Forensic Psychiatry Subspecialty
A welcome from the Program Director
Forensic psychiatry sits at the intersection of medicine, the law, and the systems that shape how mental illness is recognized and responded to in society. Our subspecialty training program at the University of Calgary prepares Royal College certified psychiatrists to practise at that intersection with clinical skill, scholarly depth, and a strong ethical foundation. We train residents to provide high quality forensic assessments, to give credible expert evidence in court and tribunal settings, and to lead within the forensic mental health system in Alberta and nationally.
We are a small program, with one to two residents per cohort, and the educational experience reflects that. Our trainees receive close mentorship from credentialed forensic psychiatrists across multiple sites, exposure to the full range of forensic clinical and assessment work, and protected time for academic and scholarly development. We work in close partnership with other Canadian forensic programs to broaden the educational experience, and increasingly across the boundary between forensic psychiatry and the legal profession.
If you are considering forensic psychiatry as a subspecialty, I would be glad to speak with you about whether our program is the right fit. The most useful first step is an informal conversation, which our Program Administrator can arrange.
— Dr. Oluyemisi Ajeh, Program Director
Overview
The Forensic Psychiatry Subspecialty Training Program at the University of Calgary is a 12 month Royal College accredited subspecialty residency. Residents enter the program in PGY6, following completion of an accredited general psychiatry residency. The program admitted its first resident in 2023 and is expanding to two resident positions annually.
Our educational sites span the major forensic clinical settings in southern Alberta. Residents rotate through inpatient and outpatient forensic services, correctional settings, specialty programs, and the Mental Health Court, and have access to elective opportunities provincially and nationally.
Educational sites
- Southern Alberta Forensic Psychiatry Centre (SAFPC): Assessment and Treatment Units, including court ordered criminal assessments and consultation liaison.
- Forensic Assessment and Outpatient Services (FAOS): outpatient forensic mental health clinics including longitudinal Review Board care.
- Forensic Adolescent Psychiatry (FAP) Service: youth forensic treatment and assessment.
- Specialty teams: Family Violence and Sex Offender Treatment programs; three Community Recovery Homes for individuals found Not Criminally Responsible.
- Correctional sites: Calgary Correctional Centre, Calgary Remand Centre, and Calgary Young Offenders Centre.
- Rocky Mountain Sex Offender Program (Calgary Correctional Centre / FAOS).
- Mental Health Court.
- Elective opportunities including the Calgary Police and Crisis Teams, and electives at other Canadian forensic programs.
Key Contacts
Dr. Oluyemisi Ajeh, Program Director
Email: oluyemisi.ajeh@ucalgary.ca
Phone: (403) 944 6815
Bernice Mina-Buna, Program Administrator
Email: bernice.mina-buna@ucalgary.ca
Phone: (403) 955 2214
For prospective applicants wishing to learn more about the program informally outside of the CaRMS cycle, please contact the Program Administrator to arrange a conversation with the Program Director.
Academic and research environment
The program is integrated into a strong national and international academic network in forensic psychiatry and psychiatry and the law.
Faculty are active members of the Canadian Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (CAPL), the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (AAPL), the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services (IAFMHS), and the International Association for Forensic Psychotherapy. Faculty contribute to Royal College Specialty Committee work and to international research collaborations, including a current World Psychiatric Association project with the University of Saskatchewan supported by the Law Society of Saskatchewan.
Trainees have protected academic time and are actively supported to present at national and international meetings, including CAPL, AAPL, and IAFMHS conferences. Faculty have presented at these meetings on topics including victims in forensic psychiatry and international comparative work in forensic care.
Educational activities
The curriculum combines clinical immersion with a structured weekly educational program.
- Weekly forensic psychiatry seminar series, delivered in partnership with the forensic psychiatry programs at the University of British Columbia, the University of Saskatchewan, the University of Alberta, and the Alberta Crown's Office.
- Forensic Grand Rounds, Journal Club, and Lunch and Learn series organised throughout the academic year.
- Participation in international review courses, including the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law annual meeting.
- Formal mentorship throughout the year of training, with one to one supervision from credentialed forensic faculty across the educational sites.
- Planned educational developments include a civil forensic psychiatry elective rotation in a Calgary law firm, and an annual mock civil trial educational event involving the bench, the bar, and forensic psychiatry faculty.
Current trainees
The program is currently hosting an international forensic psychiatry fellow from the Philippines, completing a one year fellowship from December 2025 to November 2026. A Canadian resident will join the subspecialty residency program in September 2026 following completion of her Child and Adolescent Psychiatry subspecialty training. The program is also exploring sponsorship arrangements for an additional fellow in the 2027 to 2028 academic year.
Faculty and supervision
Clinical supervision is provided by credentialed forensic faculty across the educational sites, with day to day supervision depending on the area the trainee is rotating through. Academic oversight is provided by the Program Director.
Application process
Applications for July 2027 start date opens in CaRMS on July 9 2026 at 12:00 (noon) ET. Application deadline is on August 18 2026 12:00 (noon) ET. Please visit CaRMS website for more information.
Program Information Session: August 24th, 2026, 11AM - 12PM MST
Virtual Interviews: August 31st and September 14th,2026
Eligibility
- Applicants currently enrolled as PGY5 in an accredited core Psychiatry Residency Program in Canada.
- Applicants currently enrolled as PGY6 in a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Subspecialty Residency Program.
Application requirements
Applications are accepted through CaRMS only. The required documentation includes:
- Completed CaRMS application.
- Personal statement.
- Three letters of reference.
- Documentation of relevant residency rotation experience.
- Rotation evaluations (ITERs) or Competence Committee summary report (for programs without ITERs).
Selection process
Selected candidates are invited to interview with the Program Director and members of the program's CaRMS Selection Committee. A virtual program information session is held annually ahead of the interview period, providing prospective applicants with an opportunity to learn about the program and ask questions. Information session and interview dates for each cycle are confirmed on this page when the CaRMS timeline is finalised.