About
The immune system is involved in every branch of medicine. Clinical Immunology is an integrated clinical and laboratory specialty, in which specialists apply a detailed understanding of the immune system to a wide variety of clinical problems. Clinical immunologists are involved in assessing and managing patients, as well as running immunology laboratories.
Clinical immunologists see and assess patients with possible or diagnosed immunodeficiency and allergy. Additionally, they are likely to be involved with patients with complex autoimmune disease, autoinflammatory conditions and other rare diseases, and assessment of patients where the diagnosis is elusive. Consultants take responsibility for running laboratories in which tests are processed to diagnose and monitor patients with immunodeficiency, autoimmune disease and allergies. In some hospitals, immunologists may also be involved in providing a transplant immunology service, where tests for transplant work-up, transplantation and post-transplant monitoring are performed.
Clinical immunology is a rapidly evolving discipline, with new disorders being reported every few weeks – it never gets boring! Clinical work is highly variable as immunology interfaces with every aspect of medicine. Having both clinical and laboratory facilities and expertise, together with collaborations around the world allows you move from the bedside to the bench, and back to the bedside.
Training in immunology is completed in two stages:
- Basic Specialist Training in General Internal Medicine (or an equivalent programme) - Two years
- Higher Specialist Training in Immunology - Five years
Higher specialist training in Immunology takes five years, during which you will complete the FRCPath examination in Immunology. Trainees are encouraged to undertake a research based higher degree, one year of which can be counted towards HST training. During training, trainees gain experience in clinical and laboratory aspects of immunology, as well as laboratory management, accreditation, audit and governance.
Curriculum
2022/2023
2023/2024
2024/2025
2025/2026
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Learn more about the OBE Curriculum
HST Taught Programme
Trainees in HST Year 1 in 2024/2025 can access the HST Taught Programme anytime by logging into the RCPI Website and clicking the link to Brightspace in your Digital Hub.
Read overview of the HST Taught Programme (PDF, 475.5 KB).
More information on the Taught Programme is available in the HST Curriculum.
HST Mandatory Courses
Trainees in HST Year 2 and above in 2024/2025 will attend mandatory courses. These courses are outline in the HST Curriculum.