Ethnocultural Factors in the Development of an Asian American Psychiatrist

Despite rising numbers of Asian American psychiatric trainees, little has been written about the specific problems arising in training for members of this ethnic minority group. The authors discuss some of the difficulties for the Asian American psychiatric trainee, in relation to the stigma of mental illness and its impact on the trainee's decision to enter psychiatry, ethnic identity and stereotyping, psychotherapy supervision, and career opportunities. Specific vignettes will describe each of these situations and the internal conflicts they engender during training. The resolution of these conflicts will be described within a transference and countransference framework with the intent of providing a starting point for process-oriented supervision geared toward the development of a professional identity. Specific recommendations will be given for the educational and career development process for Asian American psychiatric trainees.