Points to ponder regarding contemporary psychiatric training in Israel

Abstract

In an era in which neuroscience is developing rapidly and different psychotherapeutic modalities are proliferating, psychiatric training encounters new difficulties. This article raises various issues that the authors feel are not adequately addressed in contemporary psychiatric residency programs in Israel. These include basic issues of doctor-patient relationship; different cultural trends such as the increase in popularity of CAM (complementary and alternative medicine), the increase in substance abuse, and the increasing popularity of different spiritual movements; transcultural aspects affecting the prevalence and understanding of different psychopathologies in various sectors of the population; ethical issues particular to psychiatric research; and the future psychiatrist's role as communicator and educator of GPs, mental health workers and the general public. In a time characterized by an abundance of models and theories in psychiatry, the authors stress the need to assist residents in integrating various theories and models into a comprehensive outlook regarding the psyche and psychiatric disorders. As mental hospitals vary greatly in their general psychiatric outlook, emphases, and competence of the senior staff in different fields and treatment modalities, the authors see programs for continuing medical education (CME) as the natural arena in which the issues mentioned in this paper should be addressed.