Academic Psychiatry 29:47-51, March 2005
© 2005 Academic Psychiatry
The "Shrinking" Clerkship: Characteristics and Length of Clerkships in Psychiatry Undergraduate Education
Renate H. Rosenthal, Ph.D.,
Ruth E. Levine, M.D.,
David L. Carlson, M.D.,
Kathleen A. Clegg, M.D. and
Ross D. Crosby, Ph.D.
Dr. Rosenthal is with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee; Dr. Levine is with the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas; Dr. Carlson is with the University of North Dakota School of Medicine, Fargo, North Dakota; Dr. Crosby is with the Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Fargo, North Dakota; and Dr. Clegg is with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio. Address correspondence to Dr. Rosenthal, Department of Psychiatry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 135 North Pauline, 6th Floor, Memphis, TN 38105; rrosenthal{at}utmem.edu (E-mail).
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.
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