Psychiatry Residency in Canada

[TrueBlueTenenbaum]

What are some pros/cons (outside of geography) of some of the psych programs in Canada?
I hear Toronto, BC, Calgary, and Manitoba are "good", but good for what specific reasons?
Any particular strengths (ie. geriatric, addictions, psychotherapy) of these or other programs?

Thanks!

[ellorie]

It really just depends what you’re looking for in a program. 

I chose to come to Toronto because there are experts in most subspecialty areas here. If you want to do/learn something, you can probably find a way to do it and someone to do it with. The downside is that it’s a huge program and not very flexible (or at least my pre-CBD iteration wasn’t very flexible). Call has also been increasingly onerous. But so far I’ve mostly gotten what I wanted out of my residency and I don’t regret my choice. 

Don't underestimate the importance of location though. Living in a city that doesn’t make you miserable is huge by the time you get to residency. 

[shematoma]

14 hours ago, ellorie said:

Don't underestimate the importance of location though. Living in a city that doesn’t make you miserable is huge by the time you get to residency. 

I highly agree with this. Any psych program in Canada will get you your FRCPC certification. They are all at least decent. But for a 5 year residency, location should almost be your primary consideration. Do you have family or friends in the area? Can your partner/spouse move with you and find work? You'll have lots of spare time in psychiatry (relatively speaking) so make sure you prioritize the important things and people in your life.

If you're flexible on a few locations, then ask, does the program you want offer the subspecialty expertise you're looking for, assuming you want to subspecialize. Forensics isn't offered everywhere, for instance. Bigger programs like Toronto and UBC may have niche subspecialties you like, one example being neuropsychiatry - this specialty isn't officially recognized by the Royal College but is by the American Board and may be RCPSC recognized in the future.

How much do you like or want to do research? Some of the smaller programs won't be as strong or offer as many resources for research. Some programs may have more call requirements than others.

 

 

[TrueBlueTenenbaum]

9 hours ago, shematoma said:

I highly agree with this. Any psych program in Canada will get you your FRCPC certification. They are all at least decent. But for a 5 year residency, location should almost be your primary consideration. Do you have family or friends in the area? Can your partner/spouse move with you and find work? You'll have lots of spare time in psychiatry (relatively speaking) so make sure you prioritize the important things and people in your life.

If you're flexible on a few locations, then ask, does the program you want offer the subspecialty expertise you're looking for, assuming you want to subspecialize. Forensics isn't offered everywhere, for instance. Bigger programs like Toronto and UBC may have niche subspecialties you like, one example being neuropsychiatry - this specialty isn't officially recognized by the Royal College but is by the American Board and may be RCPSC recognized in the future.

How much do you like or want to do research? Some of the smaller programs won't be as strong or offer as many resources for research. Some programs may have more call requirements than others.

 

 

Thanks for the quick replies!

I'm currently interested in Addictions, Geriatrics, Personality disorders, and Psychotherapy. As these are all large aspects of the field, are there any programs that you all think rise to the top in these respective aspects or will they all be more than adequately addressed in most schools?
How much does "home school advantage" apply to fellowships compared to where you do your residency?
What are the "most competitive" residencies to get into? ( I imagine Toronto, BC, Calgary are up there)

Thanks for any and all responses to the above 

[ellorie]

U of T is one of the few programs where you can get really solid training in dialectical behaviour therapy if you choose to seek it out - the BPD clinic is top notch. I came here largely for that, and for the psychotherapy training in general.

When I applied, the psychotherapy training was robust. It is becoming much less robust with CBD in terms of requirements but I imagine you can still seek it out if you choose to.