This guidance is for doctors who completed their postgraduate medical training outside Ireland and are considering applying for Recognition of Prior Training (RPT) in order to access Higher Specialist Training (HST) with RCPI.
Recognition of Prior Training (RPT) is a formal RCPI process that assesses whether a completed structured medical training programme is equivalent to an RCPI Basic Specialist Training (BST) programme. If approved, RPT allows eligible doctors to apply directly for RCPI Higher Specialist Training (HST) without completing RCPI BST.
You may be eligible to apply if you have completed a full structured medical training programme, can provide documentary evidence of completion, completed the training before applying, and meet RCPI principles of validity, authenticity, currency, comparability and sufficiency of evidence.
Training must normally have been completed within the last five years to ensure currency at the point of HST application.
The RPT application window opens annually from early July to mid-August. This allows outcomes to be issued before HST applications open in November.
A non-refundable fee of €250 applies to all RPT applications.
Incomplete applications will not be considered. Where documentation is missing or is incomplete the application will be rejected at the verification stage. Applicants will be informed of this outcome, and their application will not progress
Yes. All non-English language documents must be accompanied by certified English translations. Training completion certificates must be notarised to confirm authenticity.
Applications are screened by the RCPI Admissions team and then reviewed by a clinical review panel against the current BST curriculum outcomes and RPT principles.
The review panel assesses whether your international training is comparable to RCPI BST in terms of curriculum coverage, clinical exposure, supervision, responsibility, assessment and learning outcomes.
The decision on whether or not to accept prior training is carried out following an assessment of the applicants submitted documentation and is based on equivalence.
The Programme Director/ RPL Assessor must be satisfied that the Training derived from prior training satisfies the Training outcomes at a level equivalent to BST where RPT is being sought.
RPT decisions are made by RCPI RPT Assessors based on professional and clinical judgment by mapping of the structured training outcomes using the information and evidence provided by the applicant.
RCPI staff can be contacted via helpdesk@rcpi.ie to provide support and clarification to applicants seeking RPT.
Pre-assessment of applications or review of documentation is not possible. You will be assessed on final submission of your application.
Yes. One appeal is permitted. An appeal fee applies and is refunded if the appeal is successful.
Read our Appeal Policy (PDF, 166 KB)
No, RPT approval provides eligibility to apply for HST only and does not result in the award of a BST Certificate of Completion.