Stages of a Doctor's Career in Ireland

Medical school lasts 5 – 6 years for undergraduate, and usually 4 years for graduate entry.

Once you qualify with a medical degree, the next exciting journey begins. Outlined here are the different stages of postgraduate medical training. See more info at medicalcareers.ie

Intern (medical postgraduate internship)
Intern Year is the initial year of clinical training following graduation from medical school. It is an essential step in every doctor’s career in Ireland, during which you will experience the reality of patient care in a range of healthcare settings. During this year, you will gain experience in general medicine, general surgery, and at least one other specialty. An optional academic track allows you to obtain additional academic or management experience during three months of your internship. Having successfully completed your internship, the Medical Council of Ireland will award your Certificate of Experience, vital for your next steps in medical training.

Senior House Officer (SHO)
A senior house officer (SHO) is a type of non-consultant hospital doctor. SHOs are supervised in their work by consultants and registrars. SHOs in Ireland can be employed either in training posts or standalone posts. NCHDs who are not enrolled on a recognised postgraduate training scheme in Ireland are employed in standalone posts or non-training posts.

Registrar (Reg)
A registrar is a non-consultant hospital doctor who has completed a minimum of 24 months post internship. Advancing to registrar level from SHO level is dependent on experience and aptitude within a specialty. Registrars are supervised in their work by consultants. Registrar posts are generally non-training or standalone posts and work is carried out as part of a multi-disciplinary team. These posts allow you to gain further real-world experience and improve your competitiveness when applying to training schemes.

Specialist registrar (SpR) & Senior registrar
A specialist registrar (SpR) is a doctor who is undertaking Higher Specialist Training (HST). Senior registrar is the title for doctors specialising in psychiatry and undertaking HST, which is the final step on the path to specialisation. There are HST programmes available in over 50 specialties across 13 Irish postgraduate medical training bodies (PGMTBs). On completion, you will receive a Certificate of Satisfactory Completion of Specialist Training (CSCST), which allows you to register as a specialist on the Medical Council Register. This registration makes you eligible for consultant posts in Ireland.

Fellowships, scholarships & placements
There are various programmes designed to enhance your medical education and help you acquire new skills and specialised knowledge in your chosen field. They support the integration of international best practice in healthcare, encourage innovation and leadership skills among NCHDs, and help in the retention of talented medical professionals within the healthcare system, ultimately improving patient care and health outcomes.

General practice (GP)
There are around 3,500 general practitioners (GPs) currently working in Ireland. As GPs provide a broad service, they are usually the first medical professional a person turns to when they feel unwell. GPs play a central role in the health of our community, caring for people at every stage of life, from birth to old age.

Consultant
Once you have successfully completed specialist training and are registered on the Specialist Division of the Medical Council Register, you can be appointed as a consultant – a senior clinician who can practice medicine without supervision and provide clinical supervision to training and non-training NCHDs.