Applications

Royal College-accredited training programs in Geriatric Psychiatry are designed to be completed in two years. Applicants must have Royal College Certification in Psychiatry or be enrolled in a Royal College-accredited Psychiatry program. Candidates enrolled in a Royal College-accredited Psychiatry program will typically apply during their PGY 4 year for entry at the beginning of PGY 5, with the understanding that in PGY 5 they will fulfill the requirements of both the Psychiatry program and the Geriatric subspecialty program.

The Memorial University Geriatric Psychiatry subspecialty program welcomes applications from candidates completing Psychiatry training at other universities. Such candidates will be considered using the same procedures and standards used for those completing Psychiatry training at Memorial. We accept approximately one new subspecialty resident every other year, but the exact number varies from year to year.

Clinical Requirements

Training is guided by the Royal College’s Entrustable Professional Activities for Geriatric Psychiatry and Geriatric Psychiatry Competencies documents. For their Advanced Practice Project, residents are paired with a supervisor who shares their interests and provides them with guidance, support, and mentorship. Residents with a strong commitment to research or other scholarly pursuits can be mentored in these areas.

Academics

Geriatric Psychiatry subspecialty residents attend weekly half-day sessions, which include various topics. In addition, residents are invited to attend weekly Psychiatry grand rounds and Geriatric Psychiatry case conferences.

Clinical Rotations

Although there is some flexibility in the sequence of rotations, the first year of Geriatric Psychiatry subspecialty training usually includes rotations in both Geriatric Psychiatry (Inpatients and Outpatients) and Geriatric Medicine. The resident also has an elective option. In the second year of Geriatric subspecialty training, residents have similar rotations, with a focus on a higher level of autonomy and responsibility for managing the most complex and challenging clinical situations. The remaining four months are devoted to one Medicine elective, one Psychiatry elective and then two months for the Scholarly Project.

Resident Involvement

Residents are actively involved in shaping their own training and contributing to the evolution of the program as a whole. The program director meets with residents individually every month to plan their rotations and address any individual concerns. All residents are members of the Residency Program Committee (RPC), which meets quarterly. The various program subcommittees all have resident representation as well.

Royal College Examination in Geriatric Psychiatry

The Memorial University Geriatric Psychiatry Geriatric subspecialty program prepares residents to sit the Royal College examination in Geriatric Psychiatry. In order to be eligible for this examination, candidates must already be certified by the Royal College in Psychiatry. The Geriatric Psychiatry examination is administered once per year in the fall, and it is a written examination that consists of short answer questions.