Gaining Experience Programme

The Gaining Experience Programme (GEP) offers early career psychiatrists a unique opportunity to enhance their skills through tailor-made placements at leading clinical and research institutions across Europe. These exchanges foster peer connections, spark collaborations, and build lasting professional networks. In the crucial first five years after specialisation, GEP provides invaluable international experience and support to help shape future careers in clinical practice, academia, education, or beyond.”

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.

Host institutions – GEP 2025-2026

“The main value of the Gaining Experience Programme is seeing a different way of thinking and working. Being exposed to new structures, approaches, and clinical (and not only) cultures can really shift how you see your own practice. It’s giving back – I have benefitted myself from three different exchange programs in my training, which were pivotal in my career and how I view the field.  I think that young professionals coming from elsewhere and sharing their experiences and discussing differences stimulate the discussion in our own practices”

Discover below the list of host institutions participating to the 2025-2026 edition of the Gaining Experience Programme and apply to become a participant in 2026.

• Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
• Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust / University of Warwick, Birmingham, UK
• Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Healthcare, Fondazione (IRCCS) San Gerardo dei Titori, Monza, Italy
• Department of Emergency Psychiatry and Post-Acute Care, University Hospital Center of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
• Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary
• Queen Mary University of London & East London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
• University Hospital of Florence, Florence, Italy
• Unit of Clinical Psychiatry, Università Politenica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
• Greek rTMS clinic and Institute of Psychotherapy of Medical Psychotherapeutic Centre, Thessaloniki, Greece
• University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče, Zagreb, Croatia

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.

Applications closed

2024-2025 Winners

“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”

We are excited to announce the selected participants for the Gaining Experience Programme 2024-2025 (GEP). 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 2024-2025 GEP winners:

Simge Uzman Özbek

Türkiye

João Martins Correia

Portugal

Marta Demkow-Jania

Poland

Claudia Malavolta

Italy

Beren Özel

Türkiye

Bianca Augusta Oroian

Romania

Selin Tanyeri Kayaham

Türkiye

Milos Marković

Serbia

Anastasia Sikora

Ukraine

Sovady Bora

France

2024-2025 Observership Placements

Check the life-changing experiences of the 2025 winners all around Europe!

• Ancona, ITALY – Unit of Clinical Psychiatry, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche
  Winner: Simge Uzman Özbek (Türkiye)
  Supervisor: Prof. Umberto Volpe
• Bern, SWITZERLAND – Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern
  Winner: João Martins Correia (Portugal) – Observership report
  Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Kristina Adorjan
• Birmingham, UNITED KINGDOM – Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
  Winner: Marta Demkow-Jania (Poland) – Observership report
  Supervisor: Dr. Vivek Furtado
• Budapest, HUNGARY – North-Buda Saint John Central Hospital, Department of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Teaching Department of Semmelweis University, Baby-Mother-Father Unit
  Winner: Claudia Malavolta (Italy) – Observership report
• Supervisor: Prof. Tamas Kurimay
• London, UNITED KINGDOM – Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London / South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
  Winner: Beren Özel (Türkiye)
  Supervisor: Prof. Mariana Pinto da Costa
• London, UNITED KINGDOM – Queen Mary University of London, East London NHS Foundation Trust
  Winner: Milos Marković (Serbia) – Observership report
  Supervisor: Dr. Nikolina Jovanovic
• Madrid, SPAIN – Institute of Psychiatry and Mental Health Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañon
  Winner: Bianca Augusta Oroian (Romania) – Observership report
  Supervisor: Dr. Pura Moran
• Montpellier, FRANCE – Academic Hospital of Montpellier
  Winner: Selin Tanyeri (Türkiye) – Observership report
  Supervisor: Dr. Aiste Lengvenyte
• Zagreb, CROATIA – University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče
  Winner: Anastasia Sikora (Ukraine)
  Supervisor:  Dr. Nikola Žaja
• Zurich, SWITZERLAND – Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich
  Winner: Sovady Bora (France) – Observership report
  Supervisor:  Dr. Georgios Schoretsanitis

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

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.

Application

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

The  Gaining Experience Programme 2024-2025 is supported by a financial donation of Neurotorium.org.