ERIC Number: EJ808555
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2005-Mar
Pages: 5
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1042-9670
EISSN: N/A
The "Shrinking" Clerkship: Characteristics and Length of Clerkships in Psychiatry Undergraduate Education
Rosenthal, Renate H.; Levine, Ruth E.; Carlson, David L.; Clegg, Kathleen A.; Crosby, Ross D.
Academic Psychiatry, v29 n1 p47-51 Mar 2005
OBJECTIVE: The authors explored the time that is currently devoted to psychiatry clerkships to determine whether "shortened" clerkships differ in course director satisfaction and evaluation strategies. METHOD: An 18-item questionnaire was sent to 150 U.S. and Canadian clerkship directors. RESULTS: The return rate was 74% (111 questionnaires). Clerkship length ranged from 4 to 8 weeks, with 6 weeks being most common (49.5% of clerkships). Only 18.9% had clerkships lasting 8 full weeks. Shorter clerkships were more likely to rely on the NBME subject test, and less likely to rely on Objective Standardized Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) or oral examinations. Most clerkship directors (81.9%) felt their evaluation procedures reflected their clerkship objectives. Among those who did not or were not sure, a majority (77.7%) felt having too few weeks was among the causes, except for 8-week clerkship directors, who did not mention clerkship length as an issue. CONCLUSIONS: The number of clerkships having 2 full months devoted to psychiatry has decreased in recent years. Shorter clerkships rely heavily on the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) Subject Examination as an evaluation tool, testing for book knowledge rather than clinical skills.
Descriptors: Medical Education, Student Evaluation, Psychiatry, Examiners, Clinical Experience, Questionnaires, Medical Students, Administrator Attitudes, Standardized Tests
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A