The Binational Committee of Trainees (BCT) met on 26 June 2025.  

Items of discussion included:

• Safety of registrars on after-hours shifts at Counties Manukau: an extraordinary accreditation visit occurred earlier this year after registrars had escalated concerns about registrars being required to participate in home visits after-hours and at least one assault. Home visits have now been ceased until safety issues are addressed. We are glad to see this result in favour of the safety of registrars, and glad to see that escalating these concerns can result in change.
• Critical Essay Question (CEQ): at the time of the meeting, the Australian Associations of Psychiatry trainees (APTs) had written to the Board with several requests, including refunds of fees ( which the BCT supported in our report to the Board), but the Board response was pending. The BCT understands that the Board agreed to refund the fees of those who attended the RANZCP Congress CEQ workshop, but not of those who sat and passed the March 2025 CEQ. We are disappointed that this was the decision, given that trainees were not provided with adequate information as to the future of the CEQ and its place as a Fellowship requirement. Clarification was sought about the incoming Structured Learning Activity (SLA) and whether trainees who have passed the CEQ will be required to complete the SLA and later Critical Reflection Activity (CRA) – the answer is that if you have passed the CEQ, you will not need to do the SLA or CRA.
• Stage 1 orientation: an orientation webinar for new Stage 1s was held on 3 June 2025. The BCT agreed that there needs to be an ongoing focus on orientation for new trainees.
• Formal Education Courses (FECs): some jurisdictions have directed trainees to enrol in specific FECs. It was clarified that trainees can choose which FEC they would like to enrol in, as long as it is on the list of approved FECs - Formal education courses | RANZCP.  
• The BCT also provided feedback to RANZCP staff on the draft Consultation and Engagement Policy and Procedure and the draft Change Management Policy and Procedure. This included how best to consult trainees in decision making processes and some specifics about timelines – ie what a 12-month notification period of change looks like.
• The Trainee Engagement Strategy (TES): RANZCP has had a TES for several years now, but it is due for review. This seems exceptionally timely given the recent CEQ debacle, in which communication did not follow the principles of the strategy. The BCT agreed that the principles of bi-directionality, transparency, timeliness, targeted and togetherness remain relevant and important, but that “truth” should also be added. We also thought that “bi-directionality” should be changed to “two-way conversation” so that it becomes “the six Ts of trainee engagement.” We look forward to discussing the TES with the Trainees' Advisory Council (TAC).
• Modified Essay Questions Examination (MEQ) going online: many trainees have been asking about when the MEQ will no longer be handwritten. It sounds as if it might be possible for the MEQ to go online next year – watch this space as more updates should be available soon.
• 2024 Trainee Support Needs Survey: in late 2024, trainees were asked to complete a survey related to welfare and whether trainees know about and have accessed supports available through the College or their workplace or whether they seek support elsewhere. The BCT considered a second draft (after previously providing feedback) report of the survey results, as well as recommendations based on the results. Again, please watch this space – hopefully the report will be released more widely soon. Many of the results are quite sobering, demonstrating that trainees often face many challenges and sometimes have difficulty accessing support. The point of the survey was to highlight areas of need to identify ways the College can improve in supporting trainees. Please see Support for trainees and SIMGs | RANZCP.
• Risks: the College maintains a risk register. The BCT discussed the risks that trainees face during their training, including physical, emotional, psychological safety, and the vulnerability of trainees when it comes to raising concerns related to someone in a position of power, eg a supervisor or Director of training (DOT). We hope to formalise these risks on the College Risk Register soon.
• New Fellowship Program Taskforce (NFPT): trainees have clearly articulated their dissatisfaction with continued fragmented changes to the Fellowship program, and therefore welcome a coordinated approach to creating a revised Fellowship program, noting that the current program was introduced in 2012 and often Fellowship programs are updated more frequently. The NFPT was formally announced in the President’s Update of 19^tJune 2025.The NFPT is “a dedicated, time-limited body responsible for designing a future-ready curriculum and assessment pathway” which “will oversee development of a comprehensive plan to review, redevelop and implement Fellowship Competencies, syllabus, formal education courses, and central and work-based assessments – all aligned across training stages.” The trainee representatives on the NFPT are Dr Georgia Ramsden and Dr Elise Witter.

Finally, the BCT has appointed trainee representatives to various RANZCP committees (or continued pre-existing appointments) as follows:

Please remember that you are welcome to contact your jurisdictional representative with questions or to escalate concerns – introductions to your representatives.