european psychiatric association

Candidates

Selin Tanyeri Kayahan, GEP 2025 Participant


“My GEP experience was transformative — both professionally and personally. I gained unique clinical and research insights, built lasting networks, and felt supported every step of the way. I wholeheartedly encourage all early-career colleagues to seize this invaluable opportunity”

Objectives

  1. Offer Early Career Psychiatrists short observership placements (2-8 weeks) in various renowned psychiatric institutions across Europe that will allow them to broaden their clinical, research, teaching skills and knowledge, and become familiar with different mental health systems in Europe.
  2. Improve mentoring and professional networks among experts and Early Career Psychiatrists.
  3. Gather more Early Careers Psychiatrists under the EPA Early Career Psychiatrists Committee (ECPC) umbrella.

Eligibility

  1. Applicants must be Early Career Psychiatrists (psychiatrists under 40 years of age and/or within 5 years after passing the specialist exam). Residents and trainees are not eligible for this programme.
  2. Applicants must reside in a country included in the World Health Organisation – European Region (Select your country and check if it falls in the region “Europe”) and cannot apply for a placement in the country he/she is currently living in.
  3. The applicant should be fluent in English and should have notions of the host country language for clinical purposes.
  4. The applicant must be familiar with the proposed speciality of the department/institution.

Programme Requirements

  • According to their profile and activities, institutions can offer clinical, academic, research-focused observerships, or a combination of these areas (see each placement descriptions above). Applicants must be familiar with the proposed specialty of the department/ institution they have chosen. For clinical purposes, applicants should be fluent in English and have notions of the host country language.
  • Participants are encouraged to prepare a presentation about their work, institution and interests to be performed at the hosting institution as a way of sharing knowledge.
  • As different countries have different regulations for patient confidentiality and right to clinical work, the exact level of patient contact or clinical participation during the placement should be discussed in advance with the host institutions.
  • Participants will be asked to write an observership report (example of reports).
  • Participants are strongly encouraged to present the experience gained during the programme at their home institution upon their return.

Call for Applications

Visit our dedicated webpage to know more about the application process and key dates.

2026 Winners

We are excited to announce the selected participants for the Gaining Experience Programme 2026. These talented early career psychiatrists from across Europe will engage in enriching opportunities to advance their expertise and contribute to the psychiatric field. Discover the 2026 GEP winners:

Spyridon Balzis (Sweden)
Department of Emergency Psychiatry and Post-Acute Care, University Hospital Center of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
Aysegul Bicher (Cyprus)
Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust / University of Warwick, Birmingham, UK
Egor Chumakov (Russia)
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
Lisiana Demiraj (Albania)
Greek rTMS clinic and Institute of Psychotherapy of Medical Psychotherapeutic Centre, Thessaloniki, Greece
Muhyiddin Bera Demirtaş (Türkiye)
University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče, Zagreb, Croatia
Ida Kupcova (Slovakia)
Unit of Clinical Psychiatry, Università Politenica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
Irene Perez Sagaseta Ilurdoz (Spain)
Queen Mary University of London & East London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
Dora Polšek (Croatia)
University Hospital of Florence, Florence, Italy
Fatma Taskin Koca (Türkiye)
Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Healthcare, Fondazione (IRCCS) San Gerardo dei Titori – Monza, Italy
Rachel Zelinka Sajdlova (Czech Republic)
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary

2026 Observership Placements

Check the life-changing experiences of the 2026 winners all around Europe!

Want a sneak peek? Then check out what participants have to say about previous editions