The Ottawa summit: new training parameters for child and adolescent psychiatry at the university of Ottawa.

Objective: To develop a renewed and innovative curricula for training and education in child and adolescent psychiatry career for track psychiatry trainees at the University of Ottawa.

Method: Faculty members who were graduates of multiple Canadian training programs, as well as current career child psychiatry trainees of the University of Ottawa program, summarized and reviewed their training and education experiences in a one day summit. This was integrated into overall directions cited by recent literature as well as positions of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Results: A template for new curricula was developed with new focus being placed on normal development, research methodology/evidence based medicine, emergency psychiatry, psychotherapy, and cultural competence.

Conclusions: Curricula renewal is essential, possible, and appropriate in order to produce a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist who meets the needs of the Canadian public as defined in the CanMeds 2000 project of the RCPSC.