It is with great pleasure that the European Federation of Psychiatric Trainees (EFPT) Exchange Working Group announces the 16th application period for the EFPT Exchange program; concerning exchanges between August 2019 to January 2020. Visit the following website page: https://efpt.eu/exchange/apply/ to apply!
Have you ever wondered what training is like in different countries? Ever thought about how your favourite sub-specialty is practiced abroad? Have you pondered on how service delivery may be improved?
To this purpose, the EFPT has developed this short-term observership exchange program. Created in 2011, it has provided over 200 trainees the opportunity to reflect on the questions mentioned above. The exchange program has been growing steadily and now offers 65 observerships in 18 different countries all across Europe; from Portugal to Russia and Turkey to Ireland. Furthermore, the EFPT Exchange working group is extremely proud to announce the addition of a new placement in Denmark and Malta in this application period.
The aims of this program are to:
- Get involved in clinical, research and teaching activities abroad;
- Experience another mental health care system;
- Experience a different trainee program;
- Socialise with European trainees;
- Learn about trans-cultural psychiatry.
The EFPT working group receives applications bi-annually during the months of June and October. Trainees may benefit from 2 to 6 weeks of observership in one of the various sub-specialities offered, covering the breadth of psychiatry. One may search and select the program depending on the desired destination or sub-speciality. Moreover, some placements may inspire you to develop new skills such as psychotherapy, stimulation training, academic psychiatry, or sleep and circadian neurophysiology.
The EFPT offers a €500 bursary to encourage and aid individuals from lower-income countries to benefit from the exchanges. See the details here: https://efpt.eu/exchange/bursary/
I strongly encourage fellow trainees who do not offer an exchange program in their city to consider developing one. Discussion with foreign trainees will result in a better understanding of training abroad and will open new horizons of collaboration across Europe.
In conclusion, I invite you to apply and participate in this wonderful experience. I hope that through the experiences you gather during the EFPT exchange you will influence change in your local services.
More information: https://efpt.eu/exchange/ and exchange.af@gmail.com
Giovanni Grech,
Co-chair of the EFPT Exchange Working group