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Background: Misconceptions about the role of a psychiatrist are anecdotally widespread but have been under researched. Aims: This study aimed to establish views on training and working in psychiatry amongst preclinical medical students at a South London Medical School and amongst a general public sample. Methods: A semi-structured online questionnaire was used to survey medical students, with a similar paper questionnaire being used to survey members of the public in a general practice waiting room using a convenience sampling method. Results: Strikingly, the majority of the public thought that psychiatrists did not need a medical degree (54%) or postgraduate training (56%). There were significant misconceptions about treatments used in mental health, for example 16% of the public sample thought psychiatrists never use medication and 31% of medical students (and 14% of the public) thought psychiatrists never use electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). In response to 'do you believe a psychiatrist is able to know what people are thinking?', 45% of students and 57% of the public answered 'sometimes'. Conclusion: The results have important implications for public education, as lack of awareness about psychiatry may inhibit help seeking for mental illness, and have a negative impact on recruitment to psychiatry amongst medical students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]