Abstract
To say that medical postgraduation differs vastly from undergraduate education would be an understatement and this is truer than most for the branch of psychiatry. Most undergraduates, even those mildly interested in the matters of the mind, have very limited exposure to what psychiatry actually entails. Students generally undergo inadequate training in psychiatry and do not acquire the necessary competence in identifying or dealing with common mental disorders. Psychiatry is possibly the only branch to be viewed as loosely scientific and inefficient by medical students. This professional stigmatization adds to the societal stigma which is detrimental to mental health services. 1
Although in a country like India, which trains the most number of psychiatrists in the world, where more than 800 join the profession annually, for postgraduates, there are no signboards guiding them on the road to residency and no warning signs for the potential hairpin bends.
A recent survey of young psychiatrists in India found that the activities that were associated with higher level of stress perception in psychiatry residents were dissertations, followed by academics, clinical documentation, regular assessment examinations, and administrative responsibilities. 2 It can be a confusing, and at times frustrating, baptism of fire.
This is where a book like Perspectives in Psychiatry Training, addressing some of the unmet needs of a psychiatrist in infancy, becomes pertinent. The book begins with good-to-know and ought-to-know snippets of a residency, and an eventual practice, in psychiatry. It gives pointers about dealing with criticism and the daily grind, daily rounds, and wearing the multiple different hats a postgraduate is expected to. The book gives a brief outline of how a postgraduate can efficiently manage dissertations, research, and publications without sacrificing their work, or their peace of mind.
It is common for clinicians to prioritize other psychiatric symptoms over complains of sex and relationships. This book briefly sheds light upon these often ignored areas and is a beneficial tool for trainees in psychosexual medicine.
A resident enters the course with the aspirations of passing it with minimal fuss, and this book, with dedicated chapters to studying, handling examinations, and examiners, is a boon for any psychiatrist to be. Its remit also extends to giving the reader valuable pearls about medical ethics, patient care, self and family care, and using teaching as the most effective way of continued learning. In the closing chapters, it shines a light on what the future holds for a career in psychiatry, what lies on the avenue of super-specializations, and then culminating in a “from the horse’s mouth” account of residency by postgraduates in training.
The book has been authored by multiple psychiatrists at various stages of their careers, and thus ends up doing a stellar job of giving the reader a bird’s eye view of the field of psychiatry. It would have been useful to include a chapter or 2 directed specifically toward undergraduates, briefly orienting them to what psychiatry as a branch means.
The book, consisting of 27 chapters, has been expertly edited and compiled into a sequential highlight reel of the making of a psychiatrist: from the first day, to becoming a clinician, and beyond. Perspectives in Psychiatry Training: What Every Postgraduate Must Know is an enlightening read with focus not only on the here and now but also on the ever-expanding horizons of this challenging and enriching field of medicine that is psychiatry.
Interestingly, the book is brought out by a charitable trust (Minds United for Health Sciences & Humanity Trust) and the e-book is free for download from