Psychosomatic education: Who teaches what and where at the University of British Columbia

Abstract

For this enquiry psychosomatic education was defined as education in areas that encompass a psychological as well as biological view of illness. The scope of this activity, undergraduate and postgraduate, was assessed by a review of curriculum content, and by a questionnaire of the clinical faculty that examined their attitudes to psychiatry in Medicine, what they actually taught, and whom they relied on for help. Obstacles to psychosomatic education stemmed from a negative view of Psychiatry as well as the omission of instruction by prestigious role models. The facilitation of psychosomatic education required a greater accessibility of psychiatrists to medical peers, and an expanded role for consultation liaison services into medical student teaching. New programs in holistic and behavioural medicine represented an emerging thrust particularly at the postgraduate level. Psychosomatic education should focus on specific training objectives acceptable to medical colleagues, educators and health planners.