Program Contacts

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Important Information

The Postgraduate Medical Education Orientation for all residents, which is MANDATORY, will be held on Friday, June 26, 2026.

 

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General Instructions

Program application language: English

The University of Manitoba Psychiatry training program offers a supportive and welcoming learning environment. Residents are active and central members of the department of psychiatry, and the community as a whole comes together to ensure excellence in education.

Our program has been able to develop an excellent balance between the biological and psychological perspectives of treating psychiatric illness.  Residents receive expert training in biological and somatic treatments as well as a high level of training in several modalities of psychotherapy.

Application

It is preferred that all required documentation is available at the time of the opening of the application review period.  Documents submitted after the deadline will be reviewed and considered to the extent possible given the timing of those documents becoming available.

Interview Information

Virtual interviews only, to be held via Zoom. Interviews will only be considered for those candidates with completed applications.  Candidates selected for interviews will be contacted by by email.

The selection process includes two interviews of approximately 30 minutes each; one conducted by a committee and one by the residency program director.  .

Candidates will be selected on the basis of a demonstrated interest in, aptitude and motivation for a career in psychiatry. Selection criteria include recent clinical clerkship and elective experiences in psychiatry, prior residency training in psychiatry or clinical work in the mental health field, along with relevant life experiences and test results. References from clinical supervisors that address an applicant's potential for work in psychiatry are very helpful. Demonstrated proficiency with the English language as evidenced through the nature of undergraduate courses completed including university level English courses, publications, the submitted personal letter and/or IELTS scores are also selection criteria. Strong interpersonal and communication skills and a demonstrated interest and curiosity about the human experience are important criteria that are explored in the interview process. Interest and experience in scholarly work and research are viewed as valuable assets.

While elective experience in psychiatry is an asset on-site electives are not required for application to our program.  We are looking for candidates that have completed electives in a broad range of topic areas that include our specialty and are enthusiastic about working with residents from a variety of backgrounds.

 

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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

Applications, references and documents which arrive after the application deadline will not be considered.

All completed applications submitted by the time the file review period has opened will be considered for selection for interview.

Selection Criteria

Candidates will be selected on the basis of a demonstrated interest in, aptitude and motivation for a career in psychiatry. Selection criteria include recent clinical clerkship and elective experiences in psychiatry, prior residency training in psychiatry or clinical work in the mental health field, along with relevant life experiences. References from clinical supervisors that address an applicant's potential for work in psychiatry are very helpful. Demonstrated proficiency with the English language as evidenced through the nature of undergraduate courses completed including university level English courses, publications, and the submitted personal letter are also selection criteria. Strong interpersonal and communication skills and a demonstrated interest and curiosity about the human experience are important criteria that are explored in the interview process. Interest and experience in scholarly work and research are viewed as valuable assets.

Program goals

The five-year residency training program in Psychiatry at the University of Manitoba is a well-established, thriving and growing program designed to produce psychiatrists with broadly based academic and clinical expertise. Residents receive clinically based training with a focus on mastering all aspects of psychiatric practice including biological and psychological therapies. The University of Manitoba program also focusses on the care of vulnerable and underserved populations, and exploring models to deliver effective mental health treatment to distant areas.

Selection process goals

Successful applicants to the residency program will demonstrate academic excellence, excellent communication skills, and a history of advocating for patient mental health. CVs, and application packages are reviewed to assess these attributes and they are also assessed during the interview process.  During our selection process, applicants have some opportunity to ask about the unique opportunities available at the University of Manitoba, such as opportunities to develop mental health resources and deliver care to various vulnerable populations. However, a more comprehensive opportunity to hear about these parts of our program would be one of the virtual open houses we offer to interviewed applicants. The selection process is viewed as occurring collaboratively with applicants.

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

The five-year residency training program in Psychiatry at the University of Manitoba is a well-established, thriving and growing program designed to produce psychiatrists with broadly based academic and clinical expertise. 

We see our responsibilities as including the following:

1. To train psychiatrists who are fully qualified to practice within the complex, changing field that is modern psychiatry.
2. To provide a breadth of exposure and opportunity for in-depth training in the many varied aspects of psychiatry appropriate to the candidate's chosen community of practice.
3. To provide a formal education program which prepares the residents not only for success at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) specialty examinations but will also enable residents to fulfill the many roles of a competent physician including:

• Medical expert/clinical decision maker
• Communicator
• Collaborator
• Leader
• Health Advocate
• Scholar
• Professional

4. To continue to change and evolve our training program in response to the changing needs of residents, the community and the specialty of psychiatry.

