Mentoring at the RANZCP
Become a RANZCP Mentor
Become a RANZCP Mentee
How the program works
The mentor–mentee partnership
About mentoring
Support information
Mentoring resources
Become a mentor
Applications for the 2023 program are now closed.
To enquire about next year's intake please contact mentoring@ranzcp.org
Participation is open to all Fellows and Affiliate members of the College.
Being a RANZCP mentor provides you with the opportunity to:
- foster the next generation of psychiatrists by offering trainees and early career psychiatrists non-supervisory support in a confidential, non-judgmental setting
- the opportunity to mentor in your subspecialty or interest area and support those who are interested in a future career in these areas
- introduce mentees to other Fellows and Affiliate members and share professional networks and interest areas
- reflect on your own practice/experience
- complete an eligible CPD learning activity (category 4.7: College Activities)
- expand professional development goals
- stay connected or reconnect with College membership services and programs.
Mentoring is an important career-based resource that exists outside of structured supervision and training requirements. While many trainees do want to discuss their training, many also want a mentor to help guide them in the next step in their careers. Our early career psychiatrist mentees are especially looking for mentors to assist with future career and family planning as well as achieving work and life balance.
We recommend that mentors and mentees meet for 1–2 hours each month over the 8-month program, but this is something you can agree with your mentee. We take into consideration how much time you have available to mentor each month and look to pair you with a mentee with similar expectations. Around 7 hours' training and preparation time is required for mentors, with all materials and resources provided by the College.
We complete a detailed process and every mentoring pairing partnership is carefully considered. Whilst we do ask for a lot of information from you when you apply, it does help us to make the best possible match with an appropriate mentee. We check for potential conflicts of interest, and give both the proposed mentor and mentee the opportunity to review the proposed partnership before we introduce them. We don’t make an introduction if an issue is raised. The program is run by a dedicated College team, with each application and pairing reviewed and supported throughout the program’s duration.
Yes, many mentees identify an interest in a career in specific subspecialties, and if you tell us that you want to be a mentor in a specific field, we can try to find a suitable mentee with similar interests. Please note that this isn’t always possible, but it is a primary consideration we try to make.
We facilitate the initial mentoring pairing, provide training and resources, and to offer any support, if needed. The discussions between mentor and mentee are confidential. If you have any concerns for your mentee, or an issue with the partnership, we can assist.
Yes, mentors can record time spent mentoring under section 4.7 College activities as set out in the College CPD program guide. Keep a record of your meetings as evidence for claims. Learnit modules completed for the Mentoring Program are automatically recorded on MyCPD.
More information
Read more about being a mentor, what’s involved and practical tips on mentoring partnerships in the Mentoring for mentors flyer [PDF; 318 KB].
Become a mentee
Applications for the 2023 program are now closed.
To enquire about next year's intake please contact mentoring@ranzcp.org
Participation as a mentee is open to:
- all current trainees (Associate members)
- early career psychiatrists who are in their first three years post-Fellowship.
RANZCP mentees receive the opportunity to:
- access supportive senior Fellows and Affiliate members outside of their immediate health service, workplace, or local work area
- receive encouragement from senior College members throughout the training program on their pathway to Fellowship, or in the early stages of their psychiatry careers
- access new professional relationships and networks to assist them build a future psychiatry career
- get health and wellbeing peer support through mentor referrals and advice
- receive guidance from senior College members on topics such as career opportunities, achieving work and life balance, and professional growth.
2022 Sydney RANZCP Congress Speed Networking participants
More information
Read more about being a mentee, what’s involved and practical tips on mentoring partnerships in the Mentoring for mentees flyer [PDF; 318 KB].
How the RANZCP Mentoring Program works
The RANZCP Mentoring program is available to all trainees and early career psychiatrists in their first three years post-Fellowship to participate in a facilitated 8-month mentoring program specifically designed to match and pair them with suitably experienced College Fellows and Affiliate members.
The program provides eligible trainees and early career psychiatrists with access to confidential, non-supervisory support from another, more experienced psychiatrist. It offers valuable support and professional inclusion, access to a collegiate network, and professional guidance towards achieving long-term career goals.
