The Dean’s reflection: February

This week I was delighted to commence in the role of Executive Dean of Education at the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists.

By way of introduction, I am an Old Age Psychiatrist working clinically in Brisbane at the Prince Charles Hospital.

I am also an academic and have held a range of education leadership roles across medical schools and in both prevocational and vocational training. Since 2024, I have served as Deputy Chair of the College’s Education Committee.

Each month, I intend to share a Dean’s Reflection to help build a shared education understanding as we continue to develop a strong learning community within the College. That’s to say a culture that supports our trainees to become the psychiatrists of the future that our communities deserve.

In this first reflection, I want to explore two simple but important questions: What is an Executive Dean? And why do we need one?

At its core, the Executive Dean is an educational leader working at the intersection of clinical practice, workforce needs, and high-quality, future-focused education. The role provides strategic leadership in uncertain and rapidly evolving times. A central focus of the mission is supporting trainees throughout their Fellowship journey, as well as clinical supervisors and DOTs who are working in increasingly pressured environments where education can too easily be seen as a luxury rather than a necessity. Strengthening supervision and advancing best practice in education are therefore key priorities.

While Deans are well established in all medical schools across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, such roles have been less common in vocational training. In that sense, this position is both timely and long overdue. The establishment of the Executive Dean’s Office represents an important step forward for the College. As we professionalise our education function, build a new Fellowship Program, uphold psychiatry’s social contract and strengthen learning communities, we create the conditions for psychiatric training to flourish.

Today, I want to reaffirm pledges I have already shared with trainees upon my appointment in December 2025. My early priorities include improving and simplifying communication, making assessment more meaningful and less burdensome, recognising the realities of challenging clinical workplaces, and strengthening wellbeing. A healthy workforce is essential to delivering high-quality patient care.

Over my first few months as Executive Dean, my intention is to listen and learn. Beginning at College HQ in Melbourne, then engaging with Branch offices and national office in Aotearoa New Zealand, trainee leaders, lived experience, rural and indigenous community partners, and the broader education ecosystem including primary care and internationally to the RCPsych. I hope to hear directly about the opportunities and challenges we face as we work towards a high-quality and socially accountable training program: One that works in today’s as well as tomorrow’s context and develops future-ready psychiatry leaders.

I look forward to meeting as many Fellows, trainees and stakeholders as possible and asking some key questions:

1. How do we meaningfully invest in the success of our trainees?
2. How do we better recognise and reward clinical supervisors, DOTs and education leaders?
3. How do we improve learning on the job in busy clinical environments, so education and service reinforce rather than compete with one another?
4. And how do we design an innovative curriculum that genuinely influences patient outcomes, safeguards public standards and meets population needs?

You can provide your thoughts anonymously. 

I have already been deeply impressed by the dedication of the College Education and Training team and am genuinely grateful for the warm support and messages from members since my appointment. I am also extremely grateful to those who lead important initiatives in the education space such as Dr Michelle Atchison as Education Committee Chair and Drs Georgia Ramsden, Elise Witter and Ashna Basu as trainee leads for BCT and TAC. Equally I am very appreciative of those who look to shape education for the future in leading the work of the New Fellowship Program Taskforce including its Chair A/Prof Simon Stafrace and Dr Anthony Llewellyn, who leads on designing EPAs and WBAs to support delivery of a Competency Based Medical Education curriculum fit for the future.

In keeping with our focus on clearer communication, I will continue to share monthly reflections, updates, and developments as we shape and articulate a shared vision.

This vision will help keep us grounded as we meet accreditation requirements, implement a new curriculum, and prepare psychiatrists for an increasingly complex future. Education is a public health intervention. Critically better teaching and learning will ultimately translate into better outcomes for our communities.

Please feel free to reach out to me directly, via the Education and Training Department Coordinator, Jacq Shiel (education@ranzcp.org). I look forward to meeting many of you over time, listening carefully, and working together to navigate challenges and seize emerging opportunities.

Warm regards,

Prof Andrew Teodorczuk

Executive Dean of Education