This complementary master's programme aims to prepare doctors to become officially recognised holders of the specific professional title of Specialist Doctor in Psychiatry, orientation : adults (Ministerial Decree of 03.01.2002, published on 21.02.2002).

• The applicant must hold the degree title of Doctor in Medecine or be a Doctor from a member country of the European Union authorising medical practice in Belgium.
• The applicant must be in possession of a document attesting that, at the end of the selection exams, he was retained as a specialist candidate in Psychiatry, orientation : adults, in a Belgian medical faculty.

The juridical context and practical procedures regarding these selection tests can be obtained from the secretary's office.

Degree holders from outside the European Union are only allowed to register on the programme in the context of procuring a university certificate for partially specialised training for the duration of two years (if they are in the process of doing a specialisation in their country of origin) or for an in-depth specialised training course for the duration of one year (if they are already recognised as specialists in their own country).

The Royal Decree of 30.05.2002, relating to the planning of themedical offer for the public, published on 14.06.2002, applies to those candidates wishing to obtain the title of Specialist Doctor in Psychiatry, orientation : adults (those candidates are thus counted among the general practitioner candidates or specialists in the context of the numerus clausus).

Applications for admission must be addressed to the academic supervisor. The organisation of the entrance selection tests is arranged in accordance with the calendar and the general examination rules and regulations.

The training course includes full time apprenticeships in recognised services and teaching centres. It lasts for at least five years, full-time, and alternates theoretical sessions with practical training. The apprenticeship project established by the university promoter must be approved by the ministerial validation committee for the speciality. These periods of practical training include being on call.

Parallel to the practical training, the specialist candidate will follow a university training programme organised as follows :

The training programme includes theoretical and clinical studies of the various disciplines of Psychiatry, i.e. :

• clinical psychology and general psychopathology
• anatomy and pathological anatomy, physiology, biochimy and endocrinology with regard to psychiatry
• clinical and biological psychiatry and psychopharmacology
• psychotherapy
• social psychiatry; the organisation of psychiatric care in and out of hospital, legal aspects of psychiatry
• the diagnoses and treatment of psychiatric illnesses in children, adolescents, adults and old people
• technical diagnostic procedures proper to psychiatry and interpretation thereof
• legal psychiatry, or scientific and clinical expertise in psychiatry as applied to civil penal matters

The first two years form part of the specific university training programme (FUS, in French).

• theoretical courses : In-depth questions on Psychiatry in adults
• Seminars : Indepth seminar on Psychiatry in adults
• Hospital training : Case studies of Psychiatry in adults
• Work experience : at least one year to be carried out in an recognised acute psychiatric service dealing principally with adults.

Among others, the student will choose optional seminars with the approval of the teaching committee. The student is likewise encouraged to enrol for the diploma course of specialised studies in Psychotherapy (PCLI 3DS).

Regular evaluation of each candidate by means of discussions with his training supervisor.

At the end of the 2nd year of training, the candidate will be evaluated in accordance with the quality of his apprenticeship period and his evaluation scores for the different modules of his theoretical training. Further to the application of the Royal Decree of 16 March, 1999, at the end of the first two years of training, the candidate will receive an attestation proving that he has successfully accomplished a specific university training course.

At the end of his 5th year of training, the candidate will be evaluated on the basis of a thesis, or at least an article that he has had published in an international review and of which he is the principal author.

Upon fulfilment of the above-described training requirements, the teaching committee will award the academic title in Psychiatry, orientation : Adults.

This title does not replace official recognition by the ministerial validation committee. It attests the successful completion of an academic and scientific study programme in the context of a specialised training programme leading to this validation.