Support projects

The RANZCP has received Australian Government funding under the Specialist Training Program (STP) to deliver the following support projects in 2023:

Rural Educational Grants

Provision of grants of up to A$1,500 are available for trainees in STP funded posts (including IRTP and Tasmanian Project) and Psychiatry Workforce Program (PWP) funded posts located in rural areas, to access educational programs related to their RANZCP training.

For more information or to apply, please visit Rural Educational Grants

Back to Country Grants

The STP is committed to supporting Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander trainees. The RANZCP is pleased to provide grants of up to A$3,000 for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander trainees to support their return to Country for cultural responsibilities, family obligations, and to reconnect with culture and community for personal wellbeing.

For more information or to apply, please visit Back to Country Grants

Orientation Sessions for Trainees

The STP orientation booklet [PDF; 1.8 MB] has been developed for trainees in STP funded posts and extended to trainees in Psychiatry Workforce Program (PWP) funded posts. The booklet contains information on rotations, placement opportunities, rural loading, and STP funded supports available.

Orientation webinars at the commencement of each rotation to provide support to trainees entering an STP funded post (which includes, IRTP and Tasmanian Project posts) and PWP posts. The orientation sessions aim to increase the understanding and awareness of STP and the numerous support projects available.

Support Projects at the AIDA 2023 Conference

The RANZCP is pleased to continue our support of the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (AIDA) at their annual conference in November 2023. The STP team will be delivering a number of support projects at the conference:

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Trainee Forum will be delivered to psychiatry trainees with the aim of providing a valuable networking opportunity to discuss experiences, successes, and challenges associated with the RANZCP’s psychiatry training program. Discussions will also continue on how the RANZCP can best support trainees on their pathway to Fellowship.
The Insights to Psychiatry workshop will be delivered to medical students and junior medical officers with the aim of increasing interest around pursuing a psychiatry career and attracting students to the profession to continue to grow the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce in psychiatry.

There will also be a Virtual Trainee Forum delivered on Friday 29 September 2023. Please visit the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Trainee Forums page for more information on these two upcoming Trainee Forums in 2023.

Supporting Regional, Rural and Remote Training

The 2020 Specialist Training Program (STP) Scoping Project led to the creation of the Rural Psychiatry Roadmap 2021–31: A pathway to equitable and sustainable rural mental health services, [PDF; 200KB] the purpose of which is to deliver the RANZCP Fellowship Program in rural locations, with an emphasis on generalist psychiatry and an intention to maximise training opportunities and consequently increase the availability of psychiatrists in rural areas.

New Support Projects

Peer Support Program for Rural and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Trainees

A Peer Support Program is currently being developed to support first-year rural and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander psychiatry trainees as they commence their pathway to RANZCP Fellowship. New trainees will be supported by a more-experienced peer who is an existing trainee or early career psychiatrist.

This page will be updated with more information.

Induction Program for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Trainees

An Induction Program is currently being developed to support new Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander trainees who join the RANZCP’s psychiatry training program to improve their awareness of available support systems as they commence their pathway to Fellowship.

This page will be updated with more information.

Other Supports - Psych Matters

"In conversation: on the Rural Pathway to Fellowship' Podcast

Developed with Australian Government funding, ‘In Conversation: on the Rural Pathway to Fellowship’ is a five-episode podcast series encapsulating the experiences of STP trainees and Fellows undertaking psychiatry training in regional, rural, or remote locations.

The podcast series, launched in January 2023 with releases through to March 2023, focuses on first-hand stories of STP trainees and Fellows living and working in country Australia, with the aim of providing information to trainees considering undertaking part of their psychiatry training in a rural community.

Podcast episodes can be accessed through Psych Matters.

The RANZCP’s Psych Matters podcast is an educational podcast introduced in 2020 which covers a wide variety of topics for psychiatrists, psychiatry trainees, and others with an interest in psychiatry.

Recent podcast topics include burnout, paediatric intellectual disabilities, loneliness and mental health, and lived experiences of psychiatrists.

Contact

STP Team
stp@ranzcp.org