title: Promoting psychiatry as a career option for Ghanaian medical students through a public-speaking competition.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Authors assessed the impact of a public-speaking competition on the level of interest in psychiatry of Ghanaian medical students.
  
  
  METHODS
  An inter-medical school public-speaking competition was organized to promote psychiatry as a fulfilling career option for Ghanaian medical students. Feedback questionnaires were completed by the students and others in attendance at the event (N=122). The results were compiled and analyzed using descriptive statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 80 feedback forms received, 37 (46.2%) were from medical students; 2 (2.5%) from physicians; 19 (23.8%) from other health professionals, mainly nursing students; and 22 (27.5%) were from journalists. Of the medical students, 29 (78.4%) agreed that the competition had helped positively change their perception of psychiatry; 22 students (59.5%) agreed or strongly agreed that the interest of medical students in psychiatry would be stimulated by the competition; 10 students (27%) agreed or strongly agreed that they would consider psychiatry as a career option if the government were to offer attractive incentive packages for doctors to train in psychiatry.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An inter-medical school public speaking competition is an innovative way to encourage medical students in a developing country like Ghana to consider a career in psychiatry.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, University of Dublin, St Patrick’s University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. israelhans@hotmail.com
authors: Vincent Israel Opoku
authors: VI
authors: Agyapong
authors: Declan
authors: D
authors: McLoughlin
mesh_terms: D000846:Anniversaries and Special Events; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002321:Career Choice; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods*; D005869:Ghana; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation; D010560:Personnel Selection / Q000379:methods*; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000193:education*; D013060:Speech; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires