title: Medfest: the effect of a national medical film festival on attendees' attitudes to psychiatry and psychiatrists and medical students' attitudes to a career in psychiatry.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors proposed that a national film festival organized by psychiatrists could change attendees' views toward psychiatry and psychiatrists positively and increase the numbers of medical students considering psychiatry as a career.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medfest held events at nine UK universities in 2011. The program consisted of short films (The Family Doctor, Shadowscan, Beards & Bow Ties) and panelist discussions. Data were gathered using an anonymous "before and after" questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 450 attendees across all sites returned 377 feedback forms (84 % response rate). Views of psychiatry and psychiatrists changed for the better for 42 % (98 % of those who answered the question) and 40 % (96 % of those who answered the question) of all respondents, respectively. Respondents' views were significantly more likely to change for the better than for the worse toward both psychiatry (p < 0.001) and psychiatrists (p < 0.001). Post-event, 46 % of the 232 medical students that attended were more likely to consider a career in psychiatry (48 % of those who answered the question).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A multicenter film festival organized by psychiatrists was associated with more positive attitudes to psychiatry and psychiatrists and an increase in students considering psychiatry as a career. The festival is now an annual event, continuing to expand.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK, dockamran2@gmail.com.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Halder
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Byrne
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002321:Career Choice; D006801:Humans; D008512:Medicine in the Arts; D009040:Motion Pictures; D011570:Psychiatry; D013337:Students, Medical