Program Contacts

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Important Information

Accreditation Status

The Postgraduate Education Program in Psychiatry at McGill last underwent an accreditation by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in March 2019. The accreditation report was exceptionally positive; 10 exemplary indicators were identified and 1 coveted Leading Practices and/or Innovations (LPI) was bestowed to our Heinz Lehmann mentorship initiative and the official status of the program is "accredited program with regular review in 2027".

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada: Applying competency-based practices to residency education

To contribute to the success of Canadian physicians and the delivery of high-quality patient care, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada has embarked upon an initiative started in 2020 to introduce competency-based medical education (CBME) in Canadian postgraduate specialty training and in professional practice in Canada. This initiative, called Competence by Design (CBD), aims to enhance patient care by aligning medical education and lifelong learning with evolving patient needs and empowering learners to more fully engage in their education process.

Competency-based medical education (CBME) is an outcomes-based approach to the design, implementation, assessment, and evaluation of a medical education program. It uses an organizing framework of competencies (i.e., what professional activities psychiatrists are competent and trusted to do).

This curriculum is focused nearly exclusively on the direct observation of residents by supervisors. The assessments are for learning, as opposed to assessment of learning. Each observation is “low-stakes” and entered in the resident’s electronic portfolio. 

The program continues to undergo the same rigorous accreditation processes as previous traditional programs. All CBD programs will continue to lead to Royal College approved certification. Certification for trainees in the CBD program will include the completion of a Royal College examination. Within the CBD program, all milestones (documented within an electronic portfolio) and the Royal College examination must be successfully completed to achieve certification.

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Return of Service

Return of Service

The successful applicant will be required to sign a Return of Service Agreement with the Province of New Brunswick for 5 years after completing their residency. The Return of Service Agreement must be signed before the matched applicant can commence their Psychiatry residency training program. If a candidate does not fulfill their return of service commitment in a New Brunswick community, they will be required to pay a penalty.

If the resident decides not to continue or not to complete the training they will have to reimburse the costs of their training assumed by New Brunswick. If the resident decides not to practice in New Brunswick, a penalty of $ 400,000 with interest will be imposed.

Candidates must be able to demonstrate that they have French language skills in order to obtain a position within the vitalité health network, in accordance with the requirements of the language policy.  

The closed New Brunswick RoS positions are reserved for eligible candidates that have received an MD degree outside Quebec or for eligible candidates that were determined to be Canadiens non-résidents du Québec (CNRQ), as defined by the Ministry of Higher Education when they started their MD program in a Quebec faculty of medicine.

Click here to view a copy of the Return of Service Agreement for New Brunswick. For more information on the return of service commitment, please contact:

 Michelle Anne Duguay

Conseillère principale, Ressources médicales et Affaires francophones /

Senior Advisor, Physician Resources & Francophone Affairs

Planification des effectifs en santé/ Health Workforce Planning

Ministère de la Santé / Department of Health

(506) 453-8159

MichelleAnne.Duguay@gnb.ca

Eligible contingent régulier candidates in Québec may submit their applications for a spot (and not only those who did their undergraduate medical education in Québec, and held a spot via the agreement with New Brunswick).

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General Instructions

Program application language: Either English or French

Before applying for this program, all candidates are asked to read the eligibility criteria for postgraduate medical training programs in R1 specialties offered all four Quebec faculties of medicine by clicking on this link: https://www.carms.ca/match/r-1-main-residency-match/eligibility-criteria/quebec/.   

Applications are first reviewed by members of the Selection Committee to determine which applicants will be offered an interview. Candidates will be notified beforehand and assigned one of three possible interview dates. A detailed schedule of the interview day including virtual links, instructions, and additional contact information will be provided once interviews are confirmed. 

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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

Because our review of applications begins immediately after the file review has opened, additional application documents will not be reviewed if submitted after that date. However, you are welcome to update your file with your interviewers in person on the day of the interview by bringing any relevant new information such as conference abstracts, publications, or other documents at that time.  

