Effective Method of Teaching Psychiatry to Undergraduate Medical Students: The Student Perspective

Objectives: A search of the literature revealed that there are no studies of the effectiveness of teaching strategies from the medical students’ perspective. This study aims to explore medical students’ views on various teaching methods in psychiatry. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire describing several learning methods including clinical or bedside teaching, independent study, lectures, teaching aids, verbal/nonverbal behavior, and small-group teaching was administered to sixth-year medical students of the Faculty of Medicine, Health Sciences Center, Kuwait University. Results: Eighty-three percent of the students surveyed thought that well-delivered lectures were the most preferable learning method. Fifty-five percent agreed that live patient presentations were the most effective teaching aid. Independent study and small-group teaching were negatively viewed by 75% of the students. Slides/overheads and video presentations were evaluated by students as the last useful teaching methods. Factors cited as helpful in teaching included an enthusiastic interactive lecturer, a clear, audible voice, and visual teaching materials. Conclusion: This finding suggests that medical students are able to differentiate between effective and ineffective teaching methods in psychiatry and because of this they remain among the keenest critics of the education they receive.