Shrinking the western Pacific: psychiatric training for medical students from Micronesia

In 1989 the Hawaii State Hospital became the primary site for clinical teaching of psychiatry to students of the Pacific Basin Medical Officer Training Program, a program designed to train clinicians for the western Pacific. The psychiatry clerkship was developed to provide practical training in psychiatry to clinicians who will practice in Micronesia. Challenges encountered by the educators, including transcultural issues, are discussed. Interventions found to be effective in resolving these challenges are described.