Does a clerkship in psychiatry contribute to changing medical students' attitudes towards psychiatry?

Objective: The psychiatric clerkship is perceived as an intervention point in medical students' attitude toward psychiatry and career choice after graduation. The authors aim to assess the impact of the psychiatric clerkship in students from Israeli and U.S. origin on their attitude toward psychiatry. Methods: A modified Nielsen's questionnaire was administered at the start and end of the clerkship in two groups of students. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in attitude scores between the start and endpoint of a clerkship on both the Israeli and the United States groups. Item analysis did not reveal significant impact of clerkship. Conclusion: The psychiatry clerkship does not change students' view on the attitude assessed in this study, regardless of their origin (Israeli or U.S.). Further research is needed in order to find more clerkship-dependent contributors to positive or negative attitudes toward psychiatry.