title: The University of Western Australia Institute of Psychiatry for Medical Students: an Australian first.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recruitment of medical graduates into psychiatry has become a growing issue over the last few decades. This paper describes the implementation of an innovative program, based on a Canadian concept, that aimed to promote psychiatry as a career choice to medical students, to immerse them in the 'world of psychiatry', and introduce them to potential mentors. The University of Western Australia Institute of Psychiatry for Medical Students was a week-long program that provided medical students with an opportunity to participate in a diverse agenda of interactive seminars on a range of psychiatric subspecialties and the neurosciences. Students were also able to attend elective sessions and meet registrars and psychiatrists on an informal basis. Lunches and social events were also provided.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Twenty-one students attended the inaugural Institute. Twenty-seven speakers contributed to the morning seminars and there were 17 clinical elective site visits. Feedback from students was positive and the week was rated highly, both in terms of its organization and from an academic perspective. It is planned to run the Institute annually and, in time, it is hoped that it will increase the numbers of students who choose psychiatry as a career option.
authors: School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia. zaza.lyons@uwa.edu.au
authors: Zaza
authors: Z
authors: Lyons
authors: Brian
authors: B
authors: Power
authors: Natalia
authors: N
authors: Bilyk
authors: Johann
authors: J
authors: Claassen
mesh_terms: D000047:Academies and Institutes; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002170:Canada; D003479:Curriculum; D010560:Personnel Selection; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000193:education*; D013337:Students, Medical; D014495:Universities; D014904:Western Australia