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RCPI
HST Medical Oncology
A four-year single-CSCST RCPI SpR programme in Medical Oncology aligned to the ESMO curriculum, with ASCO in-training examinations during the scheme.
Duration: 4 years (SpR1-SpR4); one year may be gained from a period of research
Annual intake: 6 HST Year 1 trainees in 2024/2025 (32 medical oncology 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): 9 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.
Exams: 2025 curriculum: sit the ASCO Medical Oncology In-Training Examination at least once (preferably annually); sitting the ESMO examination once during HST is recommended.
HST Medical Oncology is a four-year Specialist Registrar programme run by the RCPI Institute of Medicine leading to a CSCST in Medical Oncology; one year may be gained from research and the curriculum is aligned to the ESMO training framework. Trainees sit the ASCO Medical Oncology In-Training Examination at least once, preferably annually, and are recommended to sit the ESMO examination once during HST.
Entry requires BST in General Internal Medicine (or equivalent) and MRCPI in General Medicine, with the clinical examination passed before interview. Shortlisting uses a 20-mark matrix and the interview is scored out of 100 across four equally weighted domains. Six trainees entered year 1 in 2024/2025.
How selection is scored
Shortlistingmax 20
Professional qualifications/education/achievements5
Publication & audit experience5
Leadership & management experience2.5
Interviewmax 100
CV (qualifications, achievements)25
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.
Facts last verified 2026-07-27. Scheme details change year to year; always confirm against RCPI's current documentation.