Selection Criteria

The McGill Psychiatry Residency Program provides a rich educational environment with a wide range of training opportunities. Every year we admit a diverse group of residents representing a broad range of interests, which leads to a stimulating and collegial atmosphere for learning. Valued personal qualities include a genuine interest in psychiatry, integrity, initiative, collaboration, enthusiasm and creativity. Academic profiles range from research and scholarly track record, leadership abilities, interest in medical education, community and humanitarian activities, and international experience. 

In addition to the language requirements, clinical contact is also an important criterion. The date of last service should be less than 4 years. In other words, candidates whose last clinical experience dates back more than 4 years will not be considered. 

Program goals

On completion of training, residents in psychiatry will have demonstrated the ability to assume the role of consultant in the specialty. This will require them to: 

• Demonstrate effective mastery of the theoretical knowledge of the specialty, including the relevant aspects of basic medical and social sciences and of the law as it relates to the practice of psychiatry.
• Demonstrate effective skill in the use of an integrated biological, psychological and social model in the diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and prevention of mental disorders in individuals of all ages.
• Demonstrate effective communication ability with patients, families, medical colleagues and other health care professionals.
• Demonstrate the capacity to maintain complete and accurate health records.
• Demonstrate attitudes which reflect an ability to work effectively and ethically on an independent basis and/or as a member of a multidisciplinary team, and which are founded on respect for and sensitivity to the patient, his/her family and the community.
• Demonstrate an ability to work effectively and efficiently in a health care organization and to use information technology to optimize patient care, long-term learning and other activities.
• Demonstrate an ability to identify the important determinants of health in relation to mental health problems.
• Demonstrate the capacity to contribute effectively to improved health of patients and communities and recognize and respond to those issues where advocacy is appropriate.
• Demonstrate an ability to critically assess the relevance and significance of the literature and research as it applies to the practice and study of psychiatry.

Selection process goals

Identify applicants who have demonstrated interest in Psychiatry. 

Identify applicants who have demonstrated ability to interact with patients and colleagues alike. 

Identify applicants who have demonstrated attributes in the CanMEDS roles. 

Identify applicants who have demonstrated ability and enthusiasm to learn and are able to adapt to the demands of residency psychiatry training in the era of CBME. 

File review process

Evaluation criteria :

Elective criteria

Interview process

Interview evaluation criteria :

Information gathered outside of CaRMS application

We do not consider any information gathered outside of the CaRMS application and local interview processes.

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 Department of Psychiatry of McGill University has long been at the cutting edge of development in neuroscience, diagnostic methods, and therapeutic interventions. The postgraduate program of the McGill Department of Psychiatry provides the highest quality of comprehensive training as well as unique opportunities to enhance your professional development. The program is flexible and geared to help trainees achieve their goals. Faculty members and learners are actively involved in planning, overseeing, and evaluating the teaching program. 

 Some of the highlights of our program include: 

- excellent quality of core rotations and didactic curriculum 
- highly developed psychotherapy training 
- broad variety of elective and fellowship opportunities 
- comprehensive mentoring and career planning 
- safety training including the use of the simulation center and an intensive 2-day course 
- structured health advocacy activities 
- cultural psychiatry, Aboriginal mental health (Northern Quebec) training opportunities 
- Scholarly Project Track, Research Track, Master of Psychiatry Program, Clinician Investigator Program 
- high level of resident participation in developing and evaluating all aspects of the program 
- collegial, supportive, and positive learning environment 
- excellent education-service balance 
- on-call schedule that promotes wellness and educational experiences 

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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.

Overview

The Postgraduate Education Program at McGill University has a strong commitment to continuous quality improvement with the goal of providing the highest quality of training. Residents are highly engaged in all committees where training is being developed, implemented, and reviewed. Clinical rotations and academic curricula are reviewed annually based on standardized evaluations by residents attending the specific learning activities, comprehensive and detailed reports generated by residents at a retreat reserved for this purpose, and ongoing committee meetings and discussions. 

Clinical Rotations

The program is university based and five years in length. Each year includes thirteen four-week periods.  

