Why choose University of Ottawa for your Postgraduate Medical Education Training!

• Excellent training opportunities: We offer more than 75 training programs that provide innovative clinical experiences through a variety of educational strategies that guide our trainees into well-rounded clinicians. New residency and fellowship training programs are continually being implemented with our partner hospitals as we collaboratively enhance patient care.
• Leading health care settings: Our residents and fellows complete their medical training in our affiliated academic health science centres, including The Ottawa Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Hôpital Montfort, The Royal and Bruyère Continuing Care, as well as hospitals in rural communities in Eastern and Northern Ontario. Additionally, we have one of the largest medical simulation facilities in North America, the University of Ottawa Skills and Simulations Centre.
• Training in a Francophone milieu: Training in French is offered by many programs through our partnership with L’Hôpital Montfort. Furthermore, we offer unique training opportunities with our international partner, L’Université de Lyon in France.
• Specialties, subspecialties, and Area of Focused Competence (AFC) programs: We offer 29 specialty and 37 subspecialty programs that lead to certification by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, as well as core Family Medicine and 7 Enhanced Skills programs leading to certification by the College of Family Physicians of Canada. In addition, uOttawa offers 9 AFC programs that provide advanced post-residency training accredited by the Royal College. These AFCs build on broader disciplines to expand and deepen the scope of clinical practice.
• Fellowships and Clinician Investigator Program (CIP): We offer many fellowship opportunities and accept over 150 foreign trainees annually who bring a wide range of skills and cultural diversity that serve to enrich our programs and Faculty. Our CIP allows residents to complete either a Masters or PhD while conducting research and providing health care.

Our Mission 

To expand our global leadership in a dynamic environment through interdisciplinary innovation in education, research, health of populations, and patient-partnered care, in both official languages. Together, we strive to push the boundaries of medical education and patient care, in alignment with the Faculty of Medicine’s strategic vision: “Leading innovation for a healthier world.”

Interventional Psychiatry is a fast-developing clinical subspecialty that uses specialized procedures and technologies to treat complex psychiatric disorders. It connects neuroscience and clinical psychiatry to provide targeted, often quick-acting treatments for patients who haven't responded to traditional therapies. By combining brain stimulation and innovative pharmacological methods, interventional psychiatry stands as one of the most transformative areas in modern mental health care.

The University of Ottawa Interventional Psychiatry Fellowship Program, based at The Royal (1145 Carling Ave, Ottawa ON), provides comprehensive training in this evolving field. The program provides fellows with the clinical, procedural, and academic skills to confidently prescribe, administer, and assess interventional treatments that are transforming psychiatric practice.

Clinical Training

Fellows receive direct, hands-on, supervised experience across the full spectrum of interventional psychiatry treatment modalities, including:

• Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
• Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)
• Ketamine‑based treatments

Through structured rotations and longitudinal clinical exposure, fellows develop advanced competencies in patient assessment, treatment selection, procedural delivery, and outcome monitoring. Emphasis is placed on clinical decision-making, safety, and the integration of interventional treatments into broader models of psychiatric care.

Research and Scholarly Engagement

The fellowship offers strong opportunities for research and academic development through collaboration with The Royal’s research community and affiliated investigators. Fellows may participate in clinical trials and other interventional psychiatry–related research initiatives, gaining insight into the evidence base and neurobiological mechanisms underlying these treatments.

With mentorship from clinician‑scientists, fellows can pursue scholarly activities including study design, data analysis, manuscript preparation, and knowledge translation. The program supports fellows who wish to build academic careers alongside clinical practice.

Teaching and Professional Development

Alongside clinical and research training, fellows play a role in educating psychiatry residents and medical students. They engage in case-based learning, seminars, and mentorship, fostering a culture of guidance and knowledge exchange within Interventional Psychiatry.

Each fellow receives individualized mentorship to identify their specific interests within interventional psychiatry—whether focused on clinical practice, academic research, or education.

In order to be admissible for a fellowship position, you must meet the following criteria:

• Have a medical degree from an accredited institution listed in the World Directory of Medical School confirming school is recognized in Canada (Sponsor Notes tab);
• Have successfully completed a specialty program before the beginning of the fellowship;
• Be certified by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) or another recognized international certification board (organization outside of Canada and the United States that certifies medical specialists), or at a minimum, have completed a residency program and be admissible to take the Royal College, CFPC or USA certification exams;
• Have successfully completed an English proficiency test, if applicable. See requirements below.

Language Requirements:

Must provide proof of English language proficiency through ONE of the following:

• International English Language Testing System (IELTS)-Academic with a minimum score of 7 in each component, OR;
• TOEFL-iBT; passing score of 93, including a minimum score of 24 on the speaking section, OR;
• Occupational English Test (OET)-Medicine with a minimum grade of B in each component, OR;
• The Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP General) with a minimum score of 9 in each of the four skills, OR;
• Candidates for whom their primary and secondary, medical school or specialty education was conducted in English, proof must be attached to application, OR;
• World Directory of Medical Schools Language Option – If the instruction and the language of patient care at the undergraduate medical school was conducted completely in English, then a candidate can submit a copy or printout of the World Directory of Medical Schools website (Program Details tab) listing the medical school which clearly states that the language of instruction is English.

Applicants must be able to communicate proficiently in the language of instruction and patient care of the training site.

Note that you may apply only to a Clinical Fellowship in the same discipline (or subdiscipline) in which you are recognized as a specialist.

Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements of the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME). Throughout the fellowship, trainees must comply with the regulations and policies of:

• The University of Ottawa
• The Royal
• The Ontario Ministry of Health
• The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO)
• The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

Canadian Medical Graduates (CMGs) must hold Royal College certification in psychiatry prior to the start of the fellowship and be eligible for an unrestricted licence to practice psychiatry in Ontario for the duration of training. Strong written and oral English communication skills are required.

International Medical Graduates (IMGs) must hold and maintain an independent licence to practice psychiatry in Ontario for the duration of the fellowship, demonstrate proficiency in English, and have formal sponsorship.

Application Process

Applications to the Interventional Psychiatry Fellowship are managed through the University of Ottawa PGME application system.

To apply, please refer to the Admissions section of the PGME website for current eligibility criteria, application requirements, and timelines:

https://www.uottawa.ca/faculty-medicine/postgraduate-medical-education

Contact Information

Ruxandra Antochi, MD, FRCPC

Interventional Psychiatry Fellowship Program Director

Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa

[email protected]

Interventional Psychiatry

[email protected]

Program Outcomes

By integrating advanced clinical training, research exposure, and individualized mentorship, the fellowship prepares physicians who are technically skilled, academically engaged, and committed to evidence-based care.