St. James's Hospital

Dublin/Southeast · James's Street, Dublin 8

voluntary hospitalModel 4

On-call: what to expect

Rota
Mixed
Nights per rotation
7
Busy-ness
8/10

1 quiet · 10 relentless

The rota

In each 13-week rotation, the on-call rota consists of 1 full week of nights (5 consecutive nights, Sunday to Thursday, 8 pm to 9 am), 1 weekend of night shifts (Friday and Saturday, 8 pm to 8 am), 1 weekend of day shifts (Saturday and Sunday, 8 am to 8 pm), and around 4 extended weekday shifts (5 pm to 8 pm).

After the full week of nights, normal daytime work resumes the following Monday.

Weekend nights are compensated with the Friday off beforehand and an extra day off the following week; weekend day shifts are followed by 1 day off the next week.

Workload & stress

Workload is heavy, at roughly 200 inpatients per intern, with 4 interns covering about 300 beds overall, and no ERT.

Medical call, in particular, can be very busy and stressful depending on what zone you are, especially weekends.

Support on call

Workload is heavy, at roughly 200 inpatients per intern, with 4 interns covering about 300 beds overall, and no ERT.

Support includes 2 MROCs, a HaemOnc SHO, a Surgical SHO, and a Medical SHO, although there is no MDO overnight.

Worked here? Add your experience or suggest an update
70
Interns at any time
92
Posts including this site
40
Full-year posts
52
Posts that rotate in

Call is very variable, but overall fairly similar to most hospitals. Some shifts are manageable, while others are chaotic. Weekend day shifts are very busy; nights are usually more manageable. The structure is reasonably well supported overall, but the workload can still be heavy. One notable feature is that call is ward-based rather than specialty-based, so even during a surgical rotation, the patients covered may be predominantly medical, and vice versa.

Pros
Good amount of 12-month jobs if keen to stay in Dublin
HR is generally good
Nursing staff are generally very good
Cons
Leave can be awkward to organise
Tough on-call, particularly medical
SystemsEPR (very handy)
TransportVery commutable, Red Luas, S2, 123, G1, G2 bus routes
On-Call
6
Overall
8
Overall
7.9
Nightlife & Social
7.9
Transport Links
7.8
Accommodation
6.6
Affordability
5.6

34 reviews

Living in Dublin as an NCHD→

Respiratory Medicine

4.5/5
Would do again
Would choose again

40–45h per week (reported hours)

Overall
8.5
Staffing Levels
7.5
Teaching
9
Workload
7.5
Enjoyment
7.5
Supervision
8.5
Career Value
6.5

Advice

Use the time to learn the indications for BiPaP and how to use the machine. Know how to interpret ABGs. Prof. Gleeson will do chest drain practice with you.

Day to Day

Rounds and jobs mainly. Ward round 8am, coffee break, run the list and divide out jobs, meet again about 4:30pm to ensure everything is sorted out. The interns don't go to clinic so on Thursday you do the ward round alone with the consultant.
Adapted from 2 intern responses; read individual reviews below

Intern 1

Advice: Yse the time to learn the indications for BiPaP and how to use the machine. Know how to interpret ABGs. Prof Gleeson will do chest drain practice with you.
Day to day: Ward round 8am, coffee break, run the list and divide out jobs, meet again about 4:30pm to ensure everything is sorted out. The interns don't go to clinic so on Thursday you do the ward round alone with the consultant.

Intern 2

Advice: n/a
Day to day: rounds and jobs mainly

General Internal Medicine

5/5
Would do again
Would choose again

44h per week (reported hours)

Overall
10
Staffing Levels
9
Teaching
9
Workload
10
Enjoyment
9
Supervision
10
Career Value
10

Advice

Well supported rotation. Get into research projects with the GIM consultants (was on Dr Ntlholang/Dr Browne's team)

Day to Day

Ward rounds / jobs
Adapted from 1 intern response; read individual reviews below

Intern 1

Advice: Well supported rotation. Get into research projects with the GIM consultants.
Day to day: Ward rounds / jobs

Cardiology

4/5
Would do again
Would choose again

55h per week (reported hours)

Overall
7
Staffing Levels
5
Teaching
9
Workload
4
Enjoyment
6
Supervision
6
Career Value
7

Advice

Get handover from previous intern.

Day to Day

Ward rounds. Consents.
Adapted from 1 intern response; read individual reviews below

Intern 1

Advice: Get handover from previous intern
Day to day: Ward rounds. Consents.

Geriatrics

4/5
Would do again
Would choose again

45h per week (reported hours)

Overall
7
Staffing Levels
7
Teaching
5
Workload
5
Enjoyment
7
Supervision
5
Career Value
5

Day to Day

Rounds, jobs from rounds, fast calls, etc.

Tips

Know NIHSS scoring. Overall experience was negatively affected by poor support from one registrar.
Adapted from 1 intern response; read individual reviews below

Intern 1

Advice: NIHSS scoring. i didn’t enjoy this job due to an obstructive registrar.
Day to day: rounds, jobs from rounds, fast calls etc

Colorectal Surgery

3.5/5
Would do again
Mixed views

60–70h per week (reported hours)

Overall
7
Staffing Levels
2.5
Teaching
6
Workload
2
Enjoyment
6.5
Supervision
3.5
Career Value
6.5

Advice

Somewhat understaffed, lacking supervision, and the workload was ridiculous, but enjoyed nonetheless. Extremely busy; beware.

