Interactive Psychiatric Mental Status Exam Tutorial (Out of Print)

Abstract This module contains an interactive, web-based, multimedia tour through the psychiatric mental status exam (MSE) that is intended for use as a self-study module in preparation for seeing patients in a clinical psychiatric setting. The tutorial is structured in the format of the MSE and the user can navigate at will through a multitude of video examples of an actor portraying common psychiatric findings; as well as distinctive definitions of terms describing the findings to help the user grasp subtle differences in terms. It is intended to take 45-60 minutes to complete. We also give our students an interactive quiz via the Blackboard course management system to test their knowledge after completing the tutorial. The quiz is not included in the tutorial currently. This tutorial was developed at the request of students rotating on the psychiatry clerkship. They reported having little exposure to the terminology and structure of the psychiatric mental status exam. They felt text definitions to commonly used psychiatric terms were difficult to conceptualize clinically, leaving them confused. After development of this tool students reported a broader understanding of psychiatric terminology. Several students continued to reference the tutorial throughout their clerkship experience. Students appreciated real life examples of terms that most have never heard let alone seen clinically. They report more thorough understanding of the terminology and appreciate the video content.