Year 1 Residents

Resident- Resident Level

At the resident-resident level, incoming first-year residents are matched with junior residents before starting residency, which allows for a smooth transition to the program. Many mentor-mentee pairings will meet in-person before residency starts; however, there are many opportunities to meet your mentors during our orientation. Mentees can ask questions about psychiatry, the program, get tips about where to eat in London, and much more.

We also know that needs change as you progress through residency – from R1 and transition to residency, R2 and adjustment to core psychiatry, and transition to practice in your senior years.

Our wellness committee matches each PGY year with a faculty member as a point of contact. Faculty members on the wellness committee have recently graduated from residency and have been where you are not too long ago! They’re happy to talk about anything, ranging from adjusting to residency, changing to core psychiatry, identifying your career path, and thinking about the transition to practice!

An additional resource for residents is the Physician Year Leads.  They are a friendly first point of contact to reach out to for advice and extra support. Physician year leads regularly get together with their PGY cohort for dinner. Depending on their year’s needs and interests, some year leads have talked about physical and emotional well-being, financial well-being, clinical strategies, career opportunities, and more.

With the combination of this package and your personal mentor, the transition to Western Psychiatry and the city of London will be smooth and enjoyable!

Academic Days

Every Thursday is a protected Academic Day during psychiatry residency. In the PGY1 year, you will have a half-day (morning until noon) and a full day during PGY2-5 years. The full schedule is provided during your July orientation period.

Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western also provides a special summer series of lectures for PGY1 residents, as well as an academic series throughout the year. Full details are provided to all residents as events are announced.

Consistent with the RCPSC Competence by Design (CBD) Curriculum and current medical education practices, our program offers direct clinical teaching with continuous feedback. Additional teaching sessions are provided on full-day academic Thursdays, covering all aspects of psychiatric practice, including the phenomenology of illness, psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, neurobiology, and psychosocial dimensions of psychiatry. These sessions provide an opportunity for residents to expand their knowledge base further and develop their skills.

Our program provides longitudinal practical teaching in areas such as interview skills/formulation, psychotherapy, research skills, and Quality Improvement (QI) throughout the program, in addition to OSCE practice sessions throughout PGY2-5.

Western welcomes all residents to be actively involved in our program. Resident positions exist on the majority of the Psychiatry Postgraduate committees. Most committee positions are a one-year term, with elections happening each spring. Committees desire both junior and senior resident input, and first-year residents are welcome! See the Current Resident page for a list of the committee opportunities.

Additionally, residents contribute to the Department and field of psychiatry through research and quality improvement projects. All residents are involved in either a research or quality improvement project.  Each resident receives support from faculty Quality Improvement (QI) and research portfolio leads, which will help you find a project that matches your passion and areas of interest.