Day to Day

Round on multiple consultant patients, jobs, unwell patients etc. Very busy.
Adapted from 2 intern responses; read individual reviews below

Intern 1

Advice: it’s extremely busy beware
Day to day: round on multiple consultant patients, jobs, unwell patients etc. v busy.

Urology

5/5
Would do again
Would choose again

50h per week (reported hours)

Overall
10
Staffing Levels
7
Teaching
8
Workload
7
Enjoyment
8
Supervision
5
Career Value
8

Advice

You’ll learn the intricacies on the job

Day to Day

Rounds and jobs from rounds
Adapted from 1 intern response; read individual reviews below

Intern 1

Advice: you’ll learn the intricacies on the job
Day to day: rounds and jobs from rounds

Obstetrics & Gynaecology

5/5
Would do again
Would choose again

55h per week (reported hours)

Overall
8
Staffing Levels
3
Teaching
5
Workload
7
Enjoyment
8
Supervision
3
Career Value
10

Advice

Not a bad rotation if you like OBGYN, but quite stressful and felt a bit overwhelmed at times

Rheumatology

3/5
Would do again
Mixed views

43h per week (reported hours)

Overall
5
Staffing Levels
5
Teaching
3
Workload
8
Enjoyment
3
Supervision
10
Career Value
3

Advice

Supervision was excellent and felt well supported but incredibly repetitive and boring

Sites you may rotate to

Posts based here share rotations with these hospitals; check the commute before you rank.

Kilkenny24 shared posts · 91 min · 123 kmWexford16 shared posts · 108 min · 137.7 kmTallaght4 shared posts · 18 min · 9.3 kmRialto Medical Centre4 shared posts · 4 min · 1.2 kmLinn Dara4 shared posts · 14 min · 7.6 km

Intern posts at this hospital

92 2026/27 posts include at least one rotation at St James's, most often general internal medicine, geriatric medicine, respiratory medicine. Blocks at this hospital are highlighted; the rest show you where else the post takes you.

Rotation blocks for posts including St James's, 2026/27
PostBlock 1Block 2Block 3Block 4
Academic Track 017AcademicAcademic / ICUSt James'sRespiratory MedicineSt James'sClinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics / GIMSt James'sVascular SurgerySt James's
Academic Track 018AcademicVascular SurgerySt James'sAcademic / ICUSt James'sRespiratory MedicineSt James'sClinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics / GIMSt James's
Academic Track 019AcademicClinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics / GIMSt James'sVascular SurgerySt James'sAcademic / ICUSt James'sRespiratory MedicineSt James's
Academic Track 020AcademicRespiratory MedicineSt James'sClinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics / GIMSt James'sVascular SurgerySt James'sAcademic / ICUSt James's
DSE/001Upper GI SurgerySt James'sEmergency MedicineSt James'sCardiologySt James'sGeriatricsSt James's
DSE/002Emergency MedicineSt James'sUpper GI SurgerySt James'sGeriatricsSt James'sCardiologySt James's
DSE/003CardiologySt James'sGeriatricsSt James'sUpper GI SurgerySt James'sEmergency MedicineSt James's
DSE/004GeriatricsSt James'sCardiologySt James'sEmergency MedicineSt James'sUpper GI SurgerySt James's
DSE/005Upper GI SurgerySt James'sOrthopaedicsSt James'sGeneral Internal MedicineSt James'sCardiologySt James's
DSE/006OrthopaedicsSt James'sUpper GI SurgerySt James'sCardiologySt James'sGeneral Internal MedicineSt James's
DSE/007General Internal MedicineSt James'sCardiologySt James'sUpper GI SurgerySt James'sOrthopaedicsSt James's
DSE/008CardiologySt James'sGeneral Internal MedicineSt James'sOrthopaedicsSt James'sUpper GI SurgerySt James's
DSE/013Colorectal SurgerySt James'sUrologySt James'sRespiratory MedicineSt James'sGeriatricsSt James's
DSE/014UrologySt James'sColorectal SurgerySt James'sGeriatricsSt James'sRespiratory MedicineSt James's
DSE/015Respiratory MedicineSt James'sGeriatricsSt James'sColorectal SurgerySt James'sUrologySt James's
DSE/016GeriatricsSt James'sRespiratory MedicineSt James'sUrologySt James'sColorectal SurgerySt James's
DSE/017Colorectal SurgerySt James'sObstetrics & GynaecologySt James'sGeneral Internal MedicineSt James'sRheumatologySt James's
DSE/018Obstetrics & GynaecologySt James'sColorectal SurgerySt James'sRheumatologySt James'sGeneral Internal MedicineSt James's
DSE/019General Internal MedicineSt James'sRheumatologySt James'sColorectal SurgerySt James'sObstetrics & GynaecologySt James's
DSE/020RheumatologySt James'sGeneral Internal MedicineSt James'sObstetrics & GynaecologySt James'sColorectal SurgerySt James's
DSE/021Upper GI SurgerySt James'sCT SurgerySt James'sGIM RotatorSt James'sGeriatricsSt James's
