Career hub → Intern Year → Psychiatry Training → HST General Adult Psychiatry
College of Psychiatrists of Ireland
HST General Adult Psychiatry
A three-year national Senior Registrar programme run by the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland leading to a CSCST in Psychiatry (General Adult), entered by competitive interview after completion of BST and the College's examination requirements.
Duration: 3 years (HST Years 1-3, Senior Registrar grade): two years in core General Adult Psychiatry clinical attachments; a third year may be spent in General Adult Psychiatry, psychiatric research, a non-core General Adult post, or one of the other Adult specialties or subspecialties. Dual CSCST options: with Psychiatry of Old Age or Psychiatry of Learning Disability, 4 years; with Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 6 years. (CPsychI Regulations, Revision 13, July 2025)
Annual intake: 46 Year 1 HST trainees in Psychiatry (Adult Psychiatry & Related Disciplines; excludes Child & Adolescent Psychiatry) in 2024; not broken down by sub-specialty (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 (4 years with CPsychI; minimum 36 months). Streamlined candidates (CPsychI BST graduates) require completion of the minimum duration of BST, a satisfactory BST Year 3 ARP outcome, and a pass in the CPsychI BST Clinical Examination; CPsychI BST trainees must also complete the written components of the Royal College of Psychiatrists MRCPsych examination during BST. Non-streamlined candidates require BST (or equivalent from another jurisdiction, assessed case by case) and MRCPsych UK (or equivalent). Entry is by competitive interview to the Adult Psychiatry & Related Disciplines scheme; all examination and continuous assessment criteria must be met by the application closing date. (CPsychI Regulations, Revision 13, July 2025)
Exams: No further membership examination during HST; the CPsychI BST Clinical Examination (OSCE and CFME components) and the MRCPsych written papers are completed before or at entry. 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 General Adult Psychiatry is run by the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland as part of the national Adult Psychiatry & Related Disciplines scheme. The programme lasts three years at Senior Registrar grade: two years in core General Adult Psychiatry attachments, with a third year available for General Adult Psychiatry, research, or another adult specialty or subspecialty. Dual CSCST programmes with Psychiatry of Old Age or Psychiatry of Learning Disability take four years, and with Child & Adolescent Psychiatry six years.
Entry follows completion of Basic Specialist Training. CPsychI BST graduates who complete the minimum duration of BST, achieve a satisfactory BST Year 3 ARP outcome and pass the College's BST Clinical Examination are automatically deemed eligible (streamlining); the MRCPsych written papers are completed during BST. Non-streamlined applicants need equivalent BST and MRCPsych UK or equivalent, and are shortlisted against a published 50-point system. All applicants are ranked at a competitive interview marked out of 100 (135 for lecturer posts). Completion leads to a CSCST and eligibility for the Specialist Division of the Medical Council register.
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; streamlined CPsychI BST graduates are automatically deemed eligible for HST.
Interview - clinical (non-lecturer) HST posts, July 2024 intakemax 100
General training & experience30
Qualifications / further education (e.g. MICGP/MRCPI 4, Masters 3, MD 5, PhD 6)10
Research & publications (poster 1 to max 4; oral presentation 2 to max 4; book chapter 2; PubMed-indexed article 3-6)15
Teaching (5 sub-items at 2 points each)10
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 rises to 25, Teaching to 35).
Where you train
The HST programmes are national; Higher Specialist Trainees (Senior Registrars) rotate through College-approved SR posts across Ireland. 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 Psychiatry (General Adult), conferring eligibility for the Specialist Division of the Medical Council register and application for consultant psychiatrist posts. Dual CSCSTs with Psychiatry of Old Age or Psychiatry of Learning Disability (4 years) or Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (6 years) are available. (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.