BST Recruitment

Required English Language Competency

• The ability to communicate clearly with patients and colleagues is a key requirement for all healthcare
  professionals.
• Proficiency in the English language is therefore a core competency for NCHDs working in the Irish
  public health service.
• Under Section 6 ‘Standard duties and responsibilities’ of NCHD Contract 2010, NCHDs are required
  to be able to communicate effectively with patients and clients; and comply with statutory and
  regulatory requirements, corporate policies and procedures and human resource policies and
  procedures.

Requirement for all NCHDs

The English language requirements for NCHDs are universally applicable. There is no distinction between training, non- training, intern or any other category or grouping. In this context, all NCHDs taking up employment with the HSE and section 38 organisations who were not registered with the Irish Medical Council in any of the divisions of the Register of Medical  Practitioners prior to 1st January 2015, or who did not complete the entirety of their under-graduate medical training in the Republic of Ireland, are required to provide evidence under one of the following categories:

• Category 1.
  • Doctors who completed their Medical degree in English from any of the following
    countries: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, The United States of America or The United
    Kingdom must provide:
  • A copy of their Medical Degree Certificate
• Category 2.
  • Doctors who completed: The Irish State Leaving Certificate examination or A Levels in the United Kingdom and a
    Medical Degree in English must provide all three of the following:
    • A copy of Irish Leaving Certificate/UK A-Level transcript results
    • A copy of their Medical Degree
    • Certificate/confirmation from their University confirming their Medical degree was taught and examined solely in English
• Category 3.
  • Doctors who meet the English Language requirements by attaining certification via  the recognized English Language Tests must submit a certificate of test results from either the International English Language Test System (IELTS) (Academic EXAM) or Occupational English Test (OET). Please refer to the table below for the minimum levels in each of the tests that are accepted by the HSE/public health service employers:
    • IELTS Academic Exam Minimum scores*
      • Listening 6.5
      • Reading 6.5
      • Writing 6.5
      • Speaking 6.5
      • Overall 7.0
    • OET Minimum Grade*
      • Listening B
      • Reading B
      • Writing B
      • Speaking B
      • Overall B

*IELTS or OET results from online tests that meet the minimum levels outlined above are accepted

• Please note that:
  • As outlined above doctors who have not previously been employed with the HSE/section 38 organisations who apply for an NCHD position or to a national Training Programmes must provide evidence of a valid IELTS/OET test dated within two years at application stage.
  • 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 evidence at application stage that a valid IELTS/OET test was completed and submitted to the employer at the time of first employment with the HSE. Test results cannot be combined. The HSE will only accept one test result.
  • In addition to providing evidence, as required, of the IELTS/OET the NCHDs communication skills must be independently assessed, by employer or training body, as part of the application and interview process, before the NCHD is recommended for appointment or contract of employment issued (excludes Interns).
  • Potential applicants must be informed of these requirements as part of the recruitment process.

There are no exemptions to the above requirements.

Remedial Action
Should the NCHD at any point not be able to demonstrate the required level of English language  competency set out in Section 6 of the NCHD Contract 2010, the Employer may wish to consider remedial or other action under NCHD Contract 2010.

***Information correct for July 2027 entry to BST. For further BST recruitment cycles these details are subject to change***

The NCHD Contract requires all junior doctors participating in a structured training programme to hold Trainee Specialist Division registration. Given the Training Bodies’ role in the selection of trainees to training programmes and the subsequent proposal of such trainees to employment positions within the health service, it is required that all applicants to training programmes would either hold or be eligible to hold registration on the Trainee Specialist Division.

In that context all applicants must indicate at the time of application their eligibility to hold registration on the Trainee Specialist Division. Following amendments to the Medical Practitioners Act 2007 in 2020, all doctors who are eligible for registration in the General Division are now also eligible for
registration in the Trainee Specialist Division.

