Are Australian medical students missing out on psychological skills?

BACKGROUND: Common mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety can often be treated with evidence based psychological interventions. Existing research indicates that Australian medical courses are poorly preparing their graduates for this role. METHOD: A mail survey of the Chairs of curriculum committees in the 11 Australian medical schools providing 5 or 6 year undergraduate medical education in 2004. RESULTS: Nine of the 11 universities returned their surveys with only three dedicating more than minimal resources to educating students in the area of psychological therapy. DISCUSSION: More time and resources are required in the Australian medical school curriculum to increase the level of psychological skills training for medical students.