The concept of culture in psychiatric residency education

Diagnosis and treatment in psychiatry are heavily influenced by cultural factors. The author argues that the subject of culture warrants a place in the curriculum of psychiatric residency education. He outlines approaches to the teaching of cultural psychiatry that have been used successfully in several departments of psychiatry. He feels that although the medical model of understanding mental illness has demonstrated its effectiveness in chemotherapeutic, psychotherapeutic, and other treatments, the cultural model can often provide unique insights and approaches in patient care.