Psychiatry Training Pathway
How to become a psychiatrist in Australia — the RANZCP Fellowship program, how state selection works, and what psychiatrists actually earn across salaried and private practice.
Psychiatry is a workforce-shortage specialty, so getting a training place is rarely the hard part — places regularly go unfilled. The real work is the long list of in-training assessments and exams across five years, and deciding how much of your career sits in the public system versus private practice.
Why psychiatry
You assess and treat the full range of mental illness — mood, psychotic, anxiety, personality, substance-use and neurodevelopmental disorders — across inpatient units, community teams, consultation to other specialties, and private rooms. The work is heavily relationship-based, combining diagnosis, pharmacology and psychotherapy. It suits people who want depth in the doctor–patient relationship, are comfortable with diagnostic uncertainty and risk, and value a predictable lifestyle with strong demand and flexible private options.
- Draws: Workforce shortage — among the easiest specialties to enter, Predictable hours; lighter on-call than acute specialties, Strong, flexible private-practice and telepsychiatry options, Deep, long-term therapeutic relationships.
- Trade-offs: Long list of in-training assessments and exams over five years, Emotionally demanding work with real clinical risk, Lower average earnings than procedural specialties, Public-system resourcing and bed pressures can be difficult.
- Subspecialties: Child & adolescent psychiatry, Consultation-liaison psychiatry, Forensic psychiatry, Old age psychiatry, Addiction psychiatry, Psychotherapies, Youth psychiatry, Adult psychiatry.
The training pathway
The same fellowship, two very different timelines. The fast route assumes everything goes right; most people land on the realistic one.
How competitive is it?
Psychiatry is a recognised workforce-shortage specialty, so getting in is rarely the obstacle — accredited training posts regularly go unfilled and national intake has been falling. There were 2,562 active trainees across Australia and New Zealand in early 2025 (2,267 in Australia), and 314 trainees commenced in the first 2025 intake (VIC 101, NSW 85, QLD 54, WA 31, SA 27, ACT 8, TAS 5, NT 3). No jurisdiction publishes applicant or offer counts, and there is no national match, so an applicant-to-place ratio cannot be quoted. The only published per-state position target found is Western Australia at roughly 20 places a year. The competitive part is no longer entry — it's completing the five years of in-training assessments and exams.
Unaccredited time: No — psychiatry has no unaccredited-registrar bottleneck. You apply from your hospital years directly into an accredited trainee post.
Sources: RANZCP — about psychiatry training, RANZCP — annual report & workforce data, RANZCP — selection process for trainees.
Selection criteria & how to apply
Selection is run by each state and territory training program, not nationally — but RANZCP publishes a common national selection rubric with set weightings that programs apply. Your application and interview are scored against these domains:
Key documents: RANZCP — selection process for trainees, RANZCP — getting into the training program.
How selection works, state by state
NSW
Who runs selection: Selection is coordinated through HETI across five Sydney training networks plus rural/regional posts, with a NSW Health recruitment campaign.
Where to apply: HETI / NSW Health psychiatry network recruitment — application portal.
When: The NSW Health psychiatry campaign typically runs around July–October for the following clinical year.
Interviews: Structured panel interviews, scored against the national RANZCP rubric.
Worth knowing: The largest trainee cohort in the country (about 159 Stage 1 trainees in early 2025). You apply to networks; rural and regional posts are the least contested.
VIC
Who runs selection: Victoria runs a centralised First Year Psychiatry Match through the Postgraduate Medical Council of Victoria (PMCV), with a computerised match rather than direct hospital offers.
Where to apply: PMCV — First Year Psychiatry Match — application portal.
When: PMCV match runs to a fixed annual timetable; check current dates each year.
Interviews: Video interviews feed into the computerised match algorithm.
Worth knowing: The largest 2025 commencing cohort (101). Because it's a centralised match, you rank programs and a single algorithm allocates posts — different to every other state.
QLD
Who runs selection: Queensland uses a dual application — the statewide RMO campaign plus a separate Psychiatry Training preference form — with Feb and Aug intakes and panel interviews.
Where to apply: Queensland Health RMO campaign + PGT preference form — application portal.
When: Two intakes a year (February and August); the RMO campaign and preference form run to Queensland Health's recruitment calendar.
Interviews: Panel interview scored against the national rubric.
Worth knowing: You must complete both the general RMO application and the psychiatry-specific preference form — missing either is a common pitfall. Twice-yearly intakes give a second chance each year.
