Psychiatrists-especially child psychiatrists-are the only medical specialists identified by the federal Council on Graduate Medical Education as in significantly short supply, yet under the plan proposed by President and Mrs. Clinton, their numbers will be threatened even further. That is the irony missed by your story (Jan. 16) of a cardiologist learning from a psychiatrist about treating the simpler cases of depression.
The Clinton administration has proposed requiring that within five years 50 percent of all new physician residency slots be reserved for “primary care.” This draconian measure would slash the training of all medical specialists, even though psychiatric specialists are already in short supply. Worse yet, those in the administration know of this problem and seem not to care.
Those recovering from severe mental illness, their families and their psychiatrists do care, and we are concerned that patients will soon face even further decreased choice in regard to therapist and mode of treatment. While non-psychiatric physicians and non-physician therapists may be able to help certain patients with certain mental health problems, there is no substitute for the broadly, deeply trained medical psychiatrist when it comes to evaluating and caring for the severely ill or those whose conditions have complicating factors.
