The Eastern Health Mental Health and Wellbeing Program is a publicly funded mental health service providing assessment and interventions for people experiencing mental illness. Working from a recovery oriented model, clinicians provide an array of hospital hospital-based, community and specialist services for children, youth, adults and aged people across the Eastern Region Region.

Psychiatry training program at Eastern Health

Eastern Health offers a friendly and supportive training environment for first first-year training positions, as well as positions for trainees transferring into our training program. All mandatory rotations are provided in in-house.

Eastern Health offers the opportunity to complete Certificates of Advanced Training in

  • Addiction Psychiatry
  • Adult Psychiatry
  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
  • Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry
  • Psychiatry of Old Age
  • Psychotherapies
  • Stage 3 Generalist pathway training

Our trainees are also able to gain experience in our statewide services – Turning Point (addiction psychiatry) and Spectrum (specialising in personality disorders).

Eastern Health has a record of excellent results in the RANZCP examinations, with support for examinations by experienced facilitators and RANZCP examiners. More than 60 Consultant Psychiatrists work within our service, representing a diverse range of expertise and experience.

Trainees are encouraged to participate in the teaching and mentoring of medical students from Deakin and Monash Universities, as well as the education program for Interns and Hospital Medical Officers.

What our program offers

Our comprehensive training program addresses all the requirements of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists whilst providing relevant and extensive experience in a wide variety of settings. 

  • A broad clinical experience serving a diverse community including CALD and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients
  • Services across the age spectrum, from perinatal, children and adolescents, through to adult & older adult
  • Range of clinical streams and rotations, & sub-specialty training opportunities, including Turning Point, Spectrum & Forensicare

  • Preparation for college requirements including fortnightly psychotherapy teaching and exam prep tutorials.
  • Leadership opportunities throughout training through formalized positions, as well as observation of consultant and external committee meetings.
  • Research opportunities, including support with Scholarly Projects and presenting at national or international conferences.

  • Eastern Health runs a highly regarded academic program and exam preparation programs covering all aspects of the training requirements. There are also opportunities for you to participate in research in a wide variety of subjects. 
  • Our Academic Program incorporates invited speakers, case presentations, journal club and fortnightly junior medical staff meetings
  • Protected time each week to attend formal education program (in addition to your mandatory personal protected study time)
  • Fortnightly registrar psychotherapy tutorials and dedicated exam tutorials.

  • 60+ consultants with board experiences and areas of expertise
  • Supportive JMO body
  • Principal registrar role with EFT assigned to support junior trainees in navigating workplace and training requirements, as well as challenges
  • Opportunities to engage socially with peers with fortnightly climbing group, post teaching drinks, bi-annual picnic and plans for a gala ball

Our program offers up to 95FTE junior medical positions including:

  • First year psychiatry training positions – advertised May/June
  • CYMHS Advanced Training positions – advertised in July
  • Unaccredited and resident medical officer positions – advertised July/August

How to apply

Stage 1 registrar recruitment is coordinated via RANZCP match and Victorian Psychiatry Training Committee (VPTC) and this occurs between May and July each year.

Visit the Postgraduate Medical Council of Victoria website for more information.

Recruitment for all HMO, accredited and non-accredited registrar positions occurs from July to September and will be advertised on Eastern Health’s recruitment page.

Our sites

As part of your training at Eastern Health, you can expect to be rotated to cover any one of our many sites across the Eastern Suburbs. Eastern Health covers a massive 2,816 square kilometres. Within this area we have a number of Psychiatry locations, most of which are listed below. In addition to this, we also offer some external rotations to other health providers.

Eastern Health Angliss Albert Street, Upper Ferntree Gully
Eastern Health Box Hill 8 Arnold Street, Box Hill 
Canterbury Road Community Care Unit 30‑32 Canterbury Road, Camberwell
Chandler CMHC 18‑18 Albert Street, Upper Ferntree Gully
Koonung CMHC 43 Carrington Road, Box Hill
Linwood House 5 Hood Street, Mont Albert
Eastern Health Maroondah Davey Drive, Ringwood East
Murnong CMHC 8 Bona Street, Ringwood East 
Eastern Health Peter James  Mahoneys Rod, Burwood East 
Turning Point Alcohol & Drug Centre 110 Church St, Richmond
Eastern Health Wantirna 251 Mountain Highway, Wantirna
Waverley CMHC 43 Carrington Road, Box Hill
Wellington House 31‑33 Wellington Road, Box Hill
Wundeela Centre 21 Ware Crescent, Ringwood East
Eastern Health Lilydale 25 Market Street, Lilydale

Contact us

Miss Maddie Streader – Coordinator of Junior Medical Workforce

Email: [email protected]  

Dr Emma Gilbert – Psychiatrist & Director of Training – Psychiatry

Email: [email protected]

Dr Karuna Taluja – Psychiatrist & Junior Medical Staff Coordinator

Email: [email protected]

FAQs

Dr Emma Gilbert and Dr Karuna Taluja (contact information can be found above).

You can expect to complete 1 x 6-month rotation in inpatient unit and 1 x 6 month rotation in community

Yes, all trainees are able to give preferences for their two 6 month rotations giving you the ability to customise your training experience

Yes, however we do not accept part time applications for First Year Training positions, mandatory CYMHS rotations and Consultation Liaison rotations.

  • You must complete a FTE Intern and PGY2 year, with one rotation in psychiatry
  • It is not essential to have completed as a year as a psychiatry HMO, however your psychiatry experience is taken into consideration.
  • Successful completion of a medical degree and current General APHRA Medical Registration
  • You must be able to have a psychiatrist as your referee

12 FTE

We offer a wide range of rotations, across many different mental health services including inpatient units, community services, Consultation Liaison, PAPU, Triage, CATT, PARC, MST, CCU, EHOPS, Aged Psychiatry, CYMHS, Eating Disorders, Spectrum & Turning Point. As well as some external secondments to Cabrini Women’s, Delmont Private and Forensicare.

In addition to your protected training time we offer fortnightly academic sessions, fortnightly registrar psychotherapy tutorials and dedicated exam tutorials.

We have well established psychiatry consultants who are available to support you in your projects.

  • Yes, we include all our Junior Medical Staff in supervision and support during their time with Eastern Health
  • You will also have the option to attend the academic sessions to advance your learning and network with other trainees and consultants.