Teaching psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy: Assessment by the students

In the context of evaluation, experiences, attitudes, expectations and assessments concerning teaching psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy were examined. For that purpose students of the winter term 1993/94 were given a questionnaire before and after the practical course. The students had little experience with the subject. They described low expectations regarding the training. However, they showed a very positive attitude towards the subject. After the course, they judged the training positively. In particular, the affective-subjective contents, considered as being typical for the subject, correlated with positive judgements of the teaching. Thus, in may be concluded that these aspects may be conveyed to the students by means of a Balint-like method of teaching and that these aspects are accepted by the students.