The Training Path

Specialist training for general practice aims to produce doctors who, on completion of training, will be able to provide personal and continuing care to individuals and families in the community. They will also have the management skills relative to primary care and be able to audit their work with a view to improving performance.

If you wish to train in Ireland you may apply for a general practice training post in one of the 14 GP training programmes.

• Ballinasloe Specialist Training Programme for General Practice
• Cork Specialist Training Programme for General Practice
• Donegal Specialist Training in General Practice
• North Dublin Inner City Specialist Training Programme in General Practice
• HSE Dublin Mid Leinster/UCD Specialist Training Programme in General Practice
• HSE South East General Practice Training Programme
• Mid Leinster Specialist Training Programme in General Practice
• Mid-West Specialist Training Programme in General Practice
• North Eastern Regional Training Programme in General Practice
• RCSI/Dublin North East General Practice Training Programme
• Sligo Specialist Training Programme in General Practice
• South West Specialist Training Programme in General Practice
• TCD/HSE Specialist Training Programme in General Practice
• Western Training Programme in General Practice

Confirmed Expansion of GP Training Places January 2010 

Application Process

Posts are advertised each year in December/January and applications begin in the first week of January. The application process takes place entirely online on the ICGP website.

Training is of 4 years duration. In general, the first two years are spent in approved hospital training posts, and the balance spent in general practice under the supervision of a general practitioner trainer. At the end of formal training a certificate of satisfactory completion of training (CSCT) is issued by the training programme.

MICGP Examination

Parallel with training, four modules of the MICGP Examination must be undertaken. These modules are usually spread over the training period.

Membership of the ICGP

Doctors who have been certified as having satisfactorily completed training and who have passed all four examination modules are eligible to apply for membership of the ICGP. Doctors who hold the registerable professional qualification of Membership of the ICGP may then apply for the Certificate of Specific Training/Acquired Rights in General Medical Practice, EU Directive 2005/36/EC (formally 93/16 EEC) (CSTAR) and also apply for entry onto the Specialist Division of the Register - General Practice.

Certification

In Ireland, as well as throughout the EU (and EEA), the recognised form of certification of completion of training in general practice is a Certificate of Specific Training/Acquired Rights in General Medical Practice, EU Directive 2005/36/EC (formally 93/16 EEC) (CSTAR) . This allows a GP to work within all State Schemes both in Ireland and in each EEA country. The competent authority in each EEA country issues the CSTAR. In Ireland the recognised competent authority under the Directive is the Medical Council. The minimum recognised training period in the EU for GP training is three years.

Associate Trainee Membership of the ICGP

All those who obtain a place on an Irish GP training programme are granted associate trainee membership of the ICGP for the full duration of training, at a zero subscription rate.

The ICGP recognises that general practice trainees represent the future of general practice in Ireland. General practice trainees constitute a valuable sector of our membership and have their own representative on the ICGP Council. GP trainees have access to all member educational services and benefits.