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RCPI
HST Haematology
A five-year combined clinical and laboratory haematology SpR programme under the RCPI Faculty of Pathology, with FRCPath Parts I and II required during training.
How the length works
Combined clinical and laboratory training.
Duration: 5 years (SpR1-SpR5), combined clinical and laboratory haematology
Annual intake: 10 HST Year 1 trainees in 2024/2025 (38 haematology SpRs across all years) - HSE NDTP Medical Workforce Report 2024-2025, Table 7
Applications: 2026 intake: applications opened 1 October 2025 and closed 29 October 2025 (application fee EUR 100). Next application cycle opens October 2026. Interview (2026): 23 February 2026.
Entry: After BST in General Internal Medicine (or approved equivalent) + MRCPI in General Medicine. The MRCPI Clinical Examination relevant to the specialty must be passed before the HST interview. IMC registration eligibility, English language competency and eligibility to work in Ireland required at application. Haematology HST is overseen by the RCPI Faculty of Pathology.
Exams: Required (2025 curriculum): FRCPath Haematology Part I (typically after 2 years of HST) and Part II (years 4 or 5) must be completed during the programme.
HST Haematology (Clinical and Laboratory) is a five-year Specialist Registrar programme under the RCPI Faculty of Pathology combining clinical haematology with laboratory practice. Trainees must pass the FRCPath haematology examinations during the programme - Part I typically after two years and Part II in years 4 or 5.
Entry requires BST in General Internal Medicine (or equivalent) and MRCPI in General Medicine, with the clinical examination passed before interview. Shortlisting uses the standard RCPI 20-mark matrix; the interview is scored out of 60, of which 30 marks are three clinical questions. Ten trainees entered year 1 in 2024/2025.
How selection is scored
Shortlistingmax 20
Professional qualifications/education5
Publication & audit experience5
Leadership & management experience2.5
Interviewmax 60
CV / interest in haematology10
Half of the 60 interview marks are three clinical questions.
Where you train
Named hospital lists are not published per specialty; SpRs rotate through RCPI-approved training sites nationally in preapproved 6- or 12-month posts. At least one clinical year must be completed in a training site outside the Dublin area; a maximum of two clinical years may be spent in the same site.
Where this leads
Award of CSCST confers eligibility for entry on the Specialist Division of the IMC register and for consultant posts. Documented post-CSCST routes: the RCPI/HSE register of approved Post-CSCST Fellowship posts and HSE NDTP Aspire Fellowships, open to doctors within two years of CSCST. The combined clinical and laboratory CSCST covers both ward/ambulatory haematology and laboratory direction.
Facts last verified 2026-07-27. Scheme details change year to year; always confirm against RCPI's current documentation.