Post-graduate training in Ireland?

[brontehardyeliot]

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I'm still rather confused about what happens after graduating from an Irish medical school. I know a lot of people have talked about getting U.S. residencies, but what if you'd actually like to stay in Ireland? Is it really pretty much impossible for someone from a different country to get a post-graduate position in Ireland or the U.K.? Also, what does the post-graduate training in those countries consist of exactly? I've read a lot on the Irish med school Web sites about the intern or in-house year immediately after graduation that you must complete to be officially licensed, but does anyone know anything about the types of specialty training offered? Is it similar to the U.S. residency system? Thanks!

 

[Devdas]

Postgraduate training in the Irish hospitals are similar to the British system and not American system.Royal college of Physicians(Ire)and Royal college of Surgeons (Ire)are responsible for postgrad training.British Royal colleges and Irish Royal colleges recognize their training mutually.

Irish postgrad training are not structured like Classical American residency training.For example, In the US you join the residency program and complete the program in the same hospital (or rotate)which is for either 3 or 4 years depending on the speciality.In Ireland, every 6 months you have to apply for your residency spots (called senior house officer)which is a pain.It is so competitive because Ireland is a very small country.(I guess the number of hospitals could be even lesser than NYC hospitals)

You cannot compare Irish training to American training.In US, a surgical resident starts doing the procedures from his second year and comes out of a residency program with sufficent surgical skills.It is not so in irish surgical training.There is only scut training.But,UK gives good surgical training.

Irish colleges are trying to improve the postgrad training simulating British training system.Irish nationals always get the good training spots than overseas grads.There are few training programs tailored for Irish graduates which has 3 or 4 year continous rotations where there is no need to try for a spot for every six months.

After completing the postgrad training it is hard to become a consultant in Irish Republic.There are so many Irish nationals who could not find a job in Ireland and move to other European countries/Australia/Canada.

 

[leorl]

What postgraduate means isn't the same as doing residency. What happens is you get your BMBChBAO (equivalent to the UK MBBS, equivalent to our MD) but there it is still a bachelor's degree. You go through your residency, but Madanraj outlined how that is different from ours. Obtaining an Irish residency is not impossible. I have a few Canadian friends who obtained internship there for the next coming year, I can ask them how it works. However, as Madanraj said, it's not a breeze...obtaining residency there is very very competitive and the spots go to the Irish first. (Same happens in Australia).

Okay, so after they've had a few years working as doctors in residency, THEN they do post-graduate work. It is frowned upon for them to go straight from their bachelor's degree to their postgraduate degree, they are expected to work a few years first. This is unlike the US system where we get our bachelor's degree, and then postgrad studies usually immediately commence (damn that job availability). So a doctor could pursue say...an MS in Exercise Science or other specializations of their interests. This would lead to a path where they could practice sports medicine.

 

[brontehardyeliot]

Thanks to both of you for the information. It was very helpful. 🙂 If you do get a chance, Leorl, I would be very interested in hearing about how your friends obtained their internships in Ireland. My husband and I would really like to live permanently in either Ireland or the U.K., which is why I'm so interested in the idea of starting school there and then staying there. However, considering what you've both said about the competitiveness of residencies and the need to apply so frequently, as well as some of the information I read from an earlier post considering U.S. graduates in foreign practice, I'm starting to think that my best bet might be to go to school in the U.S., do a residency in the U.S., and THEN try moving to the U.K. or Ireland. I'm not sure though. The Irish medical schools sound so interesting. Since it'll be over a year before I'm even done with the classes I'll need to take to prepare for the MCAT, I guess I've still got some time to decide. 🙂 Thanks again!

 

[leorl]

I will ask for you, I'm sure one of my friends had very good scores, but I'll see if there's anything special they did to ensure placement more. I'd like to live in Ireland/UK at some point in my life too. The thing about doing your work in the US and then trying to find employment there, is that you might have to re-do some training (as in you'd only get a senior house officer position which is kind of akin to residency? I am not certain, it's all very confusing :wink: ) . Or if you go to Ireland/UK for med school, maybe just try applying to a whole ton of places for residency (both UK and Ireland).

 

[Devdas]

Postgraduate training in UK/Ireland is equivalent to Residency training in the US technically.

Internship is done immediately after medschool and obtaining the BMBChBAO degree.Fellowship/Membership training is the postgrad training which means you obtain either Fellowship in surgery or Membership in medical specialities.This is equivalent to Board certification in the US.

It is slightly confusing for American grads!

Fellowship in the US is done after residency training.In Britain/Ireland, Fellowship means becoming a member of the Royal College after completing your postgrad training(Which is Residency training).FRCS is Fellow of Royal college of Surgeons and Membership is Member of Royal college of Physicians/Paeds/Ob/Gyn etc.

I am not sure about the oppurtunities of working in the UK/Ire after American training.I think you must have British or Irish degree to get a job there.There is no mutual recognition of degrees.Americans do not recognise British or Irish qualification to work in the United states.They have to undergo USMLE exams to practice in the US.

Ireland is a great country to live if you have no problems in getting a job.Even,Irish move out of their country because of job scarcity.I have met many Irish physicians who live in the US who wants to return to Ireland to settle down.They could not do it because of lack of oppurtunities there.

 

[dm2010]

can anybody please guide me regarding preparation of the irish dental council registration exam. Thank you🙂