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College of Psychiatrists of Ireland
HST Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
A three-year national Senior Registrar programme run by the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland, spent entirely in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry placements and entered by a separate competitive interview after BST that included two six-month CAP placements.
Duration: 3 years (HST Years 1-3, Senior Registrar grade), all spent solely in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry clinical attachments, of which a minimum of 24 months must be in community-based Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services and 6 months in a Child & Adolescent Psychiatry in-patient service. A dual CSCST with Psychiatry (General Adult) requires six years with alternate-year placements on the two schemes. (CPsychI Regulations, Revision 13, July 2025)
Annual intake: 11 Year 1 HST trainees in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry in 2024 (HSE NDTP Medical Workforce Analysis Report 2024-2025).
Applications: July 2027 intake: applications open Friday 20 November 2026, close Friday 8 January 2027; in-person interviews Thursday 11 February 2027 in Dublin; results Friday 26 February 2027. (CPsychI HST Recruitment page, accessed July 2026)
Entry: Completion of Basic Specialist Training in psychiatry plus the College's examination requirements (CPsychI BST Clinical Examination for streamlined candidates, with MRCPsych written papers completed during BST; MRCPsych UK or equivalent for non-streamlined candidates). Trainees who entered Foundation Year in July 2014 or later must have completed two 6-month placements in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry during BST to be eligible for the CAP HST scheme. Entry is by a separate competitive interview for the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry programme. (CPsychI Regulations, Revision 13, July 2025)
Exams: No further membership examination during HST; progression is assessed by Annual Review of Progress (ARP) panels, workplace-based assessments and the portfolio. (CPsychI Regulations, Revision 13, July 2025)
Higher Specialist Training in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry is a distinct national CPsychI scheme with its own competitive interview, separate from the Adult Psychiatry & Related Disciplines programme. The three-year Senior Registrar programme is spent entirely in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry attachments: at least 24 months in community-based CAMHS and 6 months in an in-patient CAP service. Experience in other specialties does not count towards the CAP CSCST.
Eligibility requires completion of BST with the College's examination requirements; trainees who entered Foundation Year from July 2014 onwards must have completed two 6-month CAP placements during BST. Streamlined CPsychI BST graduates are automatically eligible, while other applicants are assessed for BST equivalence and must hold MRCPsych UK or equivalent. Completion leads to a CSCST in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry; a six-year dual CSCST with Psychiatry (General Adult) is available.
How selection is scored
Shortlisting - Category B non-streamlining applicants (updated November 2023)max 50
Clinical experience in psychiatry (Specialist Register eligibility in another psychiatry specialty 10; clinical research fellow or clinical lecturer post-BST 1 point per 6 months to max 6; clinical psychiatrist post-BST 1 point per 6 months to max 4)20
Clinical experience in physical health (specialist trainee in a non-psychiatry specialty 1 point per year to max 2; MICGP/MRCGP/MRCPI/MRCP or equivalent 8)10
Academic experience (first-author PubMed publication 2 each; co-author 1 each; presentations 0.5 each to max 2; other publication or complete audit cycle 0.5 each to max 1; PhD 8-12; MD 10; Masters 2; non-medical primary degree 1)20
Applies to non-streamlining (Category B) applicants only.
Interview - clinical (non-lecturer) HST posts, July 2024 intakemax 100
General training & experience30
Qualifications / further education10
Research & publications15
Management / leadership / team working15
Communication skills / motivation / career planning20
References carry no score. Combined clinical-and-lecturer post interviews are marked out of 135 (Research & Publications 25, Teaching 35). Separate interviews are held for the Adult and Child & Adolescent Psychiatry schemes.
Where you train
The HST programmes are national; placements must include a minimum of 24 months in community-based CAMHS and 6 months in a CAP in-patient service. A named list of HST sites is not published in the Regulations. (CPsychI Regulations, Revision 13, July 2025)
Where this leads
Award of CSCST in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, conferring eligibility for the Specialist Division of the Medical Council register and consultant posts. A consultant with a Special Interest in Intellectual Disability requires the CAP CSCST plus an additional 12-month placement in an approved HST post in Learning Disability Psychiatry of Childhood. (CPsychI Regulations, Revision 13, July 2025)
Facts last verified 2026-07-27. Scheme details change year to year; always confirm against College of Psychiatrists of Ireland's current documentation.