The effect of clinical clerkship on students' attitudes toward psychiatry in Karachi, Pakistan

Objective: Attitudes of medical students toward a specialty is strongly related to their future choice of specialty. In developing countries like Pakistan, where there is a shortage of psychiatrists, there is a need to assess the effect of exposure to psychiatry on medical students. Methods: The authors conducted a survey of fourth-year medical students at Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan. Results: Psychiatry clerkship had an overall positive attitude toward psychiatric illness, patients, and psychiatrists, but no effect on students' choice of psychiatry as a career. Conclusion: Psychiatry teaching needs to be made more relevant to the rest of the medical curricula. This may improve students' interest and their future choice of psychiatry as an area of specialization.