Medical residents evaluate their medical school training in psychosocial care

A questionnaire was sent to all 77 general medical residents at one teaching hospital (18 primary care and 59 the traditional program), to investigate retrospectively their psychosocial training in medical school. 62 complete surveys (81%) were returned. The training was rated good by 62% of the residents and important for psychosocial practice by 45%. In ambulatory settings, supervisors were rated as supporting the doctor-patient relationship (79%) and spending time on psychosocial problems (65%). In inpatient settings, spending time on psychosocial problems was not widely supported (36%). Training to interview was rated far from optimal by 49% of the residents. Psychosocial attitudes in residency did not have substantial correlations with training. In the choice of residency program, what distinguished residents in primary care from those in the traditional program was the positive ratings given their supervisors' psychosocial orientation, but not the supervisors' nor the residents' psychosocial competency or weeks spent in training. In sum, the two most potent influences on psychosocial orientation appear to be positive role models and the clinical setting.