background In Belgium, the number of medical students that can start a psychiatry residency is defined by a fixed number.
aim To present this calculation process.
method To reconstruct this process based on documents published by the planning committee, a federal committee comprised of a representation from different universities, several ministries, and Belgian communities.
results With the help of an algorithm, the expected number of psychiatrists needed in the future is calculated by the planning committee and shared to be implemented by the communities.
conclusion The planning committee estimates the number of psychiatrists needed by an algorithm that uses both historical tendencies and more rapidly changing parameters. However, the incorporation of predicted epidemiological changes remains limited.