Last November, I was pleased to announce the removal of barriers to accessing postgraduate training for non-EEA qualified doctors, when I signed an order commencing Sections 97 and 100 of the Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Act 2020.
These sections amend the Medical Practitioners Act, 2007 and remove a requirement that doctors who qualified in a non-EEA country and who wish to commence postgraduate medical training in Ireland, must have completed an internship deemed the equivalent of that completed in Ireland.
Entry requirements for postgraduate medical training programmes in Ireland are determined by the relevant postgraduate medical training body. All postgraduate medical training programmes are accredited by the Medical Council of Ireland. A number of postgraduate medical training programmes do consider, on a case-by-case basis, recognition of prior learning. The details are set out below:
Psychiatry – if a trainee has previous training experience and can demonstrate learning outcome attainment, Basic Specialist Training (BST) may be accelerated by one year (generally in two steps of 6 months each), subject to the approval of an assessment panel.
Medicine – consideration will be taken, on a case-by-case basis, for equivalence of BST for programmes undertaken outside of Ireland. Applicants seeking to gain equivalence of training / experience for entry to BST will be recognised only if the training which is being considered has been successfully completed and provided through a structured programme formally recognised by a national training body. A minimum of 12 months and a maximum of 24 months overseas equivalence may only be considered.
General Practice –
applicants with appropriate qualifications in Medicine, Paediatrics, or Emergency Medicine, can apply for recognition of prior learning.
Surgery – the postgraduate training body provides an “Equivalent Standards Route” which offers a pathway for candidates who may have completed equivalent training outside the State.
Emergency Medicine – prior training and experience of successful applicants to Year 1 of the training programme is considered by the appointment panel at the time of interview. If a trainee has prior training that closely matches that provided in Core Specialist Training in Emergency Medicine (CSTEM), they may, on a case-by-case basis, be appointment to Year 2 or 3 of CSTEM where training vacancies exist in the relevant year.
