Child and adolescent psychiatry residency training: current issues and controversies

To examine major current influences on child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP) residency training, highlighting the most common problems. Potential solutions and unresolved dilemmas are presented.

Data were gathered from empirical studies, review articles, national census data, and discussions over the past decade at national meetings on recruitment of residents and faculty; clinical, didactic, and research training; the impact of managed care and changes in graduate medical education funding; and the professional development of CAP residents.

Overall there are significant problems recruiting U.S. medical students and attracting faculty into CAP training programs. Economic forces, including decreased reimbursements from managed care and the federal government, are threatening the survival and vitality of training programs. Managed care is harmful for sound residency training and identity formation of the child and adolescent psychiatrist.

The integrity of CAP residency training in the future will depend on increased efforts of teaching hospitals and programs to develop fiscally viable systems of care integrated with residency training; seek new sources of training subsidies; modify traditional models of clinical and didactic curricula; and foster greater collaboration between training programs locally and nationally.