Improving recruitment in psychiatry: The impact of a psychiatry summer school on attitudes towards psychiatry in medical students and foundation doctors

Abstract

Introduction

In 2011, the Royal College of Psychiatrists in UK published a five-year plan to boost recruitment to a 95% fill rate for core training posts. Psychiatric summer schools were one of the methods outlined to improve recruitment. These are 3-day courses allowing attendees to explore different subspecialties and showcase inspiring psychiatrists who are leaders in their field.

Aims

To evaluate whether attending a Psychiatry Summer School improves scores on the attitudes towards Psychiatry Scale (ATP-30) in Medical Students (MS) and Junior Doctors (JD).

Methods

Two free courses were held; one for MS in August 2016 and one for JD in November 2015. These involved interactive talks from consultant psychiatrists in various sub-specialties and a day in a forensic setting. All attendees were asked to complete ATP-30 before and immediately after attendance. A higher ATP-30 score indicates a more positive the attitude the minimum score is 30 and the maximum is 50. Paired scores were analysed using a paired t-test.

Results

Thirty-three out of 45 attendees completed ATP-30 MS (n = 20/24) and JD (n = 13/21) before and after the course. The mean ATP30 score was 116 before attendance and 128 after the course, the mean difference was +12. When the two samples were compared using a paired t-test, there was a significant positive difference P < 0.0005.

Conclusions

Psychiatry summer schools can improve attitudes towards psychiatry in medical students and junior doctors.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.