Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Subspecialty Program: Applications and Program Information
Applications
Royal College-accredited training programs in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CAP) are designed to be completed in two years, although with our launch of Competence By Design (CBD) in July 2021, an individual resident’s duration of training could potentially be shorter or longer. Applicants must have Royal College Certification in Psychiatry or be in enrolled in a Royal College-accredited Psychiatry program. Candidates enrolled in a Royal College-accredited Psychiatry program will typically apply during their PGY4 year for entry at the beginning of PGY5, with the understanding that in PGY5 they will fulfill requirements of both the Psychiatry program and the CAP subspecialty program.
The UofT CAP subspecialty program welcomes applicants with a wide range of interests within the field of child and youth mental health. However, attributes that are particularly valued by our Division and our training program include clinical excellence, innovation that increases service capacity, leadership, scholarship, and advocacy.
The UofT CAP subspecialty program also welcomes applications from International Medical Graduates (IMGs) with outside funding from approved sponsors, and from candidates completing Psychiatry training at other universities. Such candidates will be considered using the same procedures and standards used for Canadian applicants and those completing Psychiatry training at UofT.
We accept approximately four new CAP subspecialty residents each year, but the exact number varies from year to year.
Clinical Rotations
We are excited to be implementing a new clinical rotation model that is aligned with our launch of CBD. This new model will ensure that residents receive broad and balanced training, while facilitating the achievement of Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs). In addition, residents will continue to have considerable choice among clinical sites, as well as 6 months of elective/selective time.
An overview of our new clinical rotation model can be viewed and downloaded by clicking here.
Clinical Sites: The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), SickKids Centre for Community Mental Health (CCMH), The George Hull Centre for Children and Families (GH), Humber River Hospital (HRH), The Hospital for Sick Children (HSC), Michael Garron Hospital (MGH), North York General Hospital (NYGH), Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences (OS), St. Joseph's Health Centre (SJHC), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (SHSC), Trillium Health Partners (THP), Women's College Hospital (WCH), Youthdale
CAP Site Information Booklet
For their rotations, CAP subspecialty residents have access to 13 clinical sites across the DCYMH. These include a world-class children’s hospital (The Hospital for Sick Children), Canada’s largest teaching hospital devoted to mental health and addiction (The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health), other superb academic centres, and excellent community hospitals and children’s mental health agencies located throughout the Greater Toronto Area.
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: Training Site Information Booklet
Other Information
The UofT Department of Psychiatry is fully committed to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), and identified EDI as one of four strategic directions in its Strategic Plan 2020-26 (https://www.psychiatry.utoronto.ca/strategic-plan). In addition, the CAP subspecialty program works diligently to promote EDI in all facets of the program, including admissions, clinical rotations, and the seminar curriculum.
All CAP subspecialty residents come together each month for a full academic day of seminars. With the launch of CBD, we are introducing a new and improved seminar curriculum, which will complement the national online seminars attended by CAP subspecialty residents across the country. Our new seminar curriculum includes the following 9 modules: (1) Advanced Child Psychopharmacology, (2) Career Trajectories in CAP, (3) Evidence-Based Medicine & Critical Appraisal, (4) Integrative Case Discussions, (5) Psychopathology, (6) Psychotherapy, (7) Social Justice/EDI, (8) Transition to Practice, and (9) Wellness. In addition, residents are invited to attend weekly Psychiatry Grand Rounds at The Hospital for Sick Children.
The program is committed to the training of clinician-scientists in CAP. We have supported residents who have completed both the Royal College Clinician Investigator Program and CAP subspecialty training with great success.
Residents are actively involved in shaping their own training and contributing to the evolution of the program as a whole. The program director meets with residents individually every six months, or more frequently as needed, to discuss their progress in the program, address any individual concerns, and provide mentorship. The program director also meets monthly with residents as a group to elicit their input and feedback.
The program has one or two Chief Residents who function as a liaison between residents and faculty. The Chief Resident(s) and one other resident (elected by peers) are members of the Residency Program Committee (RPC), which meets monthly. Program subcommittees have resident representation as well.
Royal College Examination in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
The UofT CAP subspecialty program prepares residents to sit the Royal College examination in CAP. To be eligible for this examination, candidates must already be certified by the Royal College in Psychiatry. The CAP examination is administered once per year in the fall, and it is a written examination that consists of short answer questions. For more information, please visit www.royalcollege.ca/rcsite/credentials-exams/exam-eligibility-e.