Some gestalt contributions to psychiatry.

Gestalt theory and methods support significant behavioral change and personal growth, yet they have not been widely incorporated into modern psychiatric practice. Challenges to employing Gestalt principles in psychiatric practice exist, such as focus on diagnosis to guide treatment planning, key elements of psychiatric training, primacy of medication management in psychiatric practice, and financial pressures. However, the concepts of the co-created relational field in the here and now, the paradoxical theory of change, the cycle of experience, and the use of experiment are Gestalt concepts and methods that can be effectively applied in the modern practice of clinical psychiatry and psychiatric education.

Usage of the National Board of Medical Examiners Subject Test in Psychiatry by U.S. and Canadian clerkships.

Objective: The authors explored psychiatry clerkship usage of the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) Subject Test.

Methods: U.S.

The "shrinking" clerkship: characteristics and length of clerkships in psychiatry undergraduate education.

Objective: The authors explored the time that is currently devoted to psychiatry clerkships to determine whether "shortened" clerkships differ in course director satisfaction and evaluation strategies.

Method: An 18-item questionnaire was sent to 150 U.S.

Standards for Psychiatry Clerkship Directors.

The authors review the literature relevant to the position of Psychiatry Clerkship Director (PCD) and propose standards regarding the expectations for this position. The standards address qualifications, duties, and competencies in the areas of leadership, administration, education, mentoring, and scholarship, as well as the resources of time, administrative assistance, budget, and compensation required to carry out these duties. This paper has been endorsed by the Council of the Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry (ADMSEP), by the American Psychiatric Association's Committee on Medical Student Education, and by the Executive Committee of the American Association of Chairmen of Departments of Psychiatry.