Evaluating the Impact of an Innovative Public Speaking Competition to Promote Psychiatry as a Career Option for Ghanaian Medical Students.
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Authors
Agyapong, Vincent I O
Hrabok, Marianne
Agyapong-Opoku, Gerald
Khinda, Harsimran
Owusu-Antwi, Ruth
Osei, Akwasi
Ohene, Sammy
Ulzen, Thaddeus
Gilligan, Paul
Issue Date
2018-09-28
Type
Evaluation Study
Journal Article
Journal Article
Language
en
Keywords
Psychiatry , career option , interest , medical students , mental health , stimulate
Alternative Title
Abstract
The psychiatrist workforce has been identified as an area in need of development, especially in low- to middle-income countries. The purpose of this project is to assess the perceptions of Ghanaian medical students of a novel mental health inter-medical school speaking competition on career interest in psychiatry and mental health education and advocacy.
The study employed quantitative and qualitative methods in a cross-sectional design. A paper-based survey was administered to medical students from four schools in Ghana, and focus groups were conducted.
A 52% response rate (545/1041 fifth- and sixth-year medical students from the four public medical schools in Ghana) was achieved. The competition was successful in stimulating interest in psychiatry as a subject (25%) and as a career (14%) and was viewed as serving an important public health and mental health advocacy function (65% and 66% respectively). The competition stimulated interest in students who were undecided or had previously ruled out psychiatry specialization, in both those who had and had not already completed a psychiatry clerkship (23% and 13% before and after completing a clinical rotation in psychiatry, respectively). Overall, 29% of respondents who participated in at least one competition-related activity reported that the competition stimulated their interest in psychiatry, compared to 4% who did not participate in any competition-related activity (Ӽ = 80, p = 0.0). Analysis of focus group content echoed these themes and highlighted opportunities for improvement.
The innovative public speaking competition was successful in stimulating interest in psychiatry and furthering mental health education and advocacy. Implications are discussed.
The study employed quantitative and qualitative methods in a cross-sectional design. A paper-based survey was administered to medical students from four schools in Ghana, and focus groups were conducted.
A 52% response rate (545/1041 fifth- and sixth-year medical students from the four public medical schools in Ghana) was achieved. The competition was successful in stimulating interest in psychiatry as a subject (25%) and as a career (14%) and was viewed as serving an important public health and mental health advocacy function (65% and 66% respectively). The competition stimulated interest in students who were undecided or had previously ruled out psychiatry specialization, in both those who had and had not already completed a psychiatry clerkship (23% and 13% before and after completing a clinical rotation in psychiatry, respectively). Overall, 29% of respondents who participated in at least one competition-related activity reported that the competition stimulated their interest in psychiatry, compared to 4% who did not participate in any competition-related activity (Ӽ = 80, p = 0.0). Analysis of focus group content echoed these themes and highlighted opportunities for improvement.
The innovative public speaking competition was successful in stimulating interest in psychiatry and furthering mental health education and advocacy. Implications are discussed.
Description
Citation
Agyapong, V. I. O., Hrabok, M., Agyapong-Opoku, G., Khinda, H., Owusu-Antwi, R., Osei, A., Ohene, S., Ulzen, T., & Gilligan, P. (2019). Evaluating the Impact of an Innovative Public Speaking Competition to Promote Psychiatry as a Career Option for Ghanaian Medical Students. Academic psychiatry : the journal of the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training and the Association for Academic Psychiatry, 43(2), 180–183. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-018-0986-3
Publisher
License
Journal
Academic psychiatry : the journal of the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training and the Association for Academic Psychiatry
Volume
43
Issue
2
PubMed ID
ISSN
1545-7230