Promoting psychiatry as a career option for Ghanaian medical students through a public-speaking competition

Objectives: Authors assessed the impact of a public-speaking competition on the level of interest in psychiatry of Ghanaian medical students. Method: An inter-medical school public-speaking competition was organized to promote psychiatry as a fulfilling career option for Ghanaian medical students. Feedback questionnaires were completed by the students and others in attendance at the event (N=122). The results were compiled and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Of the 80 feedback forms received, 37 (46.2%) were from medical students; 2 (2.5%) from physicians; 19 (23.8%) from other health professionals, mainly nursing students; and 22 (27.5%) were from journalists. Of the medical students, 29 (78.4%) agreed that the competition had helped positively change their perception of psychiatry; 22 students (59.5%) agreed or strongly agreed that the interest of medical students in psychiatry would be stimulated by the competition; 10 students (27%) agreed or strongly agreed that they would consider psychiatry as a career option if the government were to offer attractive incentive packages for doctors to train in psychiatry. Conclusion: An inter-medical school public speaking competition is an innovative way to encourage medical students in a developing country like Ghana to consider a career in psychiatry.