Mentally ill inpatients’ experiences and opinions on seeing medical students: a questionnaire study

Abstract

Research involving general patients suggests that most patients agree to be involved in medical education but prefer not to discuss personal or stress related issues with/in front of medical students. We explore the opinions and experiences of mentally ill in-patients of their involvement in undergraduate medical education in psychiatry. The study shows that patients attach importance to students seeing real patients and that the patients are happy to be seen by medical students. Most patients benefit from seeing a student and few suffer detriment. They experience anxiety prior to the student-patient interview which dissipates during the interview. Mentally ill patients agree to see medical students for similar reasons to other patients. It is important to obtain full consent from patients who see medical students.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Monica Doshi

MONICA DOSHI is a consultant in adult psychiatry, Phase II assessment coordinator and honorary senior lecturer at the Warwick Medical School. She is responsible for the Intermediate Clinical Examinations and the Final Professional Examinations for the medical students and developing the undergraduate psychiatry module for medical students.

Sudha Acharya

SUDHA ACHARYA is a Specialist Registrar in adult psychiatry and is involved in developing the undergraduate psychiatry module for medical students. She is now based at the Manor Hospital, Nuneaton, UK.

David Wall

DAVID WALL is the deputy regional postgraduate dean in the West Midlands Deanery and visiting Professor of medical education at Staffordshire University. His interests are in curriculum planning, evaluation of teaching and training medical/dental educators.