The Elimination of the Internship—An Act of Regression
JOHN ROMANO M.D.1
1 Distinguished university professor of psychiatry and chairman, department of psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, and psychiatrist-in-chief, Strong Memorial Hospital, 260 Crittenden Blvd., Rochester, N. Y. 14620
Elimination of the internship requirement will seriously limit the future psychiatrist's unique contributions to his own field as well as to other areas of medical practice, in this author's opinion. The implications of such a change have not yet been fully discussed, and clarification is needed as to how the desirable features of the internship are to be incorporated into psychiatric residency training programs. The author warns that blind acceptance of the trend toward earlier specialization in medical education may lead to neglect of the major issue—the provision of quality education for future psychiatrists.
