Journal article
A week long "pep" talk - initial and 2-3-year longitudinal data on the Ottawa Psychiatry Enrichment Program (OPEP)
BMC medical education, Vol.22(1), pp.163-163
03/09/2022
DOI: 10.1186/s12909-022-03216-x
PMCID: PMC8906362
PMID: 35264167
Abstract
Recruitment to psychiatry as a career has been challenging in Canada and abroad despite the known shortage and increasing burden of psychiatric issues globally. Deterrents to choosing psychiatry as a career include its negative stigma and paucity of knowledge about the field. The study goal was to evaluate the Ottawa Psychiatry Enrichment Program (OPEP), a one-week extracurricular program about psychiatry as a career for 1st and 2nd year medical students. We hypothesized OPEP would improve students' attitudes towards psychiatry, and positive changes would be sustained 2-3 years later following their residency match. We hypothesized there would be a high recruitment of OPEP attendees to psychiatry programs.
1st and 2nd year medical students from Canada applied to OPEP. Attendees completed the Attitudes Towards Psychiatry Questionnaire (ATP-30) at three times: before OPEP (PreOPEP), after OPEP (PostOPEP) and after their Canadian Residency Matching Service (CaRMs) match 2-3 years later. OPEP ATP-30 scores were compared to third-year student ATP-30 scores before and after their psychiatry rotation. Data were analysed using Friedman non-parametric ANOVA and post hoc testing by either Wilcoxon rank sum test, Wilcoxon matched pairs signed rank test, or parametric Welch independent t-test as appropriate. Effect sizes of group mean differences were calculated using Cohen's "d".
Between 2017-2018, 29/53 Canadian applicants were selected for OPEP. 100%, 93.1% and 75.8% of OPEP students completed the PreOPEP, PostOPEP, and CaRMs ATP-30 surveys respectively. 43% of OPEP attendees matched to psychiatry. PostOPEP ATP-30 scores (mean = 133, median = 137, SD = 10.6) were significantly higher than PreOPEP ATP-30 (mean score = 121, median = 122, SD = 9.3, p < 0.001) and CaRMS ATP-30 (mean = 126, median = 127, SD = 12.3, p < 0.02) scores. OPEP effect size on ATP-30 scores was large (d = 1.2) but decreased 2-3 years later (p = 0.078, d = 0.44). 97/202 students completed the ATP-30 before and after their psychiatry rotation (clerkship). Clerkship effect size on improvement in ATP-30 was moderate (d = 0.39). There was a non-significant difference between OPEP CaRMS ATP-30 and post clerkship ATP-30 scores (median 127 vs 121, p = 0.056).
OPEP ameliorated attitudes toward Psychiatry, but improvement deteriorated longitudinally. Strategies for program design, and innovations to boost/retain improvements during clerkship years are discussed.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- A week long "pep" talk - initial and 2-3-year longitudinal data on the Ottawa Psychiatry Enrichment Program (OPEP)
- Creators
- Elliott Kyung Lee - University of OttawaAlexandra Morra - University of TorontoKhalid Bazaid - University of OttawaAbdellah Bezzahou - University of OttawaKevin Simas - Carleton UniversityChristopher Taplin - University of OttawaSoojin Chun - University of OttawaJess G Fiedorowicz - University of OttawaAlan Bruce Douglass - University of Ottawa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- BMC medical education, Vol.22(1), pp.163-163
- DOI
- 10.1186/s12909-022-03216-x
- PMID
- 35264167
- PMCID
- PMC8906362
- NLM abbreviation
- BMC Med Educ
- eISSN
- 1472-6920
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 03/09/2022
- Academic Unit
- Psychiatry; Epidemiology; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
- Record Identifier
- 9984227002302771
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