About the Fellowship Program

The Department of Psychiatry's Fellowship Program offers opportunities for advanced academic training in specific clinical and/or research areas in Psychiatry.

Fellowships are usually undertaken for two years, although a small number of candidates choose a one-year Fellowship. The minimum duration of fellowship training is 6 months.The majority of our fellows are involved in a combination of research and clinical activities. Participating in a fellowship position offers an exceptional opportunity to experience academic psychiatry, retain protected time and receive advanced supervision. The Fellowship Program allows for both broad and deep exploration of areas of interest within the field. Fellows are able to register as clinical OR research fellows. Research fellows have no patient contact do not require a CPSO license. 

Eligibility Requirements for Fellowship Training

Clinical Fellowship Training

• Medical Degree & Specialty Certification: clinical fellowship applicants must have obtained a medical degree from a recognized medical school and have received specialist designation. Applicants must provide copies of the original degrees and a notarized translation if the original documents are not in English/French.
• Clinical fellows must meet the minimum eligibility requirements for licensure with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario to take up training at the University of Toronto. For more information and verification of eligibility for licensing purposes, contact the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO).

Research Fellowship Training

• Medical Degree: The minimum requirement for a research fellowship is a medical degree from a recognized medical school. Research fellows do not have any patient contact and as such, do not need a license from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO).

Note: PhD (non-MD) postdoctoral fellows are no longer able to register as fellows at the Department of Psychiatry. they may be able to register through the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) Postdoctoral Office provided their primary location of research is the U of T campus. PhD (non-MD) postdoctoral fellows receiving their stipend from U of T are also eligible to register with the SGS Postdoctoral Office. If unable to register with the SGS, PhD (non-MD) postdoctoral fellows are able to register at the individual UofT-affiliated teaching site (e.g. hospital) provided they meet applicable institutional requirements.

Application Process Overview

The Fellowship Program receives applications from within the Department as well as nationally and internationally. The training is tailored according to the fellow's academic interests in consultation with a prospective supervisor, who must hold a faculty appointment with the Department. Fellows must submit an application for a clinical or research appointment to initiate registration with the Department and subsequently with the Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) office at the University of Toronto.

Note: Sponsored Applicants

Postgraduate training agreements are in place between the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine and governmental sponsoring agencies from several countries. These agreements ensure funding and associated training costs for select candidates accepted to pursue advanced clinical training at the University of Toronto. Applicants who have obtained preliminary sponsorship must have their sponsor initiate an application on the UofT Sponsored trainee Application Registry (STAR) prior to applying for fellowship training. For more information, contact the University of Toronto's Postgraduate Medical Education Office (PGME) (pgme.international@utoronto.ca) and/or the fellowship office (psych.fellows@utoronto.ca). 

Funding

As per university guidelines, clinical fellows must to be remunerated at a rate at least equivalent to that of a PGY-1 trainee (as per PARO salary scale). Effective July 1, 2022, the Fellowship Program requires a minimum funding of $65,000 (CAD) for clinical fellows. Research fellows must receive a minimum of $50,000 (CAD) annually; in line with institutional and national standards. Fellowships can be funded through a variety of sources including scholarships, sponsorship by a candidate’s home hospital /educational institution/government, the prospective supervisor's research grants (if the fellowship will include a research component), or training site educational funds.

Application Submission Timelines

The Department of Psychiatry accepts applications on a rolling basis, taking into account the following timelines: 

• Applicants requiring a work permit: Complete applications must be received by the Fellowship program 6-8 months in advance of the training start date. For example, application paperwork must be received by January 1st for fellowship training that is scheduled to begin on July 1st of the same year.
• Canadian citizens / Permanent Residents: Complete applications must be received by the Fellowship program 4 months in advance of the training start date. For example, application paperwork must be received by March 1st for fellowship training that is scheduled to begin on July 1st of the same year.
• Applications that are not submitted far enough in advance (or that are incomplete) may be subject to delayed start dates.

Related Links

• Apply to the Fellowship Program