An undergraduate Balint group in Cape Town

Five months' experience of a Balint group composed of 5th year medical students and a general practitioner facilitator is reported. The students found that the group helped to fill a big gap in their current training, i.e. in the area of the doctor-patient relationship. It is now widely accepted that understanding and skills in the psychological aspects of general practice are of great importance, not only because of the high incidence of such problems but because of the role of psychological factors in physical illness. For example, studies have demonstrated that the single most important factor determining the extent of patient compliance with the doctor's instructions for treatment is the quality of the doctor-patient relationship.