Program Contacts

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Important Information

Information sessions are being held in the Fall of 2025 (October/November).  Candidates will have the opportunity to learn about the Psychiatry Residency Program (London and Windsor), ask questions, and meet our residents and program directors.

For the CaRMS Town Hall Event registration and additional details about our program, please click here.

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Return of Service

 This program has a return of service obligation attached to it.  Please review the provincial criteria for more information:  https://www.carms.ca/match/r-1-main-residency-match/eligibility-criteria/ontario/

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General Instructions

Program application language: English

Western University offers Psychiatry residency positions at two separate sites:

London site -  9 training spots (6 CMG / 3 IMG)

Windsor site - 4 training spots (3 CMG / 1 IMG)

Organizationally, both sites are part of one program and CaRMS interviews for both sites will be conducted together.  However, there is a separate application for each site.  You may apply to one or both sites.

• Ratio of residents to faculty is  favourable.
• Residents can expect to have 1:1 supervision on most rotations with supervisors who are dedicated to medical education.  
• The medium size of the program allows for more direct supervision yet provides residents with exposure to the full breadth of psychiatric practice available in a larger academic centre
• The number of residents in the program fosters a sense of community and camaraderie within the resident body

• Rotation selection is flexible with up to 15 blocks of senior electives in PGY 4-5, elective time in PGY1 and varying clinic options within many of the core rotations.

• Residents take a very active and significant role in the continuous quality improvement of the program. Residents meet with the program director monthly and feedback is continuously incorporated into change.  We have an evaluation committee that runs an annual retreat, where residents review most aspects of the training program.

• London is a medium-sized city that is small enough to be comfortable and affordable, but also large enough to have many big city amenities including excellent restaurants, live theatre, live music, and beautiful natural resources such as parks, conservation areas, and riverfront trails.

• Information about tourism and upcoming events in London can be found at http://www.londontourism.ca

• Opportunities and living in London created by members of the department https://www.schulich.uwo.ca/psychiatry/about_us/opportunities.html

• Royal College accredited program (Accredited with 2-year follow-up)

• Our department has PGY5-PGY6 subspecialty residency programs in child and adolescent psychiatry and geriatric psychiatry.

• Interprovincial electives can be taken in the PGY-1, PGY-4 and PGY-5 years

• International electives can be taken in PGY-4 and PGY-5 years.

Many residents choose to make London their home after training by joining the faculty or becoming a community consultant. Employment opportunities are plentiful in London and surrounding areas in both community and academic settings. Remuneration models are highly competitive with other regions in Ontario.

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Supporting Documentation / Information

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Review Process

Applications submitted after file review has opened on March 17, 2026

Supporting documents (excluding letters of reference) that arrive after file review has opened  on  March 17, 2026

Letters of reference that arrive after the unmasking date on March 17, 2026

We will NOT accept any documents sent directly to our office.  We will only consider references and supporting documents submitted to the CaRMS site.

Selection Criteria

Our program is seeking candidates who have excellent interpersonal skills, good clinical judgment, high ethical and professional standards, and a genuine interest in psychiatry. Selection is based on the dossier you submit, as well as the interviews on CaRMS day. The interview segment is mandatory. The strength of the applicants' academic record and demonstrated interest in psychiatry, as represented by the Medical Student Performance Record, medical school transcript, the personal letter, letters of reference, and the interview all factor into the ranking of candidates. A candidate's experience in overcoming adversity and their connection with a particular community is also considered in the review of a candidate's profile, where relevant.  We usually give selection preference to candidates who have graduated from medical school within the past 3 years.

 

Program goals

The Department of Psychiatry at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University is committed to providing residents with a comprehensive training program that will prepare them to be exceptional psychiatrists in whatever practice setting they choose.  We aim to provide residents with a multifaceted and balanced educational experience that emphasizes biological, psychological, and sociocultural aspects of psychiatry practice and prepares residents for lifelong learning.  Flexibility is prioritized so the residents can customize their residency experience to suit their clinical and academic interests.  We endeavor to foster the growth and development of our residents so that they can be the psychiatrists they strive to be while meeting the needs of our patients and society.

