Psychiatry chief resident opinions toward basic and clinical neuroscience training and practice

The authors queried attendees to a chief resident conference on whether program education and training in neuroscience or in translating neuroscience research into practice is sufficient and what changes are needed.

The authors developed and administered a 26-item voluntary questionnaire to each attendee at the Chief Residents' Leadership Conference at the American Psychiatric Association 2013 annual meeting in San Francisco, CA.

Out of 94 attendees, 55 completed and returned questionnaires (58.5%). A majority of respondents stated that their program provided adequate training in neuroscience (61.8%); opportunities for neuroscience research existed for them (78.2%), but that their program did not prepare them for translating future neuroscience research findings into clinical practice (78.9%) or educate them on the NIMH Research Domain Criteria (83.3%). A majority of respondents stated that the ACGME should require a specific neuroscience curriculum (79.6%).

Chief residents believe that curricular and cultural change is needed in psychiatry residency neuroscience education.