The psychiatric contribution to general medical education. Some problems of generalization.

Little difference was found in the extent to which psychosocial data were recorded in two samples of general hospital case-notes written 10 years apart, in spite of a significant increase of apparently relevant material in the undergraduate medical curriculum. Although the house physicians responsible acknowledge the importance of the data, their estimate of recording frequency was much higher than was actually the case. Impediments to such recording were identified. The apparent lack of generalization of learning is presented as an important problem relevant to psychiatrists who have a major responsibility for teaching in these areas. Suggestions are made of ways in which generalization might be facilitated.