The R1-R2 years include the Transition to Disciple and Foundations of Discipline stages of CBME. 

• These two years include core medical rotations, including family medicine, emergency medicine, neurology, endocrinology, internal medicine and emergency psychiatry. 

• These two years also include adult inpatient and outpatient Psychiatry. 

The R3-R5 years include the Core of Discipline and Transition to Practice stages of CBME. 

• The R3-R4 years include rotations in child and adolescent psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI) and consultation-liaison (CL). Clinical and didactic training in addictions, shared-care, forensics psychiatry, rural/community psychiatry is also included. The residents will have opportunities to complete 2 elective rotations during this stage.   
• The Transition to Practice Stage offers residents a comprehensive clinical training curriculum, preparing them for independent practice. 

 

Teaching Program

There is a centralized teaching program, based at the university, which offers the core content of psychiatry in seminar form on Tuesday mornings. The primary goal of the centralized teaching program is knowledge acquisition. In the R4 year there is a structured exam preparation course that simulates the format of the Royal College written and oral exams. 

The primary goal of the hospital-based teaching programs is skills acquisition. Most of the hospitals in the McGill network offer hospital-based psychotherapy seminars, psychopharmacology seminars, diagnostic interviewing courses, journal clubs, grand rounds, and service-based rounds. 

  

  

	Centralized Teaching Program. Teaching Modules include:
	Introduction to Psychiatry
	Major Psychiatric Disorders
	Evidence Based Psychiatry
	Research Methods
	Introduction to Psychotherapy
	Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
	Evidence Based Psychiatry
	Psychopharmacology
	Introduction to Child Psychiatry
	Family Skills Training
	Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
	Geriatric Psychiatry
	Neuroscience and Neurobiology
	Other Psychotherapies
	Collaborative Mental Health Care
	Advanced Psychiatric Interviewing
	Guideline Review
	Family Skills Training
	CP1 Child Psychiatry Seminar
	Psychiatry and Medicine
	Law, Ethics and Administration
	Gender, Social, and Cultural Aspects of Psychiatry
	Leadership and Manager Roles
	Consolidation of Knowledge and Skills (Exam Preparation Course)
	Independent Study

Exam Preparation

McGill Psychiatry residents are well prepared for all aspects of the Royal College exam including the written and oral exam sessions and the STACER (diagnostic interview). 

Our centralized teaching program is designed to comprehensively cover all of the Royal College’s training objectives. Self-assessment is done at the end of each teaching module. During the Royal College exam year, the curriculum includes a well-developed exam preparation course involving reviews of topics using PDM, multiple choice, and short answer format. There is also time given for independent study and exam preparation. 

Diagnostic interviewing skills are taught through lectures and video at both junior and senior levels. Practice STACERs or diagnostic interview examinations are integrated into core rotations, as well as twice yearly on STACER days.  We offer many opportunities to meet the STACER requirement before the Royal College examinations.  The format implemented at McGill allows for continuous development of interviewing skills over the course of residency and a less stressful exam format with STACERs integrated into clinical rotations rather than on formal exam days.   

Psychotherapy Training

The McGill Department of Psychiatry has a long tradition of excellence in psychotherapy. A variety of psychotherapies are taught in didactic lectures, clinical seminars and one-on-one supervision. Residents can expect to become proficient in short and long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioural therapy, as well as couple, family or group therapy. Elective psychotherapy training experiences include dialectic behavioural therapy, trauma-focused therapies, crisis intervention, mentalization-based therapy, supportive psychotherapy and therapy approaches developed for specific populations such as substance dependence, eating disorders, sexual identity issues. A particular strength of the McGill program is the availability of excellent psychotherapy supervisors and training opportunities.  

Research and Scholarly Activities 

The training experience at McGill is imbedded within a rich academic and scholarly environment. Many opportunities exist to develop research and scholarly abilities during the training program.  