The program is designed to meet these objectives through several overlapping approaches including clinical rotations, didactic seminar series, psychotherapy training program, research, community-based experiences and continuing education. 

As our program is growing we have maintained all the advantages of a medium- sized program.  We have all of the resources of a larger program and the welcoming, friendly and personal atmosphere of a smaller program.  Training in our program will leave you ready to comfortably move into your career as a psychiatrist.

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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.

Curriculum

This residency program is 5 years.

Program length of training does not exceed the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada standard.

The PGY-1 year is a basic clinical training (BCT) year, designed to meet the requirements of the Royal College.

There is a protected time academic half day from PGY-1 through PGY-5 when the core academic didactic series occurs, which includes an interview skills and OSCE series. In addition, clinical service rounds, general departmental teaching rounds, continuous case seminars and grand rounds are available for all residents.

Residency enhancing opportunities exist in psychiatric teaching, psychiatric research, and rural/remote clinical work.

 

PGY-1 

The PGY-1 is a Basic Clinical Training (BCT) year preceding four years of formal psychiatric training. The PGY-1 year consists of 52 weeks of training divided among core rotations in psychiatry including rotations in inpatient psychiatric ICU, emergency room psychiatry, and consultation-liaison psychiatry, and research. This is combined with rotations in family medicine, emergency medicine, neurology and internal medicine that give a foundation of practice for psychiatric work. Residents have the opportunity to complete medical selectives in the BCT year.

There is a weekly Academic Half-Day (protected) which covers the areas of pharmacology, psychopharmacology, phenomenology, research methodology and an introduction to the main models and formats of psychotherapy seminars in psychiatry over the course of the PGY-1 year.

During the second half of PGY-1 residents begin psychotherapy training consisting of weekly psychotherapy sessions with one patient and supervision sessions in a group format. This is incorporated into the Academic Half-Day and represents a unique and early exposure to psychotherapy training which reflects the department's commitment to psychotherapy training overall.

PGY-2

This year is composed of two, 6-month serial blocks of adult inpatient psychiatry and adult outpatient psychiatry. Rotations are available in Brandon with new rotations available in both Interlake Manitoba and Northern Manitoba for interested residents. Part of the clinical experience will include exposure to the delivery of psychiatry in more rural locations. 

In addition to the Academic Half-Day series, clinical service rounds, grand rounds, general departmental teaching rounds and workshops occur for all residents. The Academic Half-Day series occurs during a protected 1/2 day and covers a variety of areas including, phenomenology, diagnosis, psychotherapeutic modalities and psychopharmacology. Topics pertaining to upcoming PGY3 rotations (geriatric psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry) are also introduced. One individual psychotherapy supervisor is assigned at the beginning of this year. Residents also complete training in Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy during the outpatient rotation.

PGY-3

This year consists of two, 6-month blocks, one in each of geriatric psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry. Both the six-month block of child and adolescent psychiatry and the six-month block of geriatric psychiatry are available in Brandon, with additional and innovative experiences utilizing telepsychiatry. The geriatric psychiatry rotation may be done either be done in Brandon, Winnipeg, or Selkirk Mental Health Centre.

The Academic Half-Day series throughout this year continues to focus on child and adolescent psychiatry and geriatric psychiatry topics to consolidate understanding of normal and pathological development throughout the life span, as well as advanced topics in adult psychiatry such as psychosis and forensic psychiatry. In PGY-3 residents continue with one individual psychotherapy patient and are also assigned to a two-hour Family Therapy clinic.

PGY-4

The PGY-4 year includes 6 months of consultation-liaison psychiatry and 6 months of chronic care. The resident may do the consultation-liaison rotation at multiple potential sites, as expertise exists in Brandon and Winnipeg. In addition there are longitudinal experiences in Shared Care/Collaborative Care that  occur throughout the PGY4 year.

The PGY-4 Academic Half-Day is dedicated to practice OSCE sessions and protected study group time in preparation for the Royal College examinations which take place in the spring of PGY-4. Residents may use protected conference time to attend a review course for exam preparation.

PGY-5

The PGY-5 year consists of 12 months of elective training. Residents can choose from a wide variety of selective rotations. The Brandon/Rural resident can spend the last year in either Brandon or Winnipeg, or another teaching site. Our program collaborates with residents to create elective experiences that meet the resident’s learning goals and goals for practice-preparedness.

Formal psychotherapy supervision continues through the PGY2-5 years of the program and opportunities for training in a wide variety of psychotherapeutic modalities are significant components of the overall program.

Clinical oral examinations are held once during Foundations Stage and twice during Core Stage of Training, in accordance with Royal College Training Experiences. 

