What medical students say about psychiatry: Results of a reflection exercise

Objective: The author describes the results of a reflection exercise for psychiatry clerkship students. Method: The author performed a qualitative analysis on 100 "reflection" papers written by medical students in their psychiatry clerkship and identified the most prominent thematic content. Results: The most common thematic content involved social issues in psychiatry, the reality of mental illness, the role of trauma, difficulties forming alliances with patients, the efficacy of interventions, the power of empathic connection, and students' personal identifications. Conclusion: Reflection exercises can foster students' awareness of their preexisting attitudes toward mental illness and the evolution of their views during training. Educators can use reflection exercises to better appreciate their students' concerns and target curriculum content toward specific issues.