Objectives of psychiatric education in a primary care curriculum

This paper gives the rationale, background, and outline of psychiatric curriculum development in the education of the primary care physician at one medical school. It is important to clarify the educational objectives, to develop specific teaching techniques to meet the objectives, and to have adequate assessment measures to evaluate the objectives and techniques. Additionally, it is necessary for an ongoing committee to continue to monitor and adjust the program as the assessment requires. The value of the program has been educational clarity, the development of a high esprit de corp among the faculty, student acceptance, and integration of psychiatry into the total medical school curriculum.