the hallmark of this program, faculty writings were analyzed to characterize the essential benefits that derive from these practices. ⋯ The narrative pedagogy described and modeled herein provides a potentially promising approach to teaching the social, cultural, behavioral, and interpersonal aspects of medical education and practice. Future research will deepen our understanding of the benefits and limitations of this pedagogy and expand our appreciation of its applications.
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Large-scale high-fidelity casualty simulation and exposure to realistic environmental stressors in Operation Bushmaster represents a unique teaching environment that challenges military medical students to apply skills in assessment and acute management of stress responses. While this training event is specific to military medical students, the skills demonstrated could be readily applied in natural disaster or other mass civilian casualties. ⋯ Doing so exposes students to decision making in a disaster where the number of patients exceeds available resources and damage to infrastructure may limit their capabilities. Our experience with large-scale simulation suggests that this is an effective teaching tool.
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This study assesses the perceived impact of a required half-day with a hospital chaplain for first-year medical students, using a qualitative analysis of their written reflections. ⋯ Going on hospital rounds with a chaplain helps medical students understand the importance of spirituality in medicine and positively influences student perceptions of chaplains and their work.
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There is a projected shortage of psychiatrists in Canada in forthcoming years. This study assessed factors in medical school education that are associated with students selecting psychiatry first and matching as a discipline. ⋯ This study indicates that the duration of pre-clerkship exposure to psychiatry predicts the number of students selecting psychiatry as their first choice as a discipline. Thus, increasing the duration of pre-clerkship exposure may increase the enrollment of medical students into psychiatry.