 

Selection process goals

The Department of Psychiatry at Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University emphasizes a culture of collaboration, excellence and compassion.  Our mission is to produce outstanding psychiatrists to serve the community, to contribute to academic endeavours and to advance the field of psychiatry.  We seek candidates who are curious to learn about the human mind and who are compassionate in the face of the suffering of others.  Demonstrated pursuit of excellence in medicine through learning clinical skills, teaching and research is essential to successful candidates.  Our program aims to have a group of residents with a diversity of skills, background experiences and interests that rounds out and strengthens our program.

File review process

Evaluation criteria :

Elective criteria

Interview process

Interview evaluation criteria :

Information gathered outside of CaRMS application

Specifically, we may consider:
Social interaction during program related events
Communication with program administration
Social media
Unsolicited reference letters
Unsolicited email references
Unsolicited verbal information on a candidate's prior performance
Unsolicited feedback from colleagues and co-workers

Ranking process

The behavior(s) exhibited below during the interview process may prevent an applicant from being ranked by our program :
Unprofessional or inappropriate behavior   
Did not attend interview   
Interview performance was not competitive   

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Program Highlights

• Academics: 

  • There is a favourable faculty to resident ratio, allowing for 1:1 supervision for residents.
  • We have excellent research supervisors and facilities including the Lawson Health Research Institute and The Brain and Mind Institute.  Western is a world leader in Neuroscience and Neuroimaging.
  • There is a Resident Research Track available for qualified and interested candidates.
  • There are frequent opportunities to get involved with the education of medical students at all stages of their training.
  • Residents take on a very active role in the continuous quality improvement of the program with resident representation on most departmental committees.

  Clinical Rotations:

  • There is one block of orientation (with 2 weeks of introductory clinical experience) prior to the onset of service. This block is unique to our program.
  • The ECT / rTMS program provides opportunities for graded exposure throughout residency training.
  • There are opportunities for training experiences in settings unique to Canada, such as the Child & Parent Resource Institute (CPRI) and the First Episode Mood & Anxiety Program (FEMAP).
  • International electives are available for senior residents.
  • No mandatory rural rotations are required although rural rotations are fully supported and encouraged through the Distributed Education Network (DEN) and the Ontario Psychiatric Postgraduate Education Network (OPPEN). We are also developing elective opportunities in Northern Ontario. Many of our rotations incorporate aspects of working in surrounding communities.

  Teaching:

  • We are a national leader in resident preparation for Royal College OSCE exams.  London is the site of the P. Chandarana London Psychiatry Review Course.
  • From PGY-2 to PGY-5, Thursdays are fully protected for educational activities.  This quantity of protected academic time compares favorably with other Canadian psychiatry residency programs.  Unique educational events include "Resident Rounds", a collaborative learning experience that focuses on discussion and debate about topics beyond the scope of the formal curriculum, and Psycho-legal Skills Workshops involving Western's law school.  New initiatives include formalized Transition to Practice, Psychiatrist as Professional and Person and Resident-as-Teacher curricula.

  Call:

  • Graded on-call experience: a senior resident is always on call with junior residents for added teaching and support.  
  • Residents on call usually are exposed to Child and Adolescent cases throughout their training.

   

  Other details:

  • We are a Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons accredited program (with review in 2025).
  • Royal College subspecialty training opportunities in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Geriatric Psychiatry are available at Schulich. The PGY-5 year can be used as the first year of subspecialty training.
  • The Child and Adolescent Psychiatry program was one of the first to be accredited in Canada in 2012.  The Child and Adolescent subspecialty wellness curriculum was recognized as a Leading Practice/Innovation during accreditation in 2019 and has been adapted to the general residency program.

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Program Curriculum

This residency program is for 5 years.

