Teaching Forensic Psychiatry to General Psychiatry Residents

Objective: The Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requires that general psychiatry residency training programs provide trainees with exposure to forensic psychiatry. Limited information is available on how to develop a core curriculum in forensic psychiatry for general psychiatry residents and few articles have been published on the topic. Methods: The objective of this article is to provide an overview of forensic psychiatry topics likely to be of benefit to general psychiatry residents. Results: The article is intended to be a springboard for future development of forensic curricula suitable for residents rather than a blueprint for an educational program. Conclusion: Although most general psychiatry residents will not specialize in forensic psychiatry, a working knowledge of basic concepts in forensic psychiatry should be considered an important component of general psychiatry education.