New curricula: information for trainees and trainers

The College's new core, specialty and sub-specialty curricula will be launched this year - the biggest change to psychiatric training for years.

The new, modern curricula, which place more emphasis on personal development against key capabilities than ever before, will be piloted to some trainees next month, with most others starting on the new curriculum in August.

Here’s how we are supporting trainees and trainers who are moving to the new curriculum.

A pilot group of around 300 new starter CT1s and ST4s will be moving to the new curricula at the beginning of February. We will then refine our implementation plans ahead of the main transition and prepare everyone as well as possible for the changes to the curricula framework in August.

Curricula information hub

We’re publishing information to support trainees and trainees on the curricula information hub.

You’ll find there:

  • the new core, specialty and sub-specialty curricula
  • the Silver Guide (the definitive source of information for core and specialty training and the new home for the guidance that used to preface each of the previous curricula)
  • an example placement-specific personal development plan (PDP)
  • details of the transition arrangements for all trainees, including guidance on CESR transition.

If you have questions about the new curricula, please see the FAQs. If your question isn’t covered, join us on one of the weekly drop in sessions – no need to book, just come along.

We’re running webinars for trainers and trainees on a regular basis and will be providing more resources to explain the new features of the revised curricula – one of the most significant of these is the introduction of placement-specific PDPs.

At the start of a placement trainees and trainers will select key capabilities and identify activities that can be undertaken to achieve these; then review progress on a regular basis, add further capabilities and adjust the activities as required.

All of this will be recorded in Portfolio Online, so that evidence the trainee’s progress during the placement will be captured and will form the basis of the Psychiatric Supervision Report.

This will then help inform the Educational Supervisor report and ARCP decision and feed into the next PDP, especially for trainees needing performance support.

Each specialty is developing example PDPs showing how they can be completed and the sorts of activities that can be undertaken – the first example relates to the Addiction (previously Substance misuse) curriculum, with others joining it soon.

These changes are designed to make psychiatry training flexible and personally relevant.

Read more to receive further information regarding a career in psychiatry