Modern Trends: The Impact of Social, Technological, and Economic Forces on Psychiatric Education and Training

Abstract

Education has evolved in the medical professions on the basis of the perceived needs for training, the availability of educational resources, and the methods judged most appropriate for teaching the necessary competencies for current clinical practice, research, and administration. According to current trends, a number of social, economic, and political forces are expected to have a major influence on undergraduate medical education (UME) and graduate medical education (GME) in the future. In recent years, most attention in medical education has focused on the rapid changes in the content, pedagogic models, and methods of evaluating students and residents. Significant changes in the organization, regulation, and support for medical education have also occurred, however, along with increased societal pressures for additional and new services. The impact of these factors on the current systems of care, educational platforms, and workforce are overlapping and complex. For the purpose of review and discussion in this editorial, we have grouped them into the categories of regulatory, financial, clinical learning environment, social, and information technology factors.