A Psychiatry Clerkship Orientation Based on Bite-Sized Teaching and Chalk Talks

Chalk talks are a subtype of bite-sized teaching with potential benefits over conventional teaching methods, including their use of visuals, adaptability, and potential to be more engaging. The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of an orientation curriculum for medical students during the psychiatry clerkship based on bite-sized teaching and chalk talks.

A series of brief (10 min) lectures were developed covering fundamental skills in psychiatry, including psychiatric interview, mental status exam, and differential diagnosis. Talks were presented to medical students by the study author on the first day of their psychiatry clerkship in 60-min group educational sessions with 10–15 students per group. Data was gathered in pre- and post-session surveys that measured response to 4 knowledge-based questions on mental status exam terminology, 3 questions assessing confidence in completing skills associated with the talks, and 3 questions assessing beliefs regarding these skills.

Fifty-six medical students participated in the educational sessions and completed pre- and post-session surveys. Students showed significant improvement from pre- to post-session in answering knowledge questions and perceived confidence in all skills, and indicated significant change in their beliefs regarding these topics.

Although this is a small study without a control group, the results provide initial evidence that approaches to teaching foundational psychiatry topics based on bite-sized teaching and chalk talks may be an acceptable and more time-efficient alternative to a traditional lecture-based curriculum, and can produce significant changes in knowledge and attitudes.