Why should I register for Basic Specialist Training?
You should register if you wish to have your training accredited.
BST registration is mandatory for accreditation of training in General Internal Medicine, Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Histopathology. Registration ensures that your training is properly monitored and accredited by a recognised training body.
If you are training in General Internal Medicine, Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology or Histopathology it is not possible to have training done prior to registration accredited retrospectively by the RCPI.
How to register for BST
To register on the BST programme, please complete the form found here and return it to the BST office. If you are awaiting your certificate of registration from the Medical Council, you should still send your BST registration form to RCPI, and submit a copy of your Medical Council certificate at a later stage.
When to register
You must register for BST within one month of entering your first SHO post. For trainees starting BST on 1st July in any year, the deadline to register is 31st July in that year.
Annual Training Fee
Trainees in BST must pay a training fee of €2,000 per annum. This fee covers the cost of attending the three mandatory RCPI-run courses: the Professional Development Programme, Healthcare Ethics for BST Trainees and Prescribing Skills. Access to the RCPI Online Medical Education Centre (and UpToDate) is also included in the above fee.
The annual training fee is applicable to all trainees in General Internal Medicine and Paediatrics who entered BST on or after 1st July 2007. From 1st July 2008 this fee is also applicable to trainees entering BST in Histopathology and Obstetrics & Gynaecology.
All registered trainees must pay the annual training fee within one month of entering their first or second year. All trainees will be issued with a receipt of payment. Please note that for trainees who entered BST before 1st July 2007 the once-off registration fee of €1000 applied.
BST Logbooks
Once doctors register for BST they will be sent a BST Logbook. Trainees are required to complete a BST Logbook as a record of their training in each post. Completed logbooks must be returned to the RCPI at the end of each year.