Medical students' attitudes toward a state hospital

To expose medical students to public psychiatry and destigmatize their attitudes about state hospitals, third-year medical students in a psychiatric clerkship were assigned to a 1-day visit at a nearby state mental hospital Over a 2-year period (1988-1990), the medical students' attitudes toward state hospitals were measured before and after the visit. Of the 188 survey pairs (measurements of the students' pre- and post-visit attitudes) that were distributed, 173 pairs were collected. The students reported more favorable views after the visit on four of seven items. Because attitudes about psychiatry continue to develop during clerkships, medical students should be afforded broad exposure to career options in psychiatry, including site visits to state mental hospitals.