Guidelines for Candidates - RCPI Specialist Training Interviews
What dates will interviews take place?
All interviews will take place between January 2024 and February 2024. Everyone will be advised via email two weeks prior to their interview of the exact dates.
BST Interview Dates:
BST GIM - last two weeks in January
BST Obstetrics & Gynaecology - First two weeks of February
BST General Paediatrics- mid-February
BST Histopathology - last two weeks of February
Provisional BST and HST Interview dates:
All dates are provisional and subject to change.
| HST/BST | Specialty | Model | Date |
| BST | Paediatrics | Virtual | 31/01/2024 |
| BST | Paediatrics | Virtual | 01/02/2024 |
| BST | Histopathology | Virtual | 17/02/2023 |
| BST | Histopathology | Virtual | 20/02/2023 |
| BST | Obstetrics & Gynaecology | Virtual | 01/02/2024 |
| BST | GIM | Virtual | 16/01/2024 |
| BST | GIM | Virtual | 17/01/2024 |
| BST | GIM | Virtual | 18/01/2024 |
| BST | GIM | Virtual | 23/01/2024 |
| BST | GIM | Virtual | 24/01/2024 |
| BST | GIM | Virtual | 25/01/2024 |
| HST | Haematology (Shortlisting) | Virtual | 24/11/2023 |
| HST | Infectious Diseases (shortlisting) | In Person | 09/01/2023 |
| HST | Public Health Medicine | In Person | 31/01/2023 |
| HST | Public Health Medicine | In Person | 01/02/2023 |
| HST | Occupational Medicine | In Person | 02/02/2023 |
| HST | BANK HOLIDAY | BANK HOLIDAY | 06/02/2023 |
| HST | Histopathology | In Person | |
| HST | Rheumatology | In Person | 08/02/2023 |
| HST | Palliative Medicine | In Person | 09/02/2023 |
| HST | Endocrinology and DM | In person | 14/02/2023 |
| HST | Cardiology | In Person | 13/02/2023 |
| HST | Rehabilitation Medicine | Online | 14/02/2023 |
| HST | Clinical Genetic | In Person | 15/02/2023 |
| HST | Geriatrics | In Person | 16/02/2023 |
| HST | Gastroenterology | Online | 17/02/2022 |
| HST | Infectious Diseases | In Person | 20/02/2023 |
| HST | Dermatology | In Person | 21/02/2023 |
| HST | Nephrology | In Person | 22/02/2023 |
| HST | Haematology | In Person | 01/03/2024 |
| HST | Respiratory Medicine | In Person | 24/02/2023 |
| HST | Medical Oncology | In Person | 27/02/2023 |
| HST | Obstetrics & Gynaecology | Online | 26/02/2024 |
| HST | Clinical Pharmacology (provisional date) | Online | 01/03/2023 |
| HST | Neurology | In Person | |
| HST | General Paediatrics | In Person | 07/02/2024 |
| HST | General Paediatrics | In Person | 08/02/2024 |
| HST | Paediatrics Cardiology | In Person | 21/02/2024 |
Do I need to do anything in preparation for interview?
1. Review your application and know it in detail.
2. Update yourself on the scoring for the interview and where you can gain marks.
BST - how will my application be scored
HST - Short listing criteria and interview scoring
How long are the interviews for BST and HST?
Interviews last approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
How many interviewers are on the panel?
There are 2 interviewers on the panels for BST interviews. For HST interviews, there may be approximately 10 panellists and an independent Chair. An RCPI Coordinator will also be present at all interviews.
How much notice of my interview dates will I receive?
You will receive a minimum of two weeks' notice of the exact date and time of your interview.
Will the interviews be in person or online?
Interviews will be held either virtually or in-person for 2024 depending on the speciality.
Application Verification
When will I be advised if my BST application has been successful?
Once your application has been verified, you will receive an email confirming that your application has been successful.
There is no shortlisting for BST GIM, so if your application has been verified, you will be offered an interview.
Due to the number of applications received for the other BST programmes, shortlisting may occur as it may not be possible to interview all applicants.
When will I be advised if my HST application has been successful?
If you have been invited to an interview for one of our HST programmes, you will be informed by email in December 2023. If you have not received your email. Please review the spam and junk folders of your email.
Shortlisting takes place for many of the HST programmes due to the number of places available and the level of competition. If you have been shortlisted, you will be informed by email in December 2023.