Interpersonal factors in the psychiatry clerkship: new findings.

The authors took an empirical approach to determining ingredients of a successful psychiatry clerkship. They collected measures of clinical, didactic, and interpersonal experiences throughout the clerkship and correlated these with a range of outcomes. Correlations showed that positive relationships with supervisors, fellow students, and patients were strongly related to favorable attitudes and opinions at the end of the clerkship and to improvements in self-rated clinical skills. Only outcomes related to formal knowledge were independent of these factors. These findings highlight the importance of structuring a positive interpersonal environment for the psychiatry clerkship.