Rediscovering General Psychiatry: Creation of an Academic Division

Abstract

Objective:

To describe the rationale, origins, and goals of a newly created academic division of general psychiatry within a university setting.

Method:

Literature review, observation, and description.

Results:

Within 2 years of its inception, the General Psychiatry Division of the University of Toronto has begun to realize some of its goals and further elucidate specific objectives.

Conclusions:

In an era of increasing academic subspecialization, the preservation of core skills in psychiatry and the recognition of the continuing public need for psychiatric generalists must be enshrined within academic training programs.