Program length of training does not exceed the Royal College or College of Family Physicians of Canada standard.

TEACHING SITES

London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC):  Is one of Canada’s largest acute care teaching and research hospitals, LHSC includes Adult, Child and Adolescent, Geriatric, and Emergency Psychiatry Services. 

St. Joseph’s Health Care (SJHC): Is a recognized leader in the delivery of compassionate care.  The mental health division of St. Joseph's Health Care operates Parkwood Institute Mental Health Care Building in London, providing specialized programs in Dual Diagnosis, ACT, Concurrent Disorders, Geriatric Psychiatry and Complex Adult Mental Health. The Southwest Centre for Forensics Mental Health in St. Thomas.        

Child and Parent Resource Institute (CPRI): Offers services with an emphasis on children with developmental delays, neurological and medical problems, including assessment, consultation, treatment, research, and education.

CURRICULUM

The educational needs of psychiatry trainees are preeminent at Western. The training program meets all Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) certification requirements. The program comprises five years of postgraduate training.

YEAR 1

All programs at Western commence on  July 1st, with a one-day orientation to be held on campus prior to start date.

The PGY-1 curriculum is designed to provide a superb introduction to the Department of Psychiatry and the areas of medicine relevant to a career in psychiatry. Residents select electives in psychiatry and off-service in addition to core required rotations.

The Psychiatry residency training program at Western has a very innovative block-long orientation program offered during July that is unique in Canada. It provides new residents with an extended period of time to grow accustomed to the city, as well as time to tour the many community agencies partnered with the hospital.

YEARS 2 to 5

The PGY-2 to PGY-5 curriculum has been designed to fulfill current Royal College requirements.

• PGY-2: General Adult Psychiatry rotations (inpatient and outpatient), including 3-block half-time selective in a more specialized area of outpatient psychiatry

• PGY-3: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Geriatric Psychiatry rotations

• PGY-4 and PGY-5: required rotations in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, Shared Care, Severe and Persistent Mental Illness and a TTP clinical experience within an elective rotation of the resident's choice.

The PGY-4 and PGY-5 years also include time for selective and electives rotations, with most of PGY5 dedicated to elective time.

Throughout the PGY-2 to PGY-5 years, there are longitudinal learning experiences in Psychotherapy (CBT, Psychodynamic, Family, Group and other modalities such as DBT and IPT), Addictions, and Research.

ELECTIVES / SELECTIVES

Rotation selection is determined primarily by the particular interests and career goals of the individual residents and enables residents to undertake the broadest possible experience before making final career decisions.

Electives are available in many areas of clinical and academic practice, including: psychosis, mood and anxiety disorders, neuropsychiatry, rural psychiatry, consultation-liaison, eating disorders, concurrent disorders, emergency psychiatry, neurodevelopmental disorders, collaborative (shared) mental health care services, geriatric psychiatry, child & adolescent psychiatry, forensic assessments at jails or detention centres, community clinic consultations in and outside of London, research projects, psychotherapy, medical education and an ever-expanding number of other options.

PSYCHOTHERAPY

Training is conducted throughout the years of residency and includes formal seminars, individual and group supervision, interviewing skills seminars, and psychotherapy workshops.

Psychotherapy supervision and instruction is provided in PGY2-4, including mandatory training in psychodynamic and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), with options for training in group therapies or family therapy and access to training in a range of other therapies that include interpersonal therapy (IPT), dialectical behavioral therapy, motivational interviews and specialized CBT modalities (for insomnia or psychosis).

Protected time is provided throughout the PGY-2 to PGY-5 years for psychotherapy training.

CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY

The Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry is  active with a wide range of experiences available in a variety of settings including inpatient, residential, emergency, consultation-liaison, day treatment, hospital outpatient, community outpatient, and telepsychiatry programs. 

