Yes, there is an application fee of €100 per application.

A scholarship is not necessary. Each trainee is employed by the HSE and receives a contract in advance of commencement of the programme and their employment date from the allocated Hospital. Trainees are paid during their training in accordance with HSE. Pay scales are in line with HSE guidelines and will be notified to you by your employer.

No, there is currently no limit to number of times you can apply to the BST Programme.

No, MRCPI is not a requirement for entry onto Basic Specialist Training.  

No applications can be submitted after the deadline. If you have missed the deadline you must wait to apply the following year. We advise all applicants to ensure you have all your documentation prepared well in advance of the published deadline.

No, all information including IMC status, proof of English language, nationality, medical school results and work visa category are verified at the time of application. We do not accept supplemental documentation following the close of applications.

It is not necessary to have worked in Ireland prior to applying for the BST, however – proof of permission to work in Ireland is required and supporting appropriate documentation, i.e Visa or Passport/ID card, must be uploaded at point of application. 

The onus is on the applicant to provide correct and accurate information at the point of application. Please note, outdated, expired, or late documentation will not be accepted. Error or inaccurate information cannot be corrected once you have submitted your application.

You should complete all required sections of the application form. Your application will only be considered based on the information you provide to us in the application form. The shortlisting panel will only consider information provided in the application form. 

You must:

• Have a medical degree recognised by the IMC
• Be eligible to work in Ireland and provide proof of same
• Have completed your internship by the start date of the programme. Please note, some countries do not have internship as part of their medical school programme. Candidates should liaise with the IMC to register on the General section of the Register
• Be currently registered on one of the divisions of the Irish Medical Council or Applicants are required to submit documentation that clearly demonstrates their eligibility for registration with the Irish Medical Council (IMC).The specific documents needed will vary depending on individual circumstances. Please refer to the section below for detailed guidance
• Have proof of competency in the English language in line with HSE specifications (PDF, 506KB)
• Supply the professional contact details of two Referees in the online application form. RCPI will reach out to the Referees to obtain appraisals should the application proceed to that stage

You can apply to more than one specialty; you will incur an application fee of €100 per application.

No, you must hold a full Medical Degree to apply for BST.

You are entitled to apply for a BST Training Programme if you are currently in your intern year. Please see more details about internship requirements on the Medical Council website:

Medical Council - First Time Registration Applicants

Please refer to HSE documentation (PDF, 506KB)

Such applicants must provide all three of the following at the time of application:

• A copy of Irish Leaving Certificate/UK A-Level transcript results
• A copy of their Medical Degree
• Official certificate/confirmation from their university confirming their Medical Degree was taught and examined solely in English

Please note: outdated, expired or late documentation will not be accepted.  

NCHDs applying for national training programmes who have completed IELTS/OET and are currently in employment or were previously employed by the HSE must provide a copy of the NER employment history from the NER app. Please note no other documentation such as contracts or letters will be accepted. Outdated, expired, or late documentation will not be accepted.

No, all information including IMC status, proof of English language, nationality, medical school results, MRCPI status and work visa category are assessed at the time of application. Outdated, expired, or late documentation will not be accepted.

Please visit the Irish Medical Council website for information regarding eligibility for registration.

At the point of application, you must submit your IMC certificate proving you are registered in one of the divisions of the IMC

or

Applicants are required to submit documentation that clearly demonstrates their eligibility for registration with the Irish Medical Council (IMC).
The specific documents needed will vary depending on individual circumstances.
Please refer to the section below for detailed guidance.

Without the appropriate documentation your application will not be verified, and you will not progress to the next stage.

You must have verifiable IMC registration at the time of application. We need the IMC number to claim successful candidates on DIME to ensure they are on the trainee specialist division of the register. 

You must have IMC registration at the time of application. Proof of current and active registration with the Irish Medical Council is required at the time of application. Outdated, expired or late documentation will not be accepted.

The RCPI Admissions Team is not in a position to assess potential applicants for eligibility to the Irish Medical Council. The onus is on the applicant to provide proof that they are registered with Irish Medical Council. 