Note:
The following doctors are automatically eligible for registration in the General and Trainee Specialist Divisions:

• Doctors who have graduated from an Irish Medical School and successfully completed their internship in Ireland or will have completed their internship by July 2025
• Doctors who have successfully completed their medical qualification in one the following EU Countries:

• • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Croatia
  • Cyprus
  • Czech Republic
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Latvia
  • Netherlands
  • Romania
  • Spain
  • Switzerland
  • Slovak Republic

Note:

Doctors who qualified in an EU member state other than one of the above will be required to provide to the Irish Medical Council, in addition to their medical degree, any additional documentation stated in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC, in order to establish eligibility for IMC registration. Example, a doctor who qualifies in Poland will be asked to provide a LEK in addition to their medical degree when applying for registration to the Irish Medical Council.

• Doctors who are currently or previously registered in the General or Trainee Specialist Divisions

Applicants who have qualified outside the EU must pass or be exempt from the pre-registration exam, the PRES, to establish eligibility for General and/ or Trainee Specialist registration.

Equivalent Internship exemption
The Medical Council recognises internships undertaken in the following countries as equivalent and applicants for registration who have completed one of these internships will be exempt from the PRES:

• UK (Foundation Year 1)
• Australia
• Malaysia
• New Zealand
• Pakistan where the internship was commenced after 31st December 2008 (note: the rotations must
  meet the standards of an Irish internship)
• Sudan
• South Africa where the internship was commenced after 1st July 2006
• Malta

Higher qualification exemption
Exemptions from the PRES can be granted to applicants who hold a listed higher qualification and have either undertaken an internship of at least twelve months which comprised of a minimum of three months in medicine in general and three months in surgery in general OR have completed a minimum of three years in an accredited training programme.

https://www.medicalcouncil.ie/registration-applications/first-time-applicants/general-registration-non-eu-eea-trained-doctors.html

If you have not yet commenced an application for registration, please ensure you contact the Irish Medical Council as soon as possible so that it may be processed in a timely manner.

***Information correct for July 2027 entry to BST. For further BST recruitment cycles these details are subject to change***

This information will be used in the shortlisting process. Please briefly outline your previous Specialist Medical Training on your application form. Documentary evidence will be requested if you are  successful in securing a place on the BST programme.

If you have previously undertaken Specialist Medical Training in Psychiatry within Ireland and can demonstrate learning outcome attainment, Basic Specialist Training in Psychiatry may be accelerated by a  maximum of three years, subject to approval by an Annual Review of Progress (ARP) panel.
If you wish to have your previously undertaken Specialist Medical Training considered, documentary evidence of the training will be requested if you are successful in securing a BST place. This documentary evidence must include: (i) job descriptions of all posts held and (ii) certification of satisfactory participation in training from the responsible national training body. This evidence may allow a  maximum of one year accreditation (exemption from Foundation Year) and must be submitted by the closing  date for applications. Following appointment to the Programme, training may be accelerated by a maximum  of a further two years, subject to approval by an Annual Review of Progress (ARP) panel (supporting evidence  will be required at a later stage and must include this College’s BST1-3 Learning Outcome Attainment Grid).

If you have previously undertaken Specialist Medical Training in Psychiatry outside Ireland and can  demonstrate learning outcome attainment, Basic Specialist Training in Psychiatry may be accelerated by a  maximum of two years, subject to approval by an Annual Review of Progress (ARP) panel.  If you wish to have your previously undertaken Specialist Medical Training considered, documentary evidence  of the training will be requested if you are successful in securing a BST place. This documentary evidence must include: (i) job descriptions of all posts held and (ii) certification of satisfactory participation in training from the responsible national training body.  This evidence will allow a maximum of one year accreditation (exemption from Foundation Year) and must be  submitted by the closing date for applications. Following appointment to the Scheme, training may be accelerated by a maximum of a further one year, subject to approval by an Annual Review of Progress (ARP) panel (supporting evidence will be required at a later stage and must include this College’s BST1-3 Learning  Outcome Attainment Grid).

