The Bi-national Committee for trainees (BCT) last met as part of the Trainee Advisory Council (TAC) meeting on 4 September and will next meet on 31 October. Some of the items for discussion include The Independent Observed Clinical Activities (IOCAs), Entrustable professional activities (EPAs) and the way the College manages change.

We will be watching NSW closely to see what happens now that the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) has handed down the ruling that grants a 20 percent “interim pay rise” for Staff Specialist Psychiatrists. It has obviously been a difficult time for trainees and consultants (and many others, obviously not least patients) in the state, and we hope that this will reduce the challenging conditions everyone has been facing.

We also look forward to updates from the New Fellowship Program Taskforce and hope that training will take on a more cohesive approach in future years, in which training is equitable, and trainees are supported to become excellent psychiatrists.

Keep an eye out for the trainee-nominated awards for Fellows and Affiliates who have had a positive impact on your training journey – it’s nice to celebrate the good times!

Please get in touch if you think there are issues that are not being addressed from a trainee perspective – the contact details for your local jurisdictional representative can be found here.