Examining the Past and Advocating for the Future of Forensic Psychiatry Training

Abstract

The American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (AAPL) has been devoted to the teaching of forensic psychiatry, and as AAPL celebrates its 50th Anniversary, it seems fitting to examine the history and the current status of forensic psychiatry teaching in general psychiatry residencies and forensic psychiatry fellowships. After a brief review of the history of AAPL and forensic psychiatry training, this article explores the current state of graduate medical education (GME) in the United States, the growing popularity of psychiatry as a specialty and forensic psychiatry as a subspecialty, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education's requirements for forensic training, and the methods currently used to teach forensic psychiatry to general psychiatry residents. This article also examines the current status of forensic psychiatry fellowship training in the United States. Finally, future challenges to forensic training in both residencies and fellowships will be discussed, as well as the need for AAPL and others in the profession to advocate for increased forensic teaching in a manner that leads to the production of both general and forensic psychiatrists who are competent to practice independently and who are sufficient in number to meet the growing demands for forensic expertise.