The student-run clinic: a new opportunity for psychiatric education

Student-run clinics are increasingly common in medical schools across the United States and may provide new opportunities for psychiatric education. This study investigates the educational impact of a novel behavioral health program focused on depressive disorders at a student-run clinic.

The program was assessed through chart review and student self-report questionnaire.

The rates at which students were able to diagnose and offer treatment for major depressive disorder doubled after implementation of the behavioral health program. Of the students who completed the questionnaire (N=63), nearly all (98%) agreed that their clinic experience was a valuable supplement to their psychiatric education, and 83% agreed that it taught them a skill or attitude their formal curriculum could not have.

This study adds to the growing literature on student-run clinics as unique contributors to medical training by demonstrating benefits specific to psychiatric education.