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RCPI
HST Nephrology
A five-year RCPI dual-certification SpR programme in Nephrology and General Internal Medicine organised as five 12-month posts, with ASN in-training and European specialty examinations during the scheme.
Duration: At least 5 years (SpR1-SpR5), organised as five 12-month posts; dual CSCST with General Internal Medicine
Annual intake: 12 HST Year 1 trainees in 2024/2025 (38 nephrology 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): 25 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: two formal examinations assess progress - the American Society of Nephrology In-Training Exam (ASN-ITE), typically taken twice (years 1-2 and years 4-5), and the European Specialty Examination in Nephrology (ESENeph), recommended toward the end of training. ASN NephSAP/KSAP self-assessments are recommended annually.
HST Nephrology is an RCPI Institute of Medicine programme of at least five years leading to dual CSCST in Nephrology and General Internal Medicine, organised as five 12-month posts. Knowledge is formally assessed through the ASN In-Training Examination, typically taken twice, and the European Specialty Examination in Nephrology recommended toward the end of training.
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 (in a criteria document labelled 2021/22) and the interview is scored out of 100, with 30 marks for interview performance and professionalism. Twelve trainees entered year 1 in 2024/2025.
How selection is scored
Shortlistingmax 20
Professional qualifications/education5
Research & audit experience5
Leadership & management experience2.5
Published criteria document is labelled 2021/22.
Interviewmax 100
CV (performance, qualifications, achievements)25
Career progression / future plans15
Research/Presentations & publications/Audit/Teaching15
Knowledge and experience of the specialty15
Interview performance and professionalism30
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. The nephrology curriculum specifies rotation through five posts of 12 months each.
Where this leads
Award of CSCST (dual certification in Nephrology and General Internal Medicine) 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.