Our country has around 15,000 psychiatrists today, which is not enough to meet the needs of the French.
- In 2023, 67 positions out of the 547 places open in psychiatry in the ECN (National Ranking Tests) remained vacant.
- “While this was unfortunately not the first time, for us it is the symbol of a specialty that is the victim of preconceived ideas,” indicate Olivier Bonnot, president of the CNUP and Pierre Vidailhet, former president of the CNUP.
- The CNUP thus lists 5 preconceived ideas of medical students about psychiatry.
While it is increasingly difficult to find a psychiatrist in France, the National College of Psychiatric Academics (CNUP) lists the misconceptions that push medical students not to choose this profession.
Misconception number 1: “Psychiatrist is a difficult and psychologically burdensome job.”
65% of medical students consider the specialty to be too emotionally charged when faced with the psychological suffering of patients.
Misconception number 2: “Psychiatry does not allow for teamwork.”
63% of medical students consider the practice of psychiatry to be too isolated.
Misconception number 3: “Psychiatry is a less prestigious discipline.”
62% of medical students consider psychiatry to be a less glorifying specialty than others.
Misconception number 4: “Less interesting research in psychiatry”.
For 49% of medical students, research in psychiatry seems less captivating than in other specialties.
Misconception number 5: “All psychiatric professions are alike.”
The distinction between the different specialties of psychiatry is not clear for 24% of medical students.
Psychiatry: “our specialty suffers from its erroneous representations”
Despite an increase in the number of positions at the national level, psychiatry remains at the back of the pack of specialties chosen by medical students. In 2023, 67 positions out of the 547 places open in psychiatry at the ECN (National Ranking Exams) remained vacant.
“If this was unfortunately not the first time, it is for us the symbol of a specialty that is the victim of preconceived ideas,” indicate Olivier Bonnot, President of the CNUP and Pierre Vidailhet, former President of the CNUP. “This alarming observation underlines the need to rethink our view of psychiatry in France, because our specialty suffers from its erroneous representations when it comes to attracting young doctors,” they add.
“It is up to us, practicing professionals, to rekindle the flame and revive the interest of medical students in this little-known but nevertheless essential specialty. It is our collective and societal responsibility to contribute to a healthier society.”they believe. “So we launched an appeal to students and future doctors via the #ChoosePsychiatry campaign”, they conclude.
13 million French people affected by mental disorders or mental illness
Psychiatric disorders and care needs are constantly increasing in France, particularly since the Covid-19 health crisis. 13 million people living in our territory are currently affected by mental disorders or mental illness.
