Grades of membership

There are eight grades of membership available at the College to join, depending on your qualifications, experience and location.

Student Associate

If you're a medical student keen to learn more about a career in psychiatry, you can join us for free.

Foundation Doctor Associate

Similar to our Student Associate membership, this grade is free for Foundation Doctors who are interested in training to become a psychiatrist. 

Pre-Membership Psychiatric Trainee 

Psychiatry trainees from both the UK and overseas can join us as a Pre-Membership Psychiatric Trainee (PMPT).

 If you are based in the UK, please register using the Register button. If you are based overseas please complete and return the word document.

Affiliate

Affiliateship of the College is open to registered psychiatrists working in the United Kingdom who:

  • do not hold the MRCPsych qualification
  • do not hold specialist registration
  • are not in an approved training post, substantive consultant post or honorary consultant post
  • have support from two sponsors who are subscribing Members, Fellows or Specialist Associate of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Specialist Associate

Specialist Associateship of the College is open to registered medical practitioners working in the United Kingdom who have:

  • at least five years experience in psychiatry
  • specialist training which has been assessed in the United Kingdom as being at least equivalent to a full programme of specialist training in psychiatry in the United Kingdom
  • been registered on the GMC Specialist Register
  • support from two sponsors who are subscribing Members or Fellows of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

International Associate

The International Associate grade is open to psychiatrists with five years’ experience and/or training in psychiatry who do not hold the MRCPsych, but who hold a specialist qualification in psychiatry and who reside outside the UK. Find out more about the benefits of International Associateship.

Mental Health Associate

The Mental Health Associate grade is open to non-medically qualified members of a profession closely allied to psychiatry.

There is a maximum of ten new Mental Health Associates who can join the College each year.

You will need to have two Members, Fellows or Specialist Associates of the Royal College of Psychiatrists who support your application. We cannot suggest any members for the citation, they must already be known to you.

Member

The normal route to Membership of the College requires 24 months post foundation/internship experience in psychiatry and a pass in all components of the MRCPsych exams. Full details of Membership are sent to successful candidates.

Fellow

We award Fellowship as a mark of distinction and recognition of contributions to psychiatry. You are eligible if you have been a Member for 10 years or more and can demonstrate significant contributions to the core purposes of the College.

Fellowship is open to both UK and Overseas Members, but unfortunately Affiliates and Associates cannot apply. If successful, our Fellows can use the title FRCPsych once they have paid the prescribed registration fee.

For further details on eligibility and how to apply, visit our Fellowship and other Honours page.

Read more to receive further information regarding a career in psychiatry