Links: Queensland Health — medical recruitment, RANZCP Queensland Branch.
SA
Who runs selection: Selection is run by the South Australian Psychiatry Basic Training Committee (SAPBTC), with a single panel process.
Where to apply: SA Psychiatry Basic Training Committee (SAPBTC) — application portal.
When: Applications around 11 May–22 June 2026, with interviews about 10–12 August 2026 (confirm current dates).
Interviews: Panel interview scored against the national rubric.
Worth knowing: A single statewide committee runs selection, so there's one process to navigate rather than several networks.
Links: SA Health — careers, RANZCP SA Branch.
WA
Who runs selection: Selection is run by the WA Branch Training Committee through the WA Medical Psychiatry Training and Recruitment processes, advertised via MedCareersWA.
Where to apply: MedCareersWA / WA Branch Training Committee — application portal.
When: Annual recruitment via MedCareersWA; roughly 20 places a year — the only published per-state target found.
Interviews: In-person panel of at least four FRANZCP psychiatrists, typically held at Graylands.
How they choose you: Australian citizenship or permanent residency is required for WA training posts.
Worth knowing: Smaller program with a published ~20-place target and an in-person panel; citizenship/PR requirement is a real eligibility gate.
Links: MedCareersWA, RANZCP WA Branch.
TAS
Who runs selection: Tasmania runs the Tasmanian Psychiatry Training Program (TPTP) as a single statewide program; recruitment is often by direct contact with the program.
Where to apply: Tasmanian Psychiatry Training Program (TPTP) — application portal.
Interviews: Panel interview scored against the national rubric.
Worth knowing: A small program with little published process — contacting the training program directly is the practical route, and a persistent shortage means places are among the easier to secure.
Links: Tasmanian Health Service — careers, RANZCP Tasmanian Branch.
ACT
Who runs selection: The ACT trains through Canberra Health Services' Mental Health, Justice Health, Alcohol & Drug Services (MHJHADS), with a combined job-and-training interview.
Where to apply: Canberra Health Services (MHJHADS) — application portal.
Interviews: A single combined interview covers both the job and the training place.
Worth knowing: A small program — one combined interview gets you both the post and the training place, rather than separate processes.
Links: Canberra Health Services — careers, RANZCP ACT Branch.
NT
Who runs selection: The NT Branch Training Committee runs selection twice yearly, with a strong focus on Aboriginal, transcultural and remote mental health.
Where to apply: NT Health / NT Branch Training Committee — application portal.
When: Selection runs twice a year.
Interviews: Panel interview scored against the national rubric.
Worth knowing: The smallest program (3 commencements in early 2025) with a distinctive Aboriginal, transcultural and remote focus — strong appeal if that's your interest, and among the least contested places in the country.
Links: NT Health — work with us, RANZCP NT Branch.
How to optimise your application
- Bank a psychiatry term before applying (tied to Psychiatric work experience (8%), start PGY1–2) — A rotation in psychiatry strengthens your CV, references and interview, and confirms the fit.
- Line up strong, structured referees (tied to Referee reports (15%), start before applying) — Supervisors who can speak specifically to your suitability for psychiatry carry real weight in the rubric.
- Choose a well-supported training network (tied to Completion, start at selection) — Exam pass support, protected teaching and a breadth of rotations matter more than prestige once you're in.
- Start the long-form assessments early (tied to Completion, start Stage 1–2) — The Psychotherapy Written Case (≥40 sessions, 8,000–10,000 words) and Scholarly Project take time — begin them well before they're due.
Key documents & official links
- RANZCP — about the training program
- RANZCP — getting into the training program
- RANZCP — assessments & exams
- RANZCP — Certificates of Advanced Training
FAQ
Is psychiatry hard to get into?
How long does psychiatry training take?
What are the exams?
Do psychiatrists earn well?
Can I subspecialise?
Trained overseas? (IMG pathway)
How overseas-trained psychiatry doctors get recognised
Overseas-trained psychiatrists are assessed by RANZCP through the Specialist Pathway, which compares your qualifications and experience against the Australian standard and classifies you as substantially comparable, partially comparable or not comparable. Most work under supervision (often in areas of workforce need) while completing any required peer review, assessments or top-up training on the way to fellowship.
See the RANZCP Specialist Pathway for international medical graduates and our IMG internship guide.
Related specialties
Last reviewed 2026-06-01.