At the point of application, you must submit your IMC certificate proving you are registered in one of the divisions of the IMC

or

Applicants are required to submit documentation that clearly demonstrates their eligibility for registration with the Irish Medical Council (IMC).
The specific documents needed will vary depending on individual circumstances.
Please refer to the section below for detailed guidance.

Without the appropriate documentation your application will not be verified, and you will not progress to the next stage.

This is a matter for the IMC, nonetheless it is noted that this can be a lengthy process, and candidates are advised to begin the application process as early as possible.

Proof of current and active registration with the Irish Medical Council is required at time of application

or

Applicants are required to submit documentation that clearly demonstrates their eligibility for registration with the Irish Medical Council (IMC).

The specific documents needed will vary depending on individual circumstances.
Please refer to the section below for detailed guidanceLate documents cannot be accepted.

Without the appropriate documentation your application will not be verified, and you will not progress to the next stage.

Yes, you need to register again in order to take up a post a post in Ireland.

At the time of application, Applicants are required to submit documentation that clearly demonstrates their eligibility for registration with the Irish Medical Council (IMC).

The specific documents needed will vary depending on individual circumstances.
Please refer to the section below for detailed guidance.  

Without the appropriate documentation your application will not be verified, and you will not progress to the next stage.

Please upload your Intern registration certificate. This will satisfy the Admissions Office that the IMC has reviewed your registration documents.

No, the Irish Medical Council advise that they accept OET and IELTS results from exams run in a test centre only. OET@Home and the IELTS Online are NOT accepted.

The Irish Medical Council criteria for entry to the trainee specialist register has been revised to only include applicants that meet one of the following at application stage:

As part of the application process, you are required to provide the names of two persons to provide appraisals on your behalf. The two persons must be consultant supervisors from your two most recent medical employment posts. Please carefully read the instructions in the application form. The onus is on the candidate to provide accurate contact details for their referees as mistakes cannot be rectified afterwards. Please note it is your responsibility to ensure that the nominated referee is willing and able to do so via email in a timely manner.

RCPI will contact these people directly at a later period of the application process and will then advise you further. Please note it is your responsibility to ensure that the person you nominate to give an appraisal on your behalf, is willing and able to do so via email by the requested deadline. Post application – Admissions will not be in a position to comment or respond to queries regarding references/appraisals and receipt of same. 

Referees must be consultant supervisors from your two most recent medical employment posts, which may include internship or medical school positions. Please note that 'most recent' refers strictly to chronological order, and not necessarily to the roles most relevant to your specialty, even if earlier posts are more directly aligned.

Application forms are hosted on our dedicated application portal, and you can find the link on our website when applications open. On this site you will find eligibility requirements, a checklist which outlines what documents you should be compiling in order to apply amongst other documents. This will provide potential applicants with an idea of what information will be required once the application portal opens. We do not provide copies of the actual application to the candidates before applications open.

Allowed file extensions:

• “jpg”
• “jpeg”
• “jpe”
• “png”
• “gif”
• “txt”
• “doc”
• “docx”
• “pdf”
• “xls”
• “xlsx”
• “rtf” 

Please note: If you upload a PDF this will increase the size of the document.

Yes, please limit to 30 characters including file name and file path. Please only upload requested documents. Additional documents will not be reviewed. 

Please carefully follow the instruction on the individual application forms 

At point of application, EU and UK candidates must provide a colour copy of their passport or National ID card as proof of eligibility to work in Ireland. Late documentation will not be accepted. 

Non-EU and Non-UK candidates must be holders of a current Stamp 4, 1G, 1H visa. A colour copy of passport and visa at point of application. If a candidate does not hold a current Stamp 4, 1G, 1H visa their application will not be progressed. The onus is on the candidate to provide the required documentation at point of application. 

• If you do not require a working visa in order to work in Ireland you should select “Not Required”.
• If you require a working visa in order to work in Ireland and have not yet been granted a Stamp 4, 1G, 1H permission you should select “NO”.
• If you require a working visa in order to work in Ireland and have been granted a Stamp 4, 1G, 1H and possess proof of same you should select the appropriate permission and upload proof of same when prompted.

Please note: Outdated, expired or late documentation cannot be accepted. The onus is on the candidate to provide the required documentation at point of application.

