Good programs would allow residents interested in pursuing research careers to have exposure to a research project and to spend some of their training time in a research milieu. Critical evaluation, knowledge of rules of evidence, and the establishment of evidence-based practice are important modalities requiring future practitioners to be highly sophisticated consumers of research data. These elements could profitably be intertwined in the educational endeavour, particularly if a certain standard of accomplishment is required as an exit criterion for fulfilling fellowship requirements. Such a requirement could ensure that each of the programs in Canadian departments of psychiatry has within it, or closely associated with it, a major research endeavour. The authors point out some collaborative endeavours that might become very useful in this regard.
Funding is another issue that the authors bring to our attention.
It is a perpetual source of difficulty, and is increasingly so in times of rearrangement of priorities. The role of the universities is, as always, paramount in the development of a cadre of individuals who are capable of research endeavours, but the agenda for research will in large measure be dictated by society. Broadly speaking, the role of those who, as the authors put it, are entrusted with the leadership of psychiatry and the future of the departments of psychiatry will be to help direct the flow of funds into research that will not only advance the pool of knowledge in particular ways, but advance the health of patients in society. This has been a tried and true approach that has been used quite successfully not only in Canada, but elsewhere. Updating and revisiting all funding approaches would be an important sequel to these papers.