The educational environment: Comparisons of the British and American postgraduate psychiatry training programmes in an Asian setting

Background: An American styled residency programme for postgraduate psychiatry training introduced in parallel with an existing British-styled programme in Singapore has proved challenging at various levels. Aims: This study determined the educational environment of both programmes using the Postgraduate Hospital Educational Environment Measure (PHEEM) questionnaire. Method: All residents and trainees were invited to participate in this cross-sectional study with a self-administered PHEEM questionnaire. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 16. Results: Trainees and residents perceived training as "more positive than negative with room for improvement." The subscale score for Teaching was lowest. Residents were dissatisfied with their new structured programme. Perceptions of clinical teachers were low in both training programmes. Conclusion: The existence of two programmes impacts the educational environment. Those involved in introducing revisions to educational programmes and curricula must attend to change management.