Abstract
Background: In the last decade the prevalence of mental and psychosomatic disorders has increased in children, adolescents as well as in adults. As a consequence more doctors are needed who supply qualified treatment to these mentally or psychosomatically ill patients. However, in some European countries the number of residents aspiring
to a specialty qualification in psychiatry is steadily
decreasing.The aim of this study was to investigate trends among medical school graduates to specialise in psychiatry and whether psychiatry residents differ from residents choosing other specialties in certain characteristics.
Methods: In a prospective study design a cohort of Swiss medical school graduates was followed up, beginning in 2001. Six months before graduation (T1), in their second (T2) and fourth years (T3) of residency 438 physicians assessed their aspired-to specialty and career goals; in addition, personality traits, career-related factors, workplace experience and life goals were addressed.Twenty-five (5.7%) participants opted for psychiatry, 413 (94.3%) for other specialties.
Results: Psychiatry residents show a high stability in their specialty choice. At the end of medical school about half of the graduates have made their decision, 40% decide during the first years of postgraduate training, about 10% change the initially aspired-to specialty.There are only few differences between psychiatry residents and residents of other specialties in regard to sociodemographic characteristics, personality traits, workplace experiences
and aspired-to life goals. As expected, psychiatry residents more often aim at practising in a private practice. They also assess extraprofessional concerns such as family obligations and leisure activities as more important as residents of other specialties.
Conclusion: The results of our study indicate that the need for qualified doctors in psychiatry, especially in psychiatric inpatient facilities, will no longer be met in the future. The outpatient treatment of mentally and psychosomatically ill patients will not be adequately covered because of the small number of future psychiatrists and family physicians. Above all, the restrictions for
psychotherapeutic treatment, established in 2007, will contribute to even less graduates choosing psychiatry as specialty qualification.
Keywords:psychiatry residents; aspired-to career goal; career orientation; workplace experience; psychiatric
health care
Buddeberg-Fischer, B