The Institute of Medicine's report on Research Training in Psychiatry Residency: Strategies for Reform--background, results, and follow up.

OBJECTIVE: The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) determined that declines in the psychiatrist-researcher workforce are harming public needs and that significant steps are necessary to alter current trends.
METHOD: The NIMH commissioned the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to examine the undersupply and recommend solutions. The NIMH subsequently appointed a National Psychiatry Training Council (NPTC) to facilitate implementation of the IOM's recommendations.
RESULTS: The IOM recommendations and preliminary NPTC actions to address them are described.
CONCLUSIONS: Increasing the psychiatrist-researcher workforce will require interventions involving many institutions. The NPTC's efforts may offer practical solutions for approaching complex and admittedly challenging difficulties.