Psychiatry Registrars - Training and Non-Training - Waikato District 2026

• Role – Registrar / Trainee, Psychiatry, Waikato Hospital and community services.
• Trainee / Registrar (RANZCP) & Non-Training Registrar
• Permanent Fulltime
• Are you ready for an exciting opportunity for 2026?

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health system that serves all New Zealanders.

About the Role

Applications are invited for Psychiatry Trainee and Registrar positions at Waikato Hospital, commencing February 2026.

Successful applicants entering the RANZCP training programme will complete Stage 1 (Year 1) predominantly within inpatient psychiatric services. Stage 2 training (Years 2 and 3) includes six-month rotations across key specialty areas such as Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, Drug and Alcohol Services, Community Psychiatry, Old Age Psychiatry, and Crisis Services. Stage 3 provides advanced training within a chosen subspecialty of psychiatry.

Waikato Hospital offers a well-established and highly supported psychiatry training programme. Trainees are supported by experienced clinical supervisors who provide regular, structured supervision. The teaching programme is closely aligned with preparation for the RANZCP Written Examination and Work-Based Assessments.

Formal teaching includes protected psychiatry education on Wednesdays, with teaching covering the RANZCP syllabus and structured training in the main psychotherapeutic modalities. Trainees also participate in regular in-service education, multidisciplinary team learning, and clinical review meetings.

Appointments are made following a competitive interview process. Applicants are required to submit an up-to-date curriculum vitae, a covering letter, a copy of their passport identification page, and three current referee reports, one of which must be from their current or most recent clinical supervisor. All documentation must be provided at the time of application.

Medical practitioners who do not wish to enrol formally in the RANZCP training programme are also encouraged to apply for non-trainee registrar positions. These roles are suitable for doctors seeking short-term experience in psychiatry, including those undertaking the RANZCP Certificate of Postgraduate Training in Clinical Psychiatry.

Click here to view the position description.

About the Team/Service

Waikato is the fourth largest region in Aotearoa New Zealand and located just south of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. It features a wide range of world-class outdoor and cultural experiences. Set at the heart of New Zealand’s North Island, Hamilton offers a rare blend of relaxed city living and easy access to some of the country’s most distinctive landscapes. The Waikato River winds through the city, shaping its pace and character, with riverside walks, cycling trails, and green spaces that feel woven into everyday life. Hamilton is compact and approachable, It is large enough to offer culture, dining, the best in gardens at the Hamilton Gardens, and education, yet small enough to feel connected to nature at every turn. Waikato is the home of the Kīngitanga and rich in Māori culture and at the same time displays a vibrant cultural mix.

Beyond the city, the wider Waikato region reveals a landscape that is unmistakably its own. Rolling farmland punctuated by limestone formations, the Hobbiton Shire, Waitomo caves, and tranquil wetlands. The region is home to world-class natural attractions such as glowworm caves, ancient forest reserves, and dams ideal for kayaking, swimming, or simply slowing down.

Within a short drive, you can move from riverbanks to the black-sand beaches of Raglan, from rural villages to vibrant Māori cultural experiences, all without crowds or long travel times. For people seeking an authentic New Zealand lifestyle that is grounded, welcoming, and connected to the land, Hamilton and the Waikato offer a sense of tranquility, cosiness and a sense of belonging.

About you

As a Psychiatry trainee or registrar, you will be………

• PGY3 or equivalent
• Interested in becoming a Stage I RANZCP trainee or already working as a house officer or non-training registrar
• Interested in undertaking the Certificate of Postgraduate Training in Clinical Psychiatry
• Interested in broadening your clinical exposure
• Eligible to work in New Zealand if an international doctor (Self review the Medical Council of New Zealand’s Self-Tool instrument to check your eligibility[1]).

How to Apply

To apply please click “Apply online” or apply via our Waikato Careers website by clicking here.All applications must be submitted through our online careers’ portal before 11:59 pm on 31st January 2026. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Kay Nisbet - Smith at kay.Nisbet-Smith@waikatodhb.health.nz or Drs Aletsa Stephan & Elizabeth Fussell at Aletsa.Stephan@TeWhatuOra.govt.nz or Elizabeth.Fussell@waikatodhb.health.nz

 For questions relating to the RANZCP Psychiatry Training Programme please contact Drs Aletsa Stephan & Elizabeth Fussell at Aletsa.Stephan@TeWhatuOra.govt.nz or Elizabeth.Fussell@waikatodhb.health.nz 

We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process, before the closing date of this advert.

Only online applications will be considered.

[1] MCNZ. Registration self-assessment tool. Accessed at Registration self-assessment tool | Medical Council