Amit Malik

The development of the internet has brought about a seachange in the traditional doctor-patient relationship. No longer is the patient entirely at the mercy of their doctor to tell them about their problems. Meer

Significant changes were made to the way psychiatric trainees' skills are assessed for the MRCPsych examinations in 2007. Much teaching, learning and assessment now occurs in the workplace in real clinical situations, with the emphasis being on outcome as reflected by the performance of the doctor. Meer

In mental health, as in other medical disciplines, the role of the professional is changing. The availability of information, enhanced roles of other healthcare professionals and changes in training have altered the doctor-patient relationship and left professionals accountable to the needs of clients, politicians, policy makers and funding agencies. Meer

In psychiatry, as in many other medical disciplines, training is shifting from an emphasis on testing factual knowledge towards a system based on continuing assessment and the acquisition of practical skills and competencies. Meer