The path to Fellowship
Psychiatry training is a postgraduate medical course for doctors. Trainees who successfully complete the program become eligible for Fellowship of the RANZCP, qualifying them to practise independently as a consultant psychiatrist in Australia or New Zealand.
The Fellowship Program takes a minimum of 60 months full-time equivalent (FTE) to complete. During the training period, trainees work as registrars in hospitals and clinics, where they are supervised by experienced psychiatrists.
Entry into the program
Prerequisites for applying to enter the Fellowship Program are:
- successful completion of a medical degree
- at least one year of general medical training (FTE)
- current general registration as a medical practitioner in Australia or New Zealand.
Applicants are selected for psychiatry training based on their suitability, skills and experience.
.More about the Fellowship Program
Program structure
Training is undertaken in three stages: Stage 1 (12 months FTE), Stage 2 (24 months FTE) and Stage 3 (24 months FTE).

Rotations
Rotations in training take place in three stages.
- Stage 1 involves 12 months in an approved adult psychiatry rotation, including a minimum of 6 months in an acute setting.
- Stage 2 is 24 months, with four rotations designed to expose the trainee to a variety of different specialties.
- Stage 3 is 24 months, with a further four rotations each of six months in duration.
How to apply
Contact your local Branch Training Committee for information on how to apply.
.Training contacts
Applicants are selected for psychiatry training based on their suitability, skills and experience:
- to ensure that they are capable of providing psychiatric care to the standard expected by people with mental health problems and mental illness in Australia and New Zealand, and
- to ensure they are potentially capable of completing the training program within the time allowed.
.More about the selection of trainees