Residents  have the opportunity to work in hospitals, children's mental health agencies, schools and other community agencies. Opportunities are also available in centres outside of London. Training is available in a variety of therapies including family, group, individual, play, behaviour management, cognitive behavioural, interpersonal, dialectical behavioural.  Notable aspects of our program include a two-week neurodevelopmental disorder experience during PGY-3 and opportunities to participate in DBT for adolescents.

Many research opportunities are available in areas such as pervasive developmental disorders, mood and anxiety disorders, eating disorders, psychotropic medications, paediatric chronic pain, and psychotherapeutic interventions.

Formal subspecialty training is available for those residents interested in pursuing a career in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Dr. Michelle Ngo

Child and Adolescent Subspecialty Program Director

Michelle.Ngo@lhsc.on.ca

GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY

The Division of Geriatric Psychiatry is multi-disciplinary and has links with family medicine, geriatric medicine/physical rehabilitation, and neurology. There is a regional geriatric psychiatry program, a geriatric community outreach program, an active geriatric consultation-liaison service, and significant opportunities for research.

Formal subspecialty training is available for those residents interested in pursuing a career in Geriatric Psychiatry

Dr. Tuoyo Awani

Geriatric Subspecialty Program Director

Tuoyo.Awani@lhsc.on.ca

FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY

Forensic psychiatry training is a unique and fascinating specialty area of psychiatry that is devoted to caring for people with mental health disorders who also have legal issues.

Our work is exceptionally broad in scope and consequently offers the opportunity to tailor your training or career to meet your goals.  Examples of some of our colleagues' practice interests include: legal counsel, mental health courts, correctional centres, The Ontario Review Board, The Consent and Capacity Board, Faculty of Law, Western University, and other academic and health care institutions. 

Forensics sub-specialty training is in the development stage at this time.

Dr. Naghmeh Mokhber

Medical Director, Southwest Centre for Forensic Mental Health Care

Naghmeh Mokhber | London Health Sciences Centre

Naghmeh.Mokhber@sjhc.london.on.ca

RESEARCH

Residents participate in research as part of their training, consistent with the Royal College training recommendations.

Training in research methodology is provided as part of the teaching modules in the program as well as monthly research groups to provide guidance and exposure to work done within the department.

Our department has active research programs related to mood and anxiety disorders,(including new treatment methods), stress-related disorders, and child-adolescent psychiatry. Clinical trials of psychotropic drugs are also undertaken within the Department.

Dr. Paul Frewen

Scholarly Lead

pfrewen@uwo.ca

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITES

Residents are excused from clinical duties on Thursdays for scheduled educational activities. Educational time is a half day per week for PGY-1 and a full day from PGY-2 onwards.  

Didactic teaching of core material is an important part of our training experience and has been integrated into the residents’ clinical schedule.

During the PGY-2 to PGY-4 years, teaching, covering all areas of adult, child and adolescent, psychotherapy, and geriatric psychiatry in the RCPSC Psychiatry curriculum takes place, organized into longitudinal courses with material that evolves as residents gain more experience.  Topics taught include forensic, social and adminstrative psychiatry, psychopharmacology, neurobiological aspects of psychiatry, cultural psychiatry, as well as epidemiology, and research methodology.

Interviewing skills are emphasized throughout the four years of psychiatry specific training.  Interviewing sessions are geared towards preparation for the Standardized Assessment of a Clinical Encounter (STACER) examinations.  Successful completion of the STACER examination is required for Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada certification.

Evaluation using the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) method is part of the spring Royal College examinations. OSCE skills are also emphasized throughout the four years of psychiatry specific training at Western through a monthly OSCE preparation course and biannual practice OSCE exams.

Our program features reflection groups for PGY2-4, in which residents discuss areas of challenge, in a safe setting, facilitated by a faculty member.

We offer a "consolidation block" in PGY4 with time away from clinic and additional teaching sessions, to help with exam preparation.

ON CALL DUTIES

Call is taken with the Centralized Emergency Psychiatry Services (CEPS) located at Victoria Hospital.  

