Psychiatry's Impact on Medical Students' Specialty Selection.

The influence of a psychiatry department on medical students' specialty choices was examined, even when that choice was not psychiatry. Data were collected from two classes (n=95 and n=103). A theoretical continuum of specialties ranging from the most patient-oriented to the most technically oriented was developed. The results indicate that contact with psychiatry faculty and patients not only affects those who choose psychiatry but also influences those who choose the entire range of medical specialties.