Residents in PGY2 and 3 are expected to participate in Community Psychiatry placements in community clinics, community-based agencies, rural sites and Arctic sites under the supervision of faculty. These community exposures range in duration from one half day several times per year to a single four-day exposure in a remote, northern or arctic site.

The Department of Psychiatry provides financial support for residents to attend and/or present at conferences and workshops.

The University of Manitoba Department of Psychiatry has Royal College accredited subspecialty residency programs in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Geriatric Psychiatry.

Research

The development of resident research skills is an important focus of the training program. All residents are provided with teaching in this area. All residents are encouraged to participate in academic projects within the scope of their individual interests. All residents are required to complete at least one publishable research paper prior to the completion of PGY3. Resident presentations at cross service rounds, departmental grand rounds and academic meetings are an important part of the residency training program. Up to one year of residency, during PGY5 elective/selective time may be dedicated to research.

There is also a Research Track available during residency with a focus on the creation of clinician scientists. The Department of Psychiatry will provide research track residents additional support and mentorship to foster the development of research as a significant component of their future career.

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Training Sites

Resources

The Brandon teaching sites include the Center for Adult Psychiatry (CAP), the Center for Geriatric Psychiatry (CGP), and the Child and Adolescent Treatment Center.   CAP and CGP are located at the Brandon Regional Health Center. Residents will also participate in the Town Center Clinics and in rural clinics when in Brandon. The major teaching sites in Winnipeg are at the PsycHealth Centre a state of the art facility at the Health Sciences Centre, the McEwen Building at the St. Boniface General Hospital and the Victoria General Hospital. Elective opportunities exist at the Manitoba Adolescent Treatment Centre. Community training experiences are available at community hospital based clinics and hospitals including the Selkirk Mental Health Centre. Community psychiatry experiences in Northern Manitoba and the Arctic are available through the Ongomiizwin which provides for exposure to the unique health care needs of Aboriginal and Inuit communities.

 

The Brandon Regional Health Center (BRHC) is the regional referral center for Western Manitoba. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC_zicAp51A

• This facility services a referral population of approximately 180,000 and has 300+ beds. Inpatient care units include Acute Medicine, Surgery, ICU (medical/surgical), NICU, Pediatrics, Rehabilitation Medicine, Palliative Care, Waiting Placement/Supportive Care, Adult Psychiatry, Geriatric Psychiatry and the off-campus Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
• Family physicians, obstetricians and midwives provide care in the single room maternity care unit. There are about 1700 births per year.
• There are six surgical suites, a minor procedure theatre and a theatre dedicated to obstetrics.
• BRHC features a full range of diagnostic services including MRI, CT, Ultrasound, Nuclear Medicine, Clinical Neurophysiology and extensive lab services at the Westman Regional Laboratory.
• BRHC outpatient care includes the emergency department that is staffed by in-house emergency physicians (CCFP and CCFP-EM physicians mainly) and is very busy with over 27,000 visits a year, the Cancer program, Day Surgery, GI Unit, Manitoba Breast Screening program, Renal/Dialysis Unit, Outpatient Care Unit and multiple outpatient care clinics such as Fracture Clinic, Ostomy Care and Stroke Prevention to name a just a few.

There are multiple learners in the Brandon Satellite program including other residents and medical students. This enhances the learning environment and allows the opportunity for teaching. 

 

Brandon is a welcoming community nestled along the Assiniboine River, rich in diverse culture and offering a metropolitan lifestyle with the charm of small-town living. Located in the heart of Southwestern Manitoba, 200 km west of Winnipeg

• Population over 51,000, average age of 39
• Affordable housing
• Extensive retail and service sector, >2000 businesses
• Lots of recreation facilities and events with over 90 parks, playgrounds and green spaces
• In-city commute of 12 minutes
• Multicultural

 

Additional Information:

TRANSPORTATION

As you will need to move frequently about the city and province between training sites, you will need to secure a means of transportation.  You may find it easiest to maintain a personal vehicle.

Additional Points to Consider:

• Cost of living, especially rent and automobile insurance, is one of the most affordable in Canada.
• Full access to the University of Manitoba library and its electronic resources, including UpToDate.
• Competitive resident salaries with a solid resident contract including a well-supported maternity/paternity leave policy.  http://www.parim.org
• Membership and registration fees are covered for University of Manitoba, College of Family Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba, Canadian Medical Protective Association, and the initial membership in the College of Family Physicians of Canada for PGY1 year.
• Travel costs and accommodation are provided for mandatory offsite rotations.