Basic research and scholarly training 

- teaching module in research methods 
- supervised academic presentations throughout residency  

Optional research and scholarly training  

- intensive courses are available in biostatistics, epidemiology, and other research topics 
- half-time and full-time research electives (R4-R5) 

Scholarly project track 

- A program-based initiative geared to provide structure and support to enable residents to fulfill the new Royal College requirements regarding scholarly endeavours.  

Research track 

- begins in the first year of training 
- protected time to do research during clinical rotations 
- research mentor 
- research seminars in the first year of training 
- a 2-month research elective in the first year 
- peer and faculty review of research proposals 
- resident research day 

Recognition and funding 

 

Several monetary prizes are awarded annually for excellence in scholarly endeavours. These include the Chairman's Prize (for the overall best research or clinical paper written by a resident), the Innovative Publication Prize (for the best published research or clinical paper), the Gabrielle Weiss Prize (for the best paper relevant to child psychiatry), the Geriatric Psychiatry Prize (for the best paper relevant to geriatric psychiatry), and the Serge Bikadoroff Prize (for the best paper relevant to consultation-liaison psychiatry). 

Career Planning

Residents are encouraged to take an active approach to career planning. To facilitate that, our program has developed a structure that ensures the development and exploration of career options through a number of components: 

- bi-annual one-on-one meetings with the program director (with additional meetings on request) 
- residents are encouraged to meet each year with at least one other person designated to provide career planning (mentors, department chiefs, supervisors, etc.) 
- senior residents meet with the chair of the department on an individual basis to discuss applications for fellowships and careers with the McGill Department of Psychiatry 
- there is an annual Career Day, which includes plenary speakers designed to expose all residents to a wide range of career opportunities 
- a network of career and fellowship advisors has been developed, providing residents with contacts reflecting a vast array of training and employment experiences they may consider at McGill, throughout Quebec, elsewhere in Canada, and internationally. 

Mentorship Program

The transition from medical student to resident is a significant period in the development of a physician. It is an important time for the acquisition of knowledge and experience, but it also presents challenges in terms of adapting to new responsibilities and increased work demands.  

Ensuring that this transition is supported and fostered in a nurturing way is a priority for our program. During their PGY-1, our residents are predominantly in medical rotations. Mentoring and anchoring them to our program is of great importance in order that our residents gain a sense of belonging to their specialty.  

Previously, PGY-1 residents were assigned a staff mentor based on assumed compatibilities in terms of interests and personality.  This mentorship model was riddled with challenges including incompatibilities between the trainee and mentor, lack of time to meet, and a lack of subject matter to discuss.  

It is for this reason that the Program Office has created a new mentorship initiative entitled the Heinz Lehmann mentorship group. The HL mentor is a gateway to resources within our program, department, university, and specialty for incoming junior residents (PGY1-5).  

Safety Training 

The McGill Psychiatry Program considers safety of paramount importance and as such offers a high level of education, ongoing monitoring and rapid response to safety issues. 

Safety training occurs throughout residency and includes: 

- formal lectures in the teaching curriculum 
- a simulation center activity to practice managing agitated patients 
- a two-day intensive safety training program (the OMEGA course) 
- an orientation to safety procedures at each site at the start of rotations 

Measures for monitoring and responding to safety issues include: 

- a safety policy for the residency program 
- systematic reporting of safety issues at all clinical sites 
- a safety committee that meets regularly to review safety data, conduct site visits, and recommend interventions where necessary 

Medical Education Training 

Within the residency program, there are many opportunities to become involved in educational activities. Residents are invited to participate in undergraduate medical education, including through formal roles as teaching fellow at one of the training sites. Senior residents are invited to participate in a range of activities for junior residents. 

Medical education electives are available through the Department of Medical Education at McGill University. These include:  

- courses in the Department of Education or Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics 
- activities sponsored by the Center for Medical Education and the Faculty Development Office (e.g., center meetings, medical education rounds, workshops, seminars) 
- independent study of medical education concepts, principles, and practices 
- a health sciences education research project 

Health Advocacy 

Residents in our program have taken spontaneous interest in health advocacy activities. As this has become a Royal College requirement, health advocacy training has been incorporated into the program. Training includes an annual health advocacy orientation session, participation in resident-initiated health advocacy activities, and the use of reflective practice to explore advocacy issues encountered during training. 