If you have previously undertaken Specialist Medical Training in a specialty other than Psychiatry and can  demonstrate learning outcome attainment, Basic Specialist Training in Psychiatry may be accelerated by a  maximum of one year, subject to approval by an Annual Review of Progress (ARP) panel.  If you wish to have your previously undertaken Specialist Medical Training considered documentary evidence  of the training will be requested if you are successful in securing a BST place. This documentary evidence must include: (i) job descriptions of all posts held and (ii) certification of satisfactory participation in training from the responsible national training body.  Following appointment to the Programme you will be required during your first placement to complete the  College of Psychiatrists of Ireland’s Foundation Year Learning Outcome Attainment Grid. To achieve an acceleration, the evidence submitted must demonstrate to the ARP panel that (1) you have completed a  satisfactory proportion of psychiatry experience prior to application and (2) you have met an adequate  number of learning outcomes to allow progression.

***Information correct for July 2027 entry to BST. For further BST recruitment cycles these details are subject to change***

Allocation of Places on Specialist Training Programmes

In order to comply with national policy relating to the recruitment, training, retention and development of specialist medical practitioners, it has been determined that the following process will apply to the recruitment and selection of new specialist trainees:

1. Available specialist training places will be allocated by the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland in the first instance to those candidates who, at the time of application, are:
   •  citizens of Ireland;
   • nationals of another Member State of the European Union;
   • UK nationals; and
   • all persons currently holding a Stamp 4 immigration permission (including holders of a Stamp 4 EUFAM permission).Nationals of the United Kingdom are included in the category of persons to whom available specialist training places will be allocated in the first instance. Following the UK leaving the EU, UK nationals continue to be treated on a par (or on a reciprocal or equal basis) with Irish nationals in the context of all general rights and privileges to move freely and take up residence and employment within the Common Travel Area as reaffirmed in the Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Irish Governments of May 2019.
2. All such appointments under paragraph 1 will be made in order of merit, and are subject to the applicant meeting the conditions and standards prescribed by College of Psychiatrists of Ireland.
3. Should training places on the specialist training programme remain unfilled following the initial round where qualified candidates (as outlined above) are offered training places, the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland may allocate any remaining training places to candidates who, at the time of application, were otherwise qualified save for meeting the conditions specified in paragraph 1 above.
4.  All offers made under paragraph 3 above will be made in order of merit, and are subject to an applicant meeting the conditions and standards prescribed by College of Psychiatrists of Ireland.
5. To manage this allocation process, all applicants at the time of application are required to submit to the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland a colour copy of their passport. The colour copy submitted must be legible and include the passport identity page. In addition, applicants should submit a copy of document(s) such as a Certificate of Naturalisation as issued by the Department of Justice and Equality or their Stamp 4 permission (or Stamp 4 EUFam card) or such other document, as may be required in order to be considered for the purposes of paragraph 1 above.
6. An applicant’s immigration or citizenship status is a matter entirely between the applicant and the relevant national authorities. The College of Psychiatrists of Ireland will not entertain or take account of applications for variation/renewal of immigration status or for naturalisation that are pending with the relevant authorities. All required evidence must be provided at the time of application.

November 2021 (Still correct as of July 2026)

Basic Specialist Training (BST) in Psychiatry comprises of a one year ‘Foundation Year’ followed by a further 3 years of ‘Basic Specialist Training’ (BST). The place of training is in hospitals / mental health services i.e. Trainees are salaried Non Consultant Hospital Doctors (NCHDs) while on the training scheme. BST is delivered via nine Deaneries, each with a number of affiliated Training Centres.

At application stage, Deaneries are ranked by the candidate in order of preference and places are allocated based on a candidate’s rank at interview and the number of places available for each Deanery in a given training year. Please click here for detailed information on each individual Deanery.