Psychiatric Bulletin (2008) 32: 275. doi: 10.1192/pb.32.7.275b
© 2008 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
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Correspondence

Recruiting psychiatrists - the Singapore experience

Birit F. P. Broekman, Adjunct Assistant Professor

National University of Singapore, Department of Psychological Medicine, National University Hospital, 5 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119074, email: pcmle{at}nus.edu.sg

Rajeev Kumar, Senior Consultant Psychiatrist and Senior Lecturer

Canberra Hospital, Australia, ANU Medical School

Ann Y. P. Toh, Medical Student

National University Hospital, Singapore

Kua Ee Heok, Head of Department and Professor of Psychological Medicine

National University of Singapore

In view of the current shortage of psychiatrists worldwide, it is important to understand the impact of an undergraduate posting in psychiatry on medical students (Brockington & Mumford, 2002). Earlier studies showed that postings in psychiatry can positively influence students’ attitudes and knowledge about the specialty. We conducted a pilot study to examine the influence of a posting in psychiatry on the career plans of medical students (Holmes-Peterson et al, 2007; Cutler et al, 2006). Third-year students (n=72) in Singapore filled out a 30-item self-report survey after their 4-week clinical posting in psychiatry. The questionnaire examined the preferred specialty before entering medical school, the change in attitude towards psychiatry after the posting, the consideration of psychiatry as a career after the posting and the reasons for that.

The majority of students indicated an improvement in their attitude towards psychiatry, in tune with earlier studies worldwide. About 39% had a preferred specialty before the psychiatry posting. For male students it was surgery, followed by orthopaedic surgery, and for female students, obstetrics and gynaecology, followed by paediatrics and surgery. Only one student preferred psychiatry before the posting. After the posting, 68% wanted to consider a career in psychiatry - 20% of this group had indicated a specific non-psychiatric career choice earlier on. Experience during the posting was the most important factor for changing their career plans (this was regardless of the students’ gender).

The study showed that posting in psychiatry can have a direct influence on (re)consideration of psychiatry as a career option in undergraduates. Although Eagles et al (2007) reported that most definitive career choices will be made during the (early) postgraduate years, our findings are encouraging and more research in this area could be beneficial to improving the recruitment of future doctors into psychiatry.

References

  1. BROCKINGTON, I. F. & MUMFORD, D. B. (2002) Recruitment into psychiatry. British Journal of Psychiatry, 180, 307 -312.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  2. CUTLER, J. L., ALSPECTOR, S. L., HARDING, K. J., et al (2006) Medical students’ perceptions of psychiatry as a career choice. Academic Psychiatry, 30, 144 -149.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  3. EAGLES, J. M., WILSON, S., MURDOCH, J. M., et al (2007) What impact do undergraduate experiences have upon recruitment into psychiatry? Psychiatric Bulletin, 31, 70-72.[Free Full Text]
  4. HOLM-PETERSON, C., VINGE, S., HANSEN, J., et al (2007) The impact of contact with psychiatry on senior medical students’ attitudes toward psychiatry. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 116, 308 -311.[CrossRef][Medline]




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