Setting Goals for Curricula

Psychiatrists at the APA Deans' Advisory Conference in February enthusiastically endorsed a report outlining objectives for medical school curricula that appear to enhance psychiatry's visibility.

The deans also encouraged every psychiatrist who is a medical school dean or chair of a psychiatry department to advocate that their medical school adopt the objectives issued by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) in January.

The goal of the two-phase Medical School Objectives Project (MSOP) is to prepare physicians to meet contemporary societal expectations that have been shaped by changes in the organization and financing of the health care system, according to the AAMC report.

As circumstances change, medical educators must renew their medical student education program accordingly, states the report.

James Thompson, M.D., an APA deputy medical director and head of the Office of Education, told Psychiatric News, "The MSOP report not only calls for reforms in medical education, but also spells out the direction for change. Psychiatry is specifically mentioned, but equally important are the many areas stated in the report that appear to call for more involvement of psychiatric faculty in teaching medical students.

"Altogether, this report creates an atmosphere in medical education that is definitely 'psychiatry friendly,' " Thompson concluded.

According to the AAMC report, "The first phase of the project involved developing a consensus within the medical education community on the attributes that medical students should possess at the time of graduation." Subsequent reports will be issued during the second phase of the project focusing on implementation.

The four attributes described in the report are altruistic, knowledgeable, skillful, and dutiful. Learning objectives accompany each attribute and are intended as a guide for medical schools. The objectives most relevant to psychiatry address medical ethics, knowledge of psychiatric aspects of patient care, and interdisciplinary collaboration and communication.

Before graduation, students must demonstrate the following objectives to the faculty's satisfaction.

• Know the principles and theories that govern ethical decision making.



• Demonstrate integrity, honesty, and respect for patients' privacy and their dignity as persons.



• Be able to perform a mental status examination and construct appropriate management strategies for acute and chronic conditions, including psychiatric.



• Develop an understanding of and respect for the roles of other health care professionals.



• Understand the need to collaborate with others in caring for individual patients and promoting the health of defined populations.



• Be able to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, with patients, their families, colleagues, and others.

Herbert Pardes, M.D., dean of the faculty of medicine at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons and a former APA president, told Psychiatric News in a later interview, "The renewed attention to the nature of education and the kind of qualities we want in a physician are most welcome. In this era of intense focus on the business and financial aspects of medicine, it is important to remember the interpersonal and professional aspects that made medicine unique as a profession."

Pardes is also vice president of health sciences at Columbia University and a former director of the National Institute of Mental Health.