BST Certificate of Completion
Introduction
A BST Certificate of Completion is a valuable document. It is an internationally recognised postgraduate qualification and a requirement for entry to Higher Specialist Training (HST).
How to apply
Trainees can apply for a BST Certificate of Completion in two ways:
1. Submit completed BST Logbooks covering 24 months in approved posts to the BST Section – Trainees must ensure that the 24 months of training recorded in their logbooks meet the requirements for BST. Please note, logbooks are not the only supporting documentation to be submitted, please see below. All documentation should be submitted to the RCPI within 6 months of completing BST. Trainees who apply after this time will be charged a late certification fee of €250.
2. Apply for provisional approval – This can be done before BST has been completed and is the advised method. To apply for provisional approval trainees should apply in writing to the BST Office, listing all SHO/Registrar posts held or to be held, including specialty, hospital and dates (applications by email are accepted). If the applicant’s training history meets the requirements for BST their application is provisionally approved and they will be asked to submit supporting documentation and attend any outstanding mandatory courses. Applicants should note that provisional approval alone does not count as an application for a Certificate of Completion, only applications with a full set of supporting documents will be considered for formal approval.
Please note – Trainees who are due to complete BST in June of next year and who wish to apply to Higher Specialist Training the following November will be required to submit a letter of provisional approval of BST. Trainees in this position are advised to apply for provisional approval well in advance of the closing date for Higher Specialist Training applications, due to the large volume of applications received at this time of year.
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Requirements for a Certificate of Completion - Supporting Documentation
If a trainee’s application for a BST Certificate of Completion is provisionally approved they will be asked to submit supporting documentation. Formal approval of BST is based on a review of this documentation.
On receipt of all required documentation, applications for Certificates of Completion are submitted for formal approval at one of the BST Committee Meetings held in January, March, May, September, and November of each year.
Please see below for requirements:
Requirements for General Internal Medicine.
Requirements for General Paediatrics.
Requirements for Histopathology.
Requirements for Obstetrics & Gynaecology.
Requirements for Basic GPT Certificate of Completion.
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Retrospective Recognition of BST
Retrospective recognition of training that commenced on or after 1st July 2001 is no longer given.
Since 1st July 2001 it has been mandatory for doctors in BST to register with the College and submit completed logbooks for all posts held.
For doctors who commenced some or all of their BST before 1st July 2001, retrospective recognition will only be given for training acquired before that date. Applications for retrospective recognition should be made in writing to the BST section.
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Overseas Experience
Overseas credit is not normally available to trainees on the BST programme.
In some instances, the Associate Dean may agree to prospectively approve 12 months of training in a recognised zone (see below), so that the trainee is only required to complete a one-year rotation on their return to Ireland.
This approval must be sought prospectively and is dependent on satisfactory evidence that the post(s) to be occupied overseas are equivalent in structure and content to an approved one-year rotation in Ireland, in the same specialty.
If 12 months overseas credit is agreed, the trainee will be required to register on the BST programme and pay their annual BST fee.
While training overseas, the trainee will be required to maintain their BST logbook and arrange regular appraisals with their supervising consultant.
The trainee will be expected to apply for a one-year SHO rotation programme and may be required to travel home for an interview in March.
On return to Ireland, the trainee will be expected to complete an approved one-year rotation, the required mandatory courses and attend an annual review.
Recognised zones:
• EU – Posts Approved by the recognised training body in that country
• UK – Posts Approved by The Royal College of Physicians
• Australia and New Zealand – Posts Approved by The Royal Australasian College of Physicians
• US – ACGME Approved Residency Programmes
• Canada – Posts Approved by The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
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BST Undertaken Overseas/Equivalency of BST
Applications for the assessment of overseas training as equivalent to Irish BST are considered on a case-by-case basis by the BSTCommittee and the Associate Dean of BST.
Full details of the content and duration of the training, confirmation of its supervision and approval by the relevant training body, and of the attainment of an equivalent standard to Irish BST must be provided, together with confirmation of the acquisition of any specified diploma.
As a general rule American Board Certification in any specialty is not equivalent to satisfactory completion of either BST or HST in the clinical specialties. Only the Certification of the American Board for Internal Medicine is an acceptable alternative for BST and is equivalent to MRCPI for adult medicine.
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