Education
Education is very much at the core of WPA’s vision of “a world where every person has safe access to professional and ethical mental health care”. Whether it is the distribution of educational programs, the publication of educational texts or the organization and facilitation of meetings where knowledge-sharing is key, education underpins much of the work of the WPA.
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Three areas of focus support WPA’s foundational goal of sharing practical skills and knowledge across the globe: using e-technology and tools to reach and educate more psychiatrists and their communities across the globe (especially in LAMIC); enhancing opportunities for face-to-face learning through the provision of travel grants and fellowships; and providing learning resources for patients, their caregivers and communities, and other key stakeholders.
WPA Education Portal
WPA's new Education Portal provides a connection between trainers and trainees no matter where they are in the world, enabling the transfer of knowledge and skills through a variety of multi-modal learning opportunities. Training resources are available on a range of topics in a variety of languages and are accessible to any learner with an internet connection.
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Through its Education Portal, WPA seeks to enhance education and training opportunities for psychiatrists, health professionals, students of relevant specialties, service users and carers all over the world.
Please contact us if you are searching for something specific, and we will do our best to get it online ASAP or to share with you directly.
WPA Upcoming Courses
For all the latest information on upcoming WPA run or sponsored courses, please click here.
Latest Programs
WPA program to improve undergraduate psychiatric education
Findings from both the WPA’s 2017 survey on training needs of member societies, and also a joint survey with the International Federation of Medical Student Societies conducted in 2018, show that the duration and quality of undergraduate psychiatric education is unsatisfactory in many areas. To address this, WPA has developed a program to provide support where it is needed most through field visits and online training by WPA volunteers with expertise in undergraduate psychiatric education. Four pilot sites from four different continents will be identified for the pilot phase of this programme in 2019/2020.
Read more about the program here
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WPA accreditation of postgraduate psychiatric curricula
Following publication of WPA’s recommended training framework for psychiatrists in 2017, the association will now be providing accreditation for the curricula of those member societies whose training programs meet the recommended requirements. Member Societies will be encouraged to submit their training curricula for review between June and December 2019.
Check back here for more information soon.
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WPA Graduate Diploma in International Psychiatry
WPA has teamed up with valued partner and member society, the University of Melbourne, to develop a compact, six-month diploma program that provides affordable quality psychiatry training to healthcare professionals in developing as well as developed countries. This course is designed to provide healthcare practitioners with the most up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills to administer quality care to patients with mental illness.
Read more about the course here
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Education, Science, Publications and Research Initiative (ESPRI)
ESPRI is a WPA program set up to provide seed funds to jump start innovative and promising programs in Low and Middle Income Countries (LAMIC). WPA will award $15,000 USD to three projects ($5k per project) per year. These funds should be matched with funds the applicants have been able to secure through other national and/or international organisations, including academia, governments, NGOs, and/or industry.
Read more about the program, its requirements and how to apply here
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WPA Volunteer Program
80% of psychiatric expertise is currently concentrated in 30% of countries in the world. However, it is in the remaining 70% of countries without this expertise that 80% of mental health needs and burden are concentrated. The WPA Volunteer Program aims to redress this imbalance by drawing volunteers from high income countries to provide training and education where it is needed most.
Read more about the program here and check back soon for application forms.
Global Survey on Demographics of Psychiatrists
Whilst high-level statistics already exist on the spread of qualified and trainee psychiatrists across the world, there is a gap in the more detailed information required for WPA to develop a comprehensive training and education program that best meets global needs. From June to December 2019, WPA will undertake a global survey on the demographics of psychiatrists. The information learned from this survey will be combined with existing data to develop a comprehensive and strategic global training and education plan.
Check back here for more information soon.
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