Past health advocacy orientation sessions included presentations by residents and faculty on the following: 

- resident initiated educational session at the community-based organization AMI Quebec: Action for Mental Illness, Chez Doris, TRACOM 
- governmental policy development on the detention of asylum seekers

Cultural Psychiatry Training 

The Department of Psychiatry at McGill University is a world leader in cultural psychiatry. Clinical and research opportunities are available for residents in both adult and child cultural psychiatry services. 

Some of the activities of the Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry include: 

- cultural consultation clinical service 
- culture and mental health research 
- annual summer program in social and cultural psychiatry 
- advanced institute in cultural psychiatry 
- a large variety of international projects 
- leading research in a vast range of transcultural psychiatry topics 

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 

The Royal College Specialty Training in Child Psychiatry has been approved at McGill. 

Geriatric Psychiatry 

The Royal College Specialty Training in Geriatric Psychiatry has been approved at McGill. 

Fellowships 

A broad range of fellowships are available as additional training options following the completion of the general psychiatry program. These are listed on the McGill Postgraduate Medical Education site:  http://www.mcgill.ca/pgme/programs/fellowship-programs 

Master of Psychiatry Program 

McGill psychiatry residents may pursue a Master's of Science degree in Psychiatry during their five-year residency. This degree program provides residents with more rigorous training as medical scientists, including course work in research methods specific to their area of supervised research, leading to the presentation of a Master's thesis and to scholarly publications. This program allows for a flexible schedule that integrates with the residency program. 

For more information please refer to https://www.mcgill.ca/psychiatry/education/graduate-program.  

Clinician Investigator Program 

  

The Clinician Investigator Program (CIP) is also available for McGill psychiatry residents. The CIP's mandate is to assist in the career development of clinician/investigators by providing a formalized postgraduate educational program that fulfills the existing clinical specialty training requirements of the Royal College, as well as a minimum of two years of structured rigorous research training. Up to one of the research years may also be credited to fulfill the individual's specialty requirements. It is preferred that the two years of research be sequential (i.e., R5 plus a one-year fellowship). 

  

For psychiatry residents, acceptance into this Program requires the joint approval of the CIP and the Psychiatry Residency Program Committee. McGill's CIP is completed concurrently with a Graduate School Pathway (Graduate Diploma, MSc or PhD); a non-graduate school pathway is open only to those who have already completed a MSc or PhD degree. 

Clinical Pharmacology Program 

The residency program in clinical pharmacology is a two-year supervised training program open to qualified residents who have completed four years or more in psychiatry. The objective of this program is to provide clinical and scholarly training in clinical pharmacology (psychopharmacology). 

This program is accredited by the Royal College and leads to a fellowship certificate in clinical pharmacology by the Royal College (certification without examination) upon completion of the second year. This fellowship program is based in the clinical psychopharmacology unit of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and is carried out in collaboration with a number of university hospitals and centers, as well as the Department of Pharmacy, the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and the Department of Anaesthesia.

The mandatory content of the first year consists of six months in the clinical psychopharmacology unit concentrating on psychopharmacological consultations, followed by a three-month rotation in clinical neuropsychopharmacology and neuropsychiatry, anaesthesia, or pediatrics-pharmacokinetics. This is then followed by three months in geriatrics (neurological) and internal medicine, focusing on clinical pharmacology in areas that are important to psychiatry (dementia, Parkinson's disease, HTA). 

The elective content of the second year is flexible and tailored to the specific interests of the trainee. The following rotations are available: clinical pharmacology research in psychiatry, clinical exploratory pharmacology research in psychiatry, preclinical psychopharmacology research, statistics and epidemiology, and pharmaceutical sciences. Other research electives may be arranged. 

Clinical pharmacology and psychopharmacology seminars, in addition to regular teaching rounds, are provided. 