Please choose ‘other’ and state direct entry or graduate entry, etc., as appropriate.

It is not a mandatory requirement to submit confirmation of your centile rank; however you may wish to submit an official confirmation of your centile rank to be awarded the points available in accordance with the published criteria. Any confirmation of centile rank must be an official document from your university. Points will only be awarded where this confirmation is correctly formatted and presented. Please note RCPI staff will not carry out calculations for incorrectly presented information.  

An RCPI Centile Template is available for guidance here: 

To submit an official document from your medical school confirming your centile mark you must provide a verifiable official document from your university. You must also provide your university transcripts for calculation and verification purposes. Failure to submit either an official centile score or a letter confirming that your medical school do not issue such confirmation may be detrimental to your score.

A copy of your medical degree will not suffice.

No, your centile score is not the same as your final Grade. Please see our website for how to present your centile score.

RCPI will not calculate a score for you, and you will not be awarded marks in that category.

These contacts are used solely to verify your employment history—such as job titles, dates, and responsibilities. They are not part of the formal reference check process and will not be contacted for reference feedback unless you list them as one of your two formal referees.

Yes. If you need to meet the requirement for four employment posts, you may include internships, residency rotations, or medical school placements. These are acceptable as part of your employment history, especially if they are your most recent or most relevant experiences. Please ensure that each post includes the name and email address of a supervisor who was responsible for supervising your work.

There will be a series of drop-in sessions available throughout the application period in which you can speak to a member of the team to assist you in your query. The dates and times will be advertised on our website and through our social media channels.

Each specialty has scoring criteria based on the requirements of the specialty.

Please see the requirements on our website here.

Each specialty has scoring criteria based on the requirements of the specialty. Please see the requirements on our website here.

Verifiable proof will be required. Please follow the instructions in the application form for the required formats.

No, no points will be awarded for abstracts except for in Paediatrics.

No, the Admissions Team is not in a position to accept any documents or updates to applications following the close of applications.

Figures are subject to review year on year by RCPI, NDTP/HSE but the volume of applications considerably outweighs available places across all specialties.

No, you may not defer a place on BST. If you are unable to take up a place, you must apply again in the following year. 

You would need to check this with the training body in the country where you are applying for Specialty training.

Yes, they are. There is an electronic match based on ranking preference and interview scoring. Candidates rank their preferences from the full list of rotation. 

At the point of offer on the training programme you will be asked to rank your preferences. Late return of requested preferences may impact your offer.

No, you must complete the full two-year programme.

Your allocation and rotations are provided for the 2 years of the programmes.

Rotations are allocated in accordance with rank at interview. Training is conducted nationwide and therefore trainees should expect to rotate at least once to various parts of the country.

We do not provide feedback on applications or to candidates who do not proceed beyond the shortlisting stage.

All applicants who attend an interview will receive feedback on their interview performance highlighting areas of strength and for improvement in comparison to other candidates. 

No, we strongly advise that you use a laptop/desktop for optimal performance.

We recommend you don’t try to do your application in the hospital as there can be firewall/internet speed issues.

We recommend using Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge.

If you are experiencing technical issues, we recommend you try a couple of things such as clear your cache on your computer; switch to incognito mode on your browser. (You can readily find information online on how to do this)

You can use any personal email; however, we have noted issues in the past with college emails on both our application site so it would be advisable to use an alternative email if you can. Please ensure that you will have access to your chosen email address throughout the process as this is how we will contact you.

If you are attempting to register with an email address that is, or has been, associated with one of the college portals you will receive this error message. Please contact helpdesk@rcpi.ie providing a screenshot of the error and your email address in order to have your User Account reset to enable you to proceed. All contact with RCPI should reference your unique RCPI number.

Please take some screen shots of the error messages or relevant pages and email them to: helpdesk@rcpi.ie

Please note that due to the high volume of applications it is not possible to deal with applicant queries by phone, please put all queries in an email to helpdesk@rcpi.ie as this is the most efficient way of answering your queries or troubleshooting an issues that may arise, if you are experiencing a technical issue please include a screen shot of any error messages.

Note: if you call the main RCPI line you are unlikely to get to speak with someone connected with the admissions process so please link with us via the correct email address directly.