Western has instituted a graded on-call system so that the frequency of call decreases with advancement in the program. Currently, and in line with PARO guidelines, the frequency of call for PGY-1 and PGY-2 residents is approximately 1 in 7 days while PGY-4 and PGY-5 residents have 2-3 days of call per month.

On weekdays call begins at 4:30 pm and finishes at 8:30 am the next day.  On weekends call begins at 9:00 am.

Two or three residents (including at least one senior resident) are on call each day together often with two senior medical students.  Mental health nursing coverage in the emergency department has been available 24 hours per day to assist residents on call. Two consultants on-call (one for adult psychiatry and one for child and adolescent psychiatry) provide back up for residents throughout the call period and review all cases with residents.

Following every on-call experience, handover rounds precedes residents being excused from returning to clinical or academic duties for the remainder of the post on call day.

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Training Sites

PSYCHIATRY AT WESTERN

All of the hospitals in London are affiliated with Western's Schulich School of Medicine and excel in research, education, and patient care. Areas of specialization include (among many others): neuropsychiatry, imaging, molecular biology, developmental biology, clinical pharmacology, and clinical determinants and outcomes. Multicentre, multidisciplinary research in schizophrenia is a major focus for the Department of Psychiatry at Western.

TEACHING FACILITIES

London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) operates a total of 1,063 beds at three campus sites and offers a full range of medical services. Psychiatric services are delivered at each campus as follows:

Victoria Hospital (LHSC-VH) is the primary training site for psychiatry.  This hospital contains 110 acute adult inpatient beds.  The outpatient program includes a busy urgent consultation ambulatory clinic, the Prevention and Early Psychoses Program (PEPP), the Trauma program, and other ambulatory resources.  It also contains Child and Adolescent outpatient services, and the Geriatric Psychiatry outreach program.  This is also where our Centralized Emergency Psychiatric Service (CEPS) is located which operates in conjunction with the region's busiest emergency department. This is the site where residents are on call during their psychiatry rotations.
University Hospital (LHSC-UH) operates a Consultation-Liaison (C-L) service and the Neuropsychiatry program with strong links to the Department Of Clinical Neurological Sciences.
Children's Hospital is a regional tertiary care centre located at the Victoria Hospital (VH) site. The Child and Adolescent inpatient psychiatric unit at this site operates 16 beds. These include general child and adolescent beds and eating disorders beds.

Additional Teaching Hospitals

St. Joseph's Health Care (SJHC) operates a total of approximately 1,608 beds and specializes in family and general medicine, surgery, obstetrics, neonatology, mental health and rehabilitation. Facilities include Mount Hope and Parkwood Hospital which are chronic care and rehabilitative facilities. The Department of Psychiatry provides C-L services to these facilities. The mental health division of SJHC operates:

Parkwood Institute Mental Health Care:  provides outpatient care to patients from a five-county catchment area. This site offers training in Psychosis, Geriatrics, Dual Diagnosis Disorders, Complex Mood Disorders, Concurrent Disorders, and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Southwest Centre for Forensic Mental Health Care: provides both inpatient and outpatient programs. The programs mission is to enable persons with mental health disorder who have been in conflict with the law.

Child and Parent Resource Institute (CPRI):  is a facility for persons up to 16 years of age. The emphasis is on children with developmental delays and neurological and medical problems.

 

 

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Additional Information

The size of the Western University Psychiatry Residency Program allows for individual attention and regular one on one contact between residents and faculty - and yet, it is large enough to offer exposure to a wide variety of subspecialties and world class research opportunities.

The number of residents also facilitates cohesiveness.  Residents in psychiatry at Western come from medical schools across the country and around the world adding richness and diversity to the group. 

The training program offers a broad and exceptional range of learning opportunities including outstanding preparation for the Royal College exams and subspecialty opportunities.

All information contained is subject to change until such time as the rank order lists are filed.

Please ensure you review information on a regular basis.