The self is an illusion: a conceptual framework for psychotherapy.

Objective: To explain the illusory nature of the self and explore its implications for psychotherapy.

Conclusions: Our usual experience of the self is an illusion. Rather than a discrete entity, it is a network of processes that maintains apparent irreducible unity via alterations of perceptions, beliefs, intentions and memories.

Successful evaluation of cognitive function and the nature of cognitive deficits among people with schizophrenia in clinical rehabilitation settings.

Objectives: Despite possessing considerable relevance for planning and delivery of effective rehabilitation interventions, systematic evaluation of cognitive function is often ignored in clinical practice. This paper describes a successful method for measuring cognitive function and the nature of cognitive deficits (CD) in people with schizophrenia admitted to psychiatric rehabilitation services.

Methods: Data on the cognitive functioning of consecutive patients with schizophrenia / schizoaffective disorder admitted during a 5-year period to a public in-patient rehabilitation facility was collated retrospectively and analysed.

Towards a better understanding of standard determination and standard setting in the RANZCP summative assessments.

Objectives: The authors outline the difference between content and performance standards and the rationale for standard setting at a medical college. The principles of the college's standard setting processes for the written and objective structured clinical examination summative assessments are discussed in greater detail.

Conclusion: There is no evidence of any single standard setting method to be the best.

Introducing a competency based Fellowship programme for psychiatry in Australia and New Zealand.

Objectives: The aim of this paper is to summarise the new psychiatry Fellowship programme and its rationale, highlighting the new inclusions, revised assessment structure, the benefits and structure of the programme.

Conclusions: The 2012 Fellowship programme is based on the CanMEDs educational framework. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) underwent a comprehensive process, adapting the CanMEDs competencies to a psychiatric framework and mapping the curriculum to Fellowship competencies, learning outcomes and developmental descriptors of the various stages of training.

Trajectory to Fellowship: further examination of the road to becoming a psychiatrist.

Objectives: In 2003 a revised RANZCP training program was implemented. This involved a revised training structure with Basic (years 1-3) and Advanced (years 4-5) requirements. All summative assessments occur during Basic Training and generalist or sub-specialty streams are available in Advanced Training.

A guide to clinical research supervision for psychiatrists: a mentoring approach.

Objectives: To provide a guide for clinically-based psychiatrist supervisors of research projects for early career researchers.

Methods: This paper will describe a mentoring framework for supervision, for psychiatrist clinical research supervisors and early career researchers.

Results: The domains discussed include, across various aspects of a study: the role of the supervisor, project management, and where and when to seek advice.

What can psychiatrists do to better support victims of family violence?

Objective: This article aims to draw psychiatrists' attention to the problem of family violence and offer pragmatic guidance to detect and manage family violence in the psychiatric context.

Methods: Selective narrative review.

Results: Family violence involves complex interactions between societal, cultural, family and individual factors.

How to survive in research: advice for the novice investigator.

Objectives: This paper, written by the RANZCP Committee for Research, provides an outline for how to survive in research, considering the ingredients likely to contribute to success, the role of supportive structures and the expected challenges. Learning how to survive in research is relevant for both trainees and for Fellows undertaking research at any stage of their career.

Conclusions: Intellectual curiosity, perseverance, frustration tolerance, patience and humility are key for success as a researcher.

Getting started in research: designing and preparing to conduct a research study.

Objective: To discuss common pitfalls and useful tips in designing a quantitative research study, the importance and process of ethical approval, and consideration of funding.

Conclusions: Through careful planning, based on formulation of a research question, early career researchers can design and conduct quantitative research projects within the framework of the Scholarly Project or in their own independent projects.

Getting started in research: systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Objectives: Systematic reviews are one of the major building blocks of evidence-based medicine. This overview is an introduction to conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Conclusions: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) represent the most robust form of design in the hierarchy of research evidence.

Getting started in research: research questions, supervisors and literature reviews.

Objectives: Research can seem daunting, especially for trainees and early career researchers. This paper focuses on how to formulate and begin a research project such as the RANZCP Scholarly Project.

Methods: We outline an approach to framing a research question, developing theses and hypotheses, choosing a supervisor and conducting a literature review.

The experience of psychiatry training in rural NSW.

Objective: To examine the experience of psychiatry training in rural New South Wales.

Method: All rural trainees in New South Wales and key psychiatrists involved in their training were invited to complete a survey in May-July 2013.

Results: Responses were received from 26 out of 44 rurally placed psychiatry trainees (57% response rate) and 37 out of 55 psychiatrists involved in training in a rural area (67% response rate).

Reflections on training in psychiatry.

Objective: There is limited information as to whether graduates from postgraduate specialist medical training programmes in Australia and New Zealand feel prepared for practice, and none regarding the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists' (RANZCP) training programme. The aims of this study were: to assess the effectiveness of the RANZCP training programme in producing psychiatrists who feel prepared for their roles; and to obtain Fellowship applicants' perceptions of the training programme.

Methods: Applicants for Fellowship (i.

Trajectory to fellowship: an analysis of the current pathway to becoming a psychiatrist.

Objective: This study sought to examine the pathway and barriers to attaining The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists'(RANZCP) Fellowship for those undergoing the current training program, which was implemented in November 2003. This program involved a new training structure, with basic (years 1-3) and advanced (years 4-5) requirements. All formal assessments occur during Basic Training, while either generalist or sub-specialty streams are available during Advanced Training.

Real medicine.

A substantial part of a paediatrician's work increasingly involves caring for children and young people with mental health, developmental, emotional and behavioural problems. Over time, recognition of these aspects has redefined and broadened the notion of what classically constitutes 'Paediatrics.' This paper discusses the ways in which paediatricians and psychiatrists can support each other in this work.

RANZCP experiences in establishing and progressing an externally focussed mental health policy and partnership agenda.

Objective: This paper traces the background of involvement and increasing external activity of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) in the policy and project area.

Conclusions: Throughout 2008, representatives of the RANZCP paused to review progress and celebrate successes in the implementation of the College's stated aim to develop an externally focussed policy agenda. A summary of key activities across the past 4-5 years is outlined, including the key leadership role undertaken by the RANZCP in the recent formation of the Mental Health Professionals Association's partnership.