Abstract
BACKGROUND: The cultivation of psychiatry graduate students is essential to addressing the shortage of mental health resources in China. However, no systematic research has yet explored the homogeneity of their training programs across universities. This study investigates the homogeneity of both training outcomes and processes at different institutions, providing evidence-based insights that could inform policy-making. METHODS: From June 2022 to December 2022, surveys were administered through an online questionnaire platform to selected universities. The survey encompassed general information, the training process, and the outcomes of the training. RESULTS: Among the four types of universities, significant differences were observed in various aspects of the clinical training process, including teaching rounds (P < 0.05), case discussions (P < 0.01), small lectures (P < 0.01), teaching conditions (P < 0.01), and total scores (P < 0.01). During the research training process, significant differences were also noted in research conditions (P < 0.01) and total scores (P < 0.05). In the humanistic quality training process, only morality showed significant differences (P < 0.01). Additionally, the total score of the overall training process exhibited significant variation (P < 0.01). Regarding training outcomes, graduation examinations differed significantly among the four universities (P < 0.01). Correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between clinical conditions (r = 0.327, P < 0.01), research conditions (r = 0.453, P < 0.01), and total scores (r = 0.307, P < 0.05). However, no significant correlation was found for humanistic quality conditions (r = 0.044, P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The training outcomes for psychiatry graduate students demonstrate a high degree of homogeneity; however, the consistency of the training process requires enhancement. Greater emphasis should be placed on both daily clinical practice and research integration to ensure comprehensive skill development.