UofT Psychiatry

[pieceofmind]

Hello, I am currently in my 3rd year and interested in applying for UofT psych. Could anyone comment on how difficult it is to get in? How can I make myself a more competitive applicant? Do I need any research? How many psych electives should I do? 

Note: I am from another province. 

Any info is appreciated!

[Leon]

Much of this is anecdotal and based on personal experience. 

I think psychiatry is more competitive than it used to be, at least at the programs that are in geographically desirable locations. When I applied last year I opted to go all in without backup and did all my electives in various disciplines within psych to make it quite obvious I'm committed and to also explore the specialty. I think this was definitely an asset on my application (I know some people who split their electives and were not successful with the match). I was warned though by residents that this would be an all in effort and that it was upto me to decide whether to take that risk or consider backing up and splitting my electives. So I would offer the same advice now : it is a personal decision for each applicant. 

At carms in Toronto they specifically said something like 'don't say you like research if you don't.' It was meant to convey that the Toronto psychiatry program does not expect its entire class to be dedicated to research. One of the advantages of the program is that there is a lot of diversity in what you can do and they seem to respect individuals who have a variety of interests and not necessarily research alone. I had very little research on my app and I didn't bring it up at all during my carms tour and it doesn't seem to have counted against me. 

I would say the best thing you can do to make yourself a desirable candidate is this : read, gain knowledge, perform well on core and electives, be a team player and someone who helps the team run, be reliable and dependable. Volunteer to help out, go the extra mile to get collateral. Do a variety of electives in different psych areas so you get a wide breadth of experience you can write and talk about. Reflect on your experiences in the field and think of how it helped you grow and how it impacted your career choice. 

I did a bit of a rural elective where I was 1 on 1 with a staff for two weeks with no residents. I got so much out of that experience, including a strong letter where someone can actually comment on you in a personal way as you worked with them directly every day with no other learners. Not everyone does this of course, I just think it coincidentally worked out for me. 

If you have a specific interest within the field I encourage exploring that. Do an elective and if that strengthens your interest then build an application platform around it and present yourself in a logical reflective way to showcase how you developed your interests, how you pursued them and came to your platform. Psychiatry is a field with a variety of opportunities and a lot of potential so use your fourth year to your advantage! Good luck