Brandon, Manitoba is approximately 2.5 hours west of Winnipeg by car. It is the regional trade, education and medical service centre for some 180,000 residents of southwest Manitoba.  This is why over 100 doctors and medical specialists call Brandon home. Brandon has a stable, strong and diverse economy with approximately 2000 businesses that are local, national and international in scope and range from a couple of employees to several thousand.   The agriculture sector, oil industry, retail & service companies along with a solid manufacturing sector keep our economy healthy. There are eight Medical Clinics with walk-in service, 12 Dental offices and eight Optometrist offices within the city. Daily flights from Brandon’s modern and spacious airport to Calgary, Alberta via WestJet allows direct access to an international airport; Brandon airport is a 15-minute drive from the centre of the City and offers free parking. Brandon also offers an air shuttle service to Winnipeg International Airport.

Housing:

The housing market has always remained very stable in Brandon; the average price of a house in 2021 was $303,431 (Housing Resources). All the housing neighborhoods include green space, trees and parks. Brandon Area Realtors website includes listings for all the real estate agents within the city: brandonarearealtors.ca

The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Brandon in 2021 was $971 plus utilities based on data from Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation.

There are many options for apartments; fueled by new construction throughout the city including the conversion of downtown historic buildings into unique living space such as the Prairie Lofts project. Resources for finding rental properties in Brandon are available at Rental Property.

Recreation & Leisure:

Food

• Breakfast = Mum’s, Komfort Kitchen (Amazing Sunday Buffet), Lady of the Lake, The Eagles Nest Bar & Grill
• Lunch = Lady of the Lake
• Dinner = Brown’s Social House, The Keg
• Baked Goods = Chez Angela Bakery, Blue Hills Bakery & Deli, Kuiper’s Family Bakery
• Pub = The Dock on Princess, Little Bones Wings, Double Decker, Joe Beeverz, Tavern United, The Eagles Nest Bar & Grill
• Craft Beer: Black Wheat Brewing, Section 6 Brewing Co.
• Indian = Chili Chutney
• Pakistan = Khan Foods
• Mexican = Los Brothers Tacos Food Truck, Mariachi Mexican Tacos & Cantina
• South American = Sabor Latino, Pupuseria La Bendición de Dios
• Ethiopian = Tana Ethiopian Cuisine
• Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai = Kim’s Asian Restaurant
• Japanese = Kim’s Asian Restaurant, Sushi Hut
• Filipino = Robyn’s Lechon
• Middle Eastern = Shawarma Queen, Khan Foods, BabaKadir Shawarma Restaurant
• Pizza = Pizza Express, Marino’s Pizza, Little Italy
• Ice Cream = Velvet Dip, Tastees Ice Cream & Grill
• Great local coffee shops: H Coffee for amazing 3^rd wave coffee and espresso, Forbidden Flavours & Coffee Culture
• Annual Burger Week competition between local restaurants
• Annual Food Truck Warz
• Manitoba Institute of Culinary Arts
• Annual Grey Owl Restaurant  https://assiniboine.net/community/news-events/events-mica/great-grey-owl-restaurant
• International Wine & Food Festival  https://assiniboine.net/community/news-events/events-mica/international-wine-food-festival

 Fitness

• Brandon University’s Healthy Living Centre offers UofM residents special membership rates
• Goodlife, YMCA, Anytime fitness offer opportunities for membership in Brandon and Winnipeg
• Local facilities include Frederickson Performance Centre, Outperform, Peak Performance & Athletics Centre
• Yoga = Brandon City Yoga, The Zen Zone, Open Hearts Wellness
• Crossfit = Rocked Community Fitness, Power Play CrossFit
• Indoor Cycling = Tour Fit Club
• Hiking at the Brandon Hills just south of the city or at The Discovery Centre
• Mountain biking at the Brandon Hills just south of the city
• Skiing and snowboarding = Travel 2 hours north to Aessessipi Ski Resort to ski or snowboard on the best mountains in the province
• Canoeing and Kayaking = Travel 1 hour north to Riding Mountain National Park
• Two indoor public swimming pools
• Outdoor rubber running track at the Sportsplex
• Walking/biking path that encompasses the entire city
• Outdoor fitness equipment along the walking/biking paths within the city and at Riverbank Discovery Centre

