La formazione psicoanalitica in medicina

The authors address the issue of approaching psychoanalysis at university in medical faculties in Italy today. More than a century after Freud’s “extraordinary” academic lectures, the resources available appear particularly limited within degree courses. These elements of reality often make the task of presenting the topicality of psychoanalysis difficult, even when one limits oneself to the psychodynamic “fundamentals”: the relevance of the asymmetric doctor-patient relationship, for example, that of unconscious dynamics, that of the setting, that of the problematic mind-body relationship. More space is, on the other hand, available in the specialisation schools in Child Neuropsychiatry and Psychiatry when teachers with the necessary sensitivity and qualifications are available. In these areas, alongside theoretical lectures and seminars, where SPI members could play an important role, the work of sensitising and transmitting the fundamental concepts of psychoanalysis takes place mainly through reflection on the daily clinical work of the learners. The role of personal analysis, supervision, self-analysis and other experiences of self-reflection and self-orientation in academic psychotherapy training is emphasised, as well as the importance of acquiring psychotherapeutic know-how. The presence of committed psychoanalysts in healthcare institutions belonging to university training networks thus appears crucial for the transmission of psychoanalytic sensitivity in our country.