McGill Psychiatry Residents Association (MPRA) 

The presence of the MPRA functions to enhance the wellness and representation of residents in the McGill Psychiatry Program. The MPRA elects an executive and representatives to Program committees. 

The executive includes: 

- President 
- COPE representative to the national organization of psychiatry programs 
- Vice President (VP) Administration 
- VP IMG 
- VP Psychosocial 
- VP Community 
- VP Research 
- VP Education 
- VP Recruitment 

Residents elect representatives to program committees including: 

- Residency Program Committee 
- Class Representatives Committee 
- Safety Committee 
- Curriculum Committee 
- Psychotherapy Committee 
- Research Committee 
- Child Psychiatry Committee 
- Geriatric Psychiatry Committee 
- Undergraduate Training Committee 

  

McGill Psychiatry Interest Group (McPIG) 

The McGill Psychiatry Interest Group (McPIG) is an initiative launched by the MPRA to promote interest in the field of psychiatry and, more specifically, the McGill psychiatry training program. Residents arrange a variety of events for medical students that range from movie nights to lectures, journal clubs to informal dinners. McPIG is also responsible for coordinating recruitment activities during the CaRMS period. All psychiatry residents are invited to participate in this rewarding subcommittee of the MPRA. 

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Training Sites

Overview

The McGill Department of Psychiatry is fortunate to have a large number of excellent clinicians, teachers, and researchers with diverse areas of interest. Residents in our program rotate through a number of training sites in order to be exposed to different models of care and subspecialties within psychiatry. Our principal training sites are the McGill University Health Centre, which consists of the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH), Montreal General Hospital (MGH), Montreal Children's Hospital (MCH), and the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), as well as the Jewish General Hospital (JGH), St. Mary's Hospital (SMH), Douglas Mental Health University Institute (DH), and Centre Hospitalier Pierre Janet (CHPJ).

General Adult Hospitals

- McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) - Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH)

- McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) - Montreal General Hospital (MGH)

- Jewish General Hospital (JGH)

- St. Mary's Hospital (SMH)

General Pediatric Hospital

- Montreal Children's Hospital (MCH)

Psychiatric Institute

- Douglas Mental Health University Institute (DH)

Neurological Institute

- Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI)

Community/ Rural Training Sites (Psychiatry)

- Centre Hospitalier Pierre Janet (CHPJ), Gatineau, Quebec

- CSSS de Suroit, Valleyfield Quebec

- CSSS de la Vallée de l'Or, Val d'Or, Quebec

All rural sites offer elective rotations in Rural Psychiatry. The CHPJ also offers core rotations in child psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, shared cate and forensic psychiatry.

Community/ Rural Training Sites (Family Medicine)

- CLSC Côte-des-Neiges

- CLSC Metro

- CSSS des Collines (Wakefield)

- Conseil Cri SSS de la Baie James (Chisasibi)

- CSSS du Haut St-Laurent (Huntingdon, Ormstown)

- CS Inuulitsivik (Puvirnituq)

- CSSS de Papineau (Buckingham)

- CSSS la Pommeraie (Cowansville, Knowlton)

- CSSS du Pontiac (Shawville)

- CSSS du Suroit (Valleyfield)

- CSSS de Temiscaming et de Kipawa (Temiscaming)

- CS Tullatavik de L'Ungava (Kuujjuaq)

- CSSS de la Vallée-de-la-Gatineau (Maniwaki)

- CSSS de la Vallée-de-l'Or (Val d'Or)

- CSSS Vaudreuil-Soulanges (Rigaud)

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Additional Information

McGill University proudly welcomes an international cohort of residents into its Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) each year. Residents gain valuable experience serving a diverse, multicultural community in French and English. In Quebec, residents are legally required to care for patients in French and in English. Therefore, PGME provides residents with French language acquisition tools and resources to help ensure each can care for Francophone patients, as well as fully benefit from their training experience. All residents are expected to participate in the French language courses offered by the PGME Office, throughout the duration of their training at McGill, where applicable.