 Entertainment

• WHL Hockey team – Brandon Wheat Kings
• The Keystone Centre – over 10 acres of convention, entertainment, agricultural and recreation complex & home ice to the Wheat Kings, all found under one roof
• Westman Centennial Auditorium– including performances such as Winnipeg Ballet, concerts, plays, etc
• Checkout the latest movies at Landmark Cinemas 9 Brandon
• 5 golf courses in Brandon and 16 more within a 1 hour drive of Brandon
• Riverbank Discovery Centre / Brandon Tourism located beside the Assiniboine river which runs 17 km throughout the City and home to Festival Park and natural walking trails.
• Brandon University Bobcats– Basketball and Volleyball
• Public Library & Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba- presents national and international exhibitions and works by regional artists
• Community theatre groups, recreational sports leagues, hobby groups, supports groups and not for profit’s can be found in the Community Contact List. Recreational sports groups include baseball, volleyball, basketball, racquetball, golf, tennis, martial arts, boxing, running, biking, extreme frisbee, etc.
• Bowling, billiards, darts, and arcade games at T-Birds
• Brandon University School of Music

 Nearby Provincial Parks

• Travel 1 hour north to Clear Lake in Riding Mountain National Park

• Visit the Whitehouse Bakery for the world’s best cinnamon buns
• Amazing Italian food at TR McKoy’s Italian Restaurant
• Rent a kayak or canoe for the day
• Go to the spa at Elkhorn Resort Spa & Conference Centre
• Get ice cream at The Boardwalk on Clear Lake
• Enjoy a drink with pizza at the Canoe Taphouse or The Foxtail
• Stop by Beaver Tails and grab a bite
• Travel 1 hour south to Turtle Mountain Provincial Park
• Enjoy fishing, boating and water sports at Rivers Provincial Park, 30 minutes northwest of Brandon
• 30 minutes east of Brandon will find you at Spruce Woods Provincial Park, featuring Spirit Sands and the Devil’s Punch Bowl – Manitoba’s desert
• Spend some time at the International Peace Gardens at the Canada/US border
• Brandon’s online photo/video library
• Fishing, boating and water sports
• Community Gardens - there are 17 Community Gardens throughout the city

 For Kids

• Brandon has over 30 registered Child Care Facilities as well as licensed & unlicensed private in-home child care, over 90 parks, playgrounds and green spaces, 3 leash free dog parks, 1 outdoor pool, 2 indoor pools, 5 outdoor water/spray parks, outdoor & indoor public skating, tobogganing hills and 44 km’s of walking, biking & hiking trails with outdoor fitness equipment located throughout the city.  Provincial Online Child Care Information

Education, Training & Faith:

• Brandon School Division encompasses 22 schools including elementary, middle years and high schools with a 23^rd elementary school currently under construction. The school division offers an Advanced Placement Program as well as French Immersion and a faith-based school.
• Christian Heritage School is an independent Christian school offering classes from Kindergarten to grade eight. The curriculum is consistent with the Department of Education standards.
• Brandon University - significant reputation in music, general arts and science programs. Undergraduate degrees in Arts, Science, Music, Education, Business Administration, Fine Arts, Nursing, Psychiatric Nursing, and First Nations and Aboriginal Counseling. The University also features graduate degrees in Psychiatric Nursing, Music, Rural Development and Education, as well as pre-professional programs in 19 areas ranging from agriculture to veterinary medicine. Brandon University is also home to the innovative Applied Disaster and Emergency Studies program – the first program of its kind in the country. Average annual enrollment of over 3500 students.
• Assiniboine Community College - has two locations in Brandon and additional campuses in Dauphin and Winnipeg, and offers over 40 unique programs in the fields of agriculture, environment, business, health and human services, food and hospitality, trades and technology with over 500 full-time and part-time employees and an average annual full-time enrollment over 3,600 including apprenticeships at the two Brandon campuses.
• The Manitoba Emergency Services College – 37-40 full time enrollment and over 2200 continuing education enrollment each year.
• There are over 40 Places of Worship in many different denominations

Annual Events include:

• Burger Brawl – Local restaurants compete for the best burger over 1 month
• Food Truck Warz
• The Pavilions – Annual multicultural festival of food and entertainment
• Assiniboine Community College Annual Food Events - Harvest on the Hill, Holiday Buffet, Great Grey Owl Restaurant, International Wine & Food Festival
• Westman Wine Festival
• Manitoba Summer Fair
• Fall Fair
• Royal Manitoba Winter Fair
• Ag Days
• Westman Multicultural Festival
• Canadian National Arabian and Half Arabian Horse Show
• Cruisin’ the Dub (downtown car show)
• Brandon Folk Music Festival
• Brandon Jazz Festival
• Dakota Nation Winterfest.

For more information on Brandon, visit the following websites.

Economic Development Brandon

City of Brandon   

Prairie Mountain Health

Brandon Tourism               

Brandon Arts/Culture & Recreation

Tourism Westman

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FAQ

Where are interviews held?

All CaRMS interviews are held virtually via the Zoom platform.