by Toshitaka Ii and Toru Horinouchi
The Japan Young Psychiatrists Organization (JYPO) was established in June 2002 by cooperation of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) and the Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology (JSPN). The purpose of JYPO is to assist young psychiatrists in Japan in networking and forming future collaborations in other countries. JYPO organizes training programs that serve as opportunities for young psychiatrists all over the world.
There are two main JYPO-supported activities in which young psychiatrists can participate. One is the Course for Academic Development of Psychiatrists (CADP) that is held every winter, and the other is an international symposium at the JSPN annual conference.
CADP was founded by Professor Norman Sartorius, a former president of the WPA, and was introduced in Japan in 2002 by Professor Mitsumoto Sato, a former president of the JSPN. The purpose of CADP is to develop professional, academic and leadership skills in young psychiatrists through fulfilling programs. What makes CADP different? CADP consists primarily of participatory programs. Each participant is required to perform several roles, such as presenter, chairperson, and report writer. The participants all stay in the same hotel and share meals, which contributes greatly to their bonding and stimulates further communication. There are various effective programs to help motivate the participants. Several lectures are given by famous leading authorities in the world, including Professor Sartorius. Each participant is required to give an oral presentation or poster presentation and can receive in-depth feedback on how to improve their presentations—everything from using a pointer to clarifying their main message. Small group work is one of the most exciting programs. All participants are divided into small groups and discuss a certain theme over three days. The theme varies from year to year. Past themes include treatment gap, postgraduate training, disaster psychiatry, and how to make a proposal in order to diminish suicide. We believe CADP’s three-day program provides the participants with knowledge and crucial skills, which are essential to become a good clinician, researcher, leader, and life-long learner.
The JSPN fellowship award symposium takes place at its annual conference every summer. There are four international symposiums that include themes and case vignettes. Past themes include suicide forensic psychiatry and women’s mental health. Japanese psychiatrists and other participants come from all over the world to attend these symposiums. The JSPN also offers a hospital tour and reception.
The 16th annual CADP will take place in Chiba, Japan, from February 17, 2017 to February19, 2017. We believe that many young psychiatrists from overseas will attend this year’s CADP. The 113th annual meeting of JSPN will take place in Nagoya, Japan, from June 22, 2017 to June 24, 2017. We believe the participants at this meeting will make valuable connections with Japanese psychiatrists.
Through these various activities, JYPO hopes to welcome many early career psychiatrists.
Toshikata Ii is from the Department of Psychiatry & Cognitive-Behavioral Medicine, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya and Toru Horinouchi is from the Department of Psychiatry Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine. They are both representatives of the Japan Young Psychiatrists Organization (JYPO).