Symposium

Abstract

Symposium Current Status of Psychiatry Training for Medical Students in India: Training in psychiatry for the medical undergraduates (UGs) have substantially changed with the competency based UG curriculum. Analysis and evaluation of psychiatry training status, issues, and differential implementation (duration and clinical exposure) across India, and its sufficiency would be crucial.Attitude and reflection from Medical Students towards Psychiatry: Medical UGs should be able to identify and manage common mental health (MH) conditions in primary care settings or while serving in our departments. Knowledge and attitude towards psychiatry are determined by awareness about MH issues, peer learning, depiction in movies, social environment, including stigma attached with mental illness and psychiatry as a discipline, Internet or social media, etc. Literature on these needs to be looked at, and necessary awareness programs and activities should be undertaken to promote a positive attitude towards psychiatry.Psychiatric Training of Undergraduate across the World: It is important to explore the psychiatric training of medical UGs across the world. Psychiatry training has been enhanced and made interesting for medical UGs through a various module to like hat games, simulation training, summer programs, destigmatizing activities, etc. Their utility and validity in the Indian scenario would be assessed.Recommendations to enrich Psychiatry training: Clinically oriented training, career options, short- term research projects, integrating psychiatry training with other disciplines (chronic medical conditions, etc.), mentoring, peer-support training, etc. can enrich psychiatry training and enhance students’ interest. The utility and feasibility of such activities in the Indian context would be explored.