Promoting careers in psychiatry

In the south west we're passionate about promoting careers in psychiatry, and raising the numbers of people who choose psychiatry as a specialism.

Choose psychiatry

The College is campaigning at national level to promote a career in psychiatry to medical students, school and college students and Foundation doctors.

Our Choose Psychiatry section contains videos and information explaining:

  • how psychiatrists make a difference
  • how to become a psychiatrist
  • what a psychiatrist does in a normal day.

We also provide examples of inspirational psychiatrists who are working in unusual contexts.

Promoting psychiatry in the region

There are fantastic benefits to training and practising as a psychiatrist in the region, including:

  • a passionate and involved community of psychiatrists, who support each other to innovate, undertake research and generally foster a fulfilling career
  • rich academic opportunities
  • active medical schools in Bristol, Exeter, Truro and Plymouth
  • successful training schemes, shown by the GMC's annual training survey results
  • a great lifestyle offered by the combination of cities, countryside and coastal areas.

You can find more information about careers in the south west via our booklet:

Download our guide to pursuing psychiatry in the south west of England (PDF)

Local networks

We have three Choose Psychiatry networks in the south west:

  • Severn, in the north
  • Peninsula, in the south
  • Dorset.

These are a collaboration of trainees, consultants, medical students and other interested parties.

They are designed to share knowledge and ideas for improving recruitment by targeting school and college students, medical students and Foundation Year doctors.

Available resources

The local Choose Psychiatry Networks have been working to collate resources to be used by psychiatrists to compliment presentations or workshops given to school students, medical students and foundation year doctors.

These resources will be made available on the Choose Psychiatry resources page.

If you have any resources you think might be useful and have the author's permission to share them on the internet, you can contact the leads via the Division Office.

Registering to join a network

Email us with your name, education/career stage and any other information you would like to provide.

How can I get in touch with my local recruitment contact?

Check out the South West Division recruitment contacts page.

Read more to receive further information regarding a career in psychiatry