Abstract

Background: Nigerian Medical Schools need to attain international best practices in teaching psychiatry. The supply or availability of mental health professionals demands strong medical school psychiatry curriculum. The study therefore aims to investigate the level of adherence of Nigerian
Medical Schools to the requirements of the regulatory bodies with regard to the teaching of Psychiatry at the undergraduate level.
Methods: A short seven item questionnaire was distributed to examiners in the Faculty of Psychiatrics in kyuv 2.0W, l.e Fellowship Examination of the West African College of Physicians.
Results: Thirteen medical schools, spread across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria were represented. Ten of the schools (79.6%) reported having a separate department of psychiatry. Only five of the medical schools provide some teaching in behavioural sciences during the preclinical years. Seven schools have no ward round teaching, most have neither tutorials nor seminars and majority (84.6%) do not conduct an independent examination in psychiatry.
Conclusions: Psychiatry curriculum is being selectively implemented in Nigerian Medical Schools

Key words: K e y w o r d s : P s y c h i a t r y , Curriculum, Medical schools, Nigeria, Teaching