COMPARING MEDICAL AND GRADUATE-SCHOOL TRAINING - A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE

In this paper the author subjectively compares his experiences in medical school, psychiatric residency training, and an AAMFT-accredited PhD program in marriage and family therapy. The goal is to stimulate thinking on the nature of training and professional identity. This is done by making assumptions regarding training overt which usually go unrecognized and unchallenged. Differences and similarities between the two programs of training are high-lighted and discussed. It is proposed that the primary objective of professional training is to learn how to apply knowledge while the primary objective of graduate training is to learn how to question knowledge.