The current status of psychiatric education in Brazil

Abstract

The aim of this review is to present a brief historical perspective, the current status of psychiatric education in Brazil, discuss its role in Latin America, and its challenges ahead. The history of psychiatry in Brazil is intertwined with the history of medical assistance in Brazil. Psychiatric education in Brazil started in the asylum-centric era during the second half of the 19th century and evolved to occupy university teaching-hospital in the 20th century. The medical residency in psychiatry has shown considerable growth since its implementation 70 years ago. Undoubtedly, it currently occupies a prominent place in Brazilian medicine. However, there is a need to create and expand it in the less developed regions of the country. Brazilian psychiatric journals also have a leading position in developing evidence-based psychiatry in Latin America.

Keywords:

• Psychiatry
• education
• residency
• training

Disclosure statement

Dr Picon declares no conflict of interest. Dr Castaldelli-Maia has been awarded with a Pfizer Independent Grant for Learning and Change (IGLC) managed by Global Bridges (Healthcare Alliance for Tobacco Dependence Treatment) hosted at Mayo Clinic, to support free smoking-cessation treatment training in addiction/mental health care units in Brazil (Grant IGLC 13513957) and Portugal (Grant IGLC 25629313), which had no relationship with the present study.