Making It Real: From Telling to Showing, Sharing, and Doing in Psychiatric Education

Abstract

Objective: Innovations in contemporary medical education could inform remedies to address enduring challenges such as the marginalization and stigmatization of psychiatry, of mental illnesses, and of those affected by them. Methods: In blending the works of Bleakley, Bligh, and Brown (2011) and of Kumagai and Naidu (2015), we developed an overarching heuristic with practical relevance and concrete applications to psychiatric education. Results: We identify three areas to enhance psychiatric education embedded into this blended framework: 1) Showing, or the more accurate depiction or imaging of mental illnesses and of psychiatric practice, as exemplified by the incorporation into didactic content of asynchronous video-based clinical materials produced with specific educational objectives in mind; 2) Sharing, or addressing the image problem of mental illnesses, of those living with or affected by them, and of psychiatry as a profession, as exemplified by psychiatrists embracing their role as experts by professional and personal experience when sharing their own journeys with mental illness, treatment, and recovery; and 3) Doing, or reimagining reflective psychiatric practice, as exemplified by the novel methodology of co-constructive patient simulation (CCPS), through which learners can engage in reflective practice and supervision in a participatory and democratic setting that does not privilege participants’ hierarchical standing. Conclusion: The blended model and the sample applications we describe offer a range of teaching, learning, and professional development opportunities, should psychiatric educators choose to pursue them and reap their promise.