Teaching sexual history-taking skills using the Sexual Events Classification System.

OBJECTIVE: The authors review the literature about educational programs for teaching sexual history-taking skills and describe novel techniques for teaching these skills. METHODS: Psychiatric residents enrolled in a brief sexual history-taking course that included instruction on the Sexual Events Classification System, feedback on residents' video-recorded interviews with simulated patients, discussion of videos that simulated bad interviews, simulated patients, and a competency scoring form to score a video of a simulated interview. After the course, residents completed an anonymous survey to assess the usefulness of the experience. RESULTS: After the course, most residents felt more comfortable taking sexual histories. They described the Sexual Events Classification System and simulated interviews as practical methods for teaching sexual history-taking skills. CONCLUSION: The Sexual Events Classification System and simulated patient experiences may serve as a practical model for teaching sexual history-taking skills to general psychiatric residents.

Teaching scholars programs: faculty development for educators in the health professions.

OBJECTIVE: This article 1) provides an overview of formal Health Sciences Teaching Scholars Programs as presented in medical education literature and 2) presents information about an innovative multidiscipline Teaching Scholars Program. METHOD: Health Sciences Teaching Scholars Programs and similar programs were reviewed in the medical education literature to identify similar and dissimilar characteristics. The WVU Teaching Scholars Program highlighted in this article is presented with a discussion of goals, objectives, target audiences, course length, session frequency, program topics, learning methods, and assessments of the programs. A summary of the WVU Teaching Scholars Program and two Teaching Scholars Programs at McGill University and the University of Toronto were presented at the Association for American Medical Colleges (AAMC) annual meeting in 2006 for input from the general medical education audience. RESULTS: Comparisons of Health Sciences Teaching Scholars Programs reveal that successful programs are uniquely shaped by their educational environments. Scholars report that they value learning new teaching methods and improving their educational careers. CONCLUSION: Teaching Scholars Programs are valuable for the development of enhancing both teaching and scholarship in Health Sciences Programs and must adapt to the uniqueness of their respective educational environments and must continue to nurture scholars beyond graduation.

Headspace theater: an innovative method for experiential learning of psychiatric symptomatology using modified role-playing and improvisational theater techniques.

OBJECTIVE: Headspace Theater has been developed to allow small group learning of psychiatric conditions by creating role-play situations in which participants are placed in a scenario that simulates the experience of the condition. METHOD: The authors conducted a literature review of role-playing techniques, interactive teaching, and experiential education, and performed consultations with experts in improvisational theater, live-action role-playing, and cognitive psychology (constructivism). RESULTS: Participants have universally rated the Headspace Theater experience positively. They affirmed that the simulations evoke emotions and cognitive distortions that create a window into the experience of a patient suffering from psychiatric symptoms. Several participants have also disseminated the techniques and scenarios to their local teaching setting. CONCLUSIONS: Headspace Theater may serve as a useful tool for helping various learners to experientially understand what a person may encounter when under the influence of a mental health condition, and thus help shape attitudes and increase empathy toward such people.