RCPI Faculty of Occupational Medicine · HST Occupational Medicine
Occupational Medicine HST in Ireland
Four years of specialist training in the relationship between health and work, including occupational clinics, workplace assessment and prevention.
How the length works
Four-year HST after BST GIM or approved equivalent. The timeline adds the two-year GIM BST route; alternative prior training may take longer.
Duration: 4 years full-time equivalent in Specialist Registrar posts, after the required prior training.
Applications: July 2027 intake: applications opened 1 October 2026 at noon and close 29 October 2026 at 5pm, Irish time. In-person interview: 5 February 2027.
Entry: After BST in General Internal Medicine, or an individually approved equivalent route. Check the current RCPI qualification and equivalence requirements before applying.
Exams: LFOM and MFOM must be passed during HST. Aim for LFOM at the end of year 2 and MFOM by the end of year 3.
Required pass. Both qualifications are required during HST. Aim to sit LFOM by the end of Year 2; MFOM is expected by the end of Year 3.
Occupational physicians assess how health affects work and how work affects health. Training covers fitness for work, rehabilitation, occupational disease, workplace hazards, prevention and the legal and ethical responsibilities of occupational practice.
Entry
The Faculty identifies BST in General Internal Medicine, or equivalent, as the usual preparation. Other backgrounds need individual assessment: obtain RCPI confirmation of the training and qualifications it will accept before relying on an alternative route. You must also meet the published registration, English-language and employment eligibility requirements.
Training and completion
HST lasts four years full-time equivalent. It includes at least 18 months in industry and a year in the service sector, including health-service experience. Clinics and worksite visits sit alongside supervised attachments, teaching, assessments and an ePortfolio.
Both LFOM and MFOM are required. RCPI advises aiming for LFOM at the end of year 2 and obtaining MFOM by the end of year 3. CSCST follows satisfactory completion of all training requirements, rather than the examinations alone.
Applying
For July 2027, applications close at 5pm on 29 October 2026; the published interview date is 5 February 2027. Download the specialty Structured CV, gather the required evidence and submit through the portal linked from RCPI's entry guidance. Review the current curriculum when planning relevant clinical and workplace experience.
The published 2026/27 curriculum anticipates a revision taking effect in July 2027. Check the curriculum assigned to your intake before planning courses and examinations.
Clinical work
Occupational medicine considers how work affects health and how illness affects a person’s ability to work. Training includes occupational-health clinics, workplace assessment, prevention and rehabilitation, with experience across industrial and service settings. RCPI has announced a curriculum revision taking effect from July 2027; applicants should confirm the requirements for their cohort.
How selection is scored
Shortlisting – July 2027max 100
Professional qualifications and postgraduate education30
Leadership and management30
Teaching20
Research, audit and quality improvement20
Interview – July 2027max 100
Career to date20
Leadership and management20
Communication and teamwork20
Teaching and research skills20
Commitment to specialty and overall suitability20
Where you train
Faculty-approved occupational health units and workplaces, with industrial, service-sector and health-service experience.
Where this leads
Satisfactory completion of the programme and its assessments leads to CSCST and eligibility to apply for specialist registration. Registration and appointment to a consultant post are separate processes.
Entry and selection guidance checked 26 October 2026.
Facts last verified 2026-10-25. Content updated 2026-10-26.
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