Psychiatric Education in the Americas

Changing values regarding the delivery of reparative and preventive health services require increased social sensitivity as well as public health competence on the part of psychiatrists. These goals and more adequate behavioral science education for clinicians may be achieved by a program leading to an M.D. degree with a major in human behavior. Our lack of basic knowledge, however, makes it essential that additional qualified students be trained as psychiatric investigators via post-M.D. research oriented programs. This raises questions about diverse patterns of training and the development of different categories of psychiatric practitioners or specialists. The formulation of internationally recognized accrediting standards would facilitate the development of rational training sequences, reduce the brain drain from less to more industrialized nations, and produce competent psychiatrists whose credentials would be acceptable throughout the hemisphere.