In 2023, mentoring partnership opportunities will be available bi-nationally across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Mentee places in the program are capped and will continue to be reviewed in future years.
All participants receive:
- an 8-month structured and supported program from the College
- facilitated pairing and introductions provided
- the option to participate in an introductory welcome dinner event or webinar
- dedicated training resources and information on setting up mentoring partnerships for success
- advice and support from the College where needed
- an evaluation and continuous improvement process to participate in
- the chance to expand your networks, and build lifelong networks and partnerships.
To participate in this program, you must be committed to communicate with your mentoring partner on a regular basis (approximately 1–2 hours per month) for a total duration of 8 months (April–December 2023). Places are limited.
The mentor–mentee partnership
Pairing process
When a mentee submits an expression of interest, we consider the information provided (subspecialties, interests and desired focus of mentoring) together with the information provided by mentors to find the most appropriate fit. We take into consideration particular requests and then try to make the best pairings possible. The program typically has more mentee applicants then mentors, so the more information you provide when you apply, the better your chances of forming a great mentoring partnership.
Mentoring Partnership Agreement
The Mentoring Handbook gives the mentee and mentor the tools to set up their mentoring partnership to make it as successful as possible. The Mentoring Partnership Agreement (MPA) is part of this and provides an important framework for establishing your goals and setting expectations for the partnership. We encourage you discuss the MPA with your mentoring partner at the beginning of your partnership, and then to take time to review it throughout the program.
About mentoring
‘Mentoring’ is identified as a complementary personal and professional support system, suitable to be accessed across the career life cycle of all psychiatrists. It is a particularly valuable non-supervisory support for those on the pathway to Fellowship or in the early stages of a psychiatry career.
Mentoring is a partnership whereby an experienced person guides another’s development by challenging, sharing, supporting and planning to help to achieve their career goals.
Mentoring exists outside of the usual performance reporting lines, and mentors should not be the direct supervisors or managers of the mentee. Clinical supervision and performance appraisal do not form part of the mentoring partnership. Mentoring is distinct from coaching, which involves specific assistance towards a particular goal, for example passing an exam.
But, effective mentoring partnerships involve more than just having a chat over a cup of coffee. Before entering into a mentoring partnership, it is important to have an understanding of what the expectations and outcomes of the partnership may be.
Support information
The mentoring program is mentee led. This means it is the primary responsibility of the mentee to initiate first contact with their assigned mentor. If you haven’t heard from your mentee, please contact the College mentoring team (mentoring@ranzcp.org). Our staff can then reach out to check if the mentee needs assistance, or can be contacted in another way.
Mentoring is not private psychotherapy. If you feel they need additional support outside the scope of your partnership, you can encourage them to access the Member Wellbeing Support Hub that includes a wide range of supports, information and options that may assist them. If they need coaching or training support, you can contact the College mentoring team (mentoring@ranzcp.org) and we can assist with what additional support they need.
Mentoring resources
Mentoring workshop webinar recordings
►RANZCP 2022 Mentoring Program – Mentoring Workshop webinar recording [member log-in required].
►RANZCP 2021 Mentoring Program – Mentoring Workshop webinar recording [member log-in required].
►RANZCP 2020 Mentoring Program – Mentoring Workshop webinar recording [member log-in required].
These webinars provide you with further information to set your mentoring partnership up for success.
E-learning modules
►Module 1: Introduction to mentoring [member log-in required].
This module is suitable for any psychiatry Fellow, Affiliate members or trainee interested in mentoring.
►Module 2: Mentoring for mentees [member log-in required].
This module explores the role of the mentee in more detail to help you prepare for this role with confidence and focus, and to help you get the most out of the mentoring experience.
►Module 3: Being an effective mentor [member log-in required].
This module explores the role of the mentor in more detail to help you prepare for this role with confidence and focus, and to help you get the most out of the mentoring experience.
Each module will take approximately 30–45 minutes to complete.
Support and advice is always available from the College, please contact us at mentoring@ranzcp.org or on 1800 337 448 (calling from Australia) or 0800 443 827 (calling from Aotearoa New Zealand).
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists has previously received Australian Government funding under the Specialist Training Program (STP) to deliver a component of this mentoring program.