Cultural factors in the training of psychiatric residents in an Hispanic urban community

Abstract

This paper describes a resident's experience with his first Puerto Rican patient who practiced spiritualism, also elaborating on the major problems encountered, in so far as training for psychiatric residents is concerned. Furthermore, an attempt is made to analyze the role that residency training programs should play in preparing the student psychiatrists to assume a more sophisticated role when confronted with such patients, who are so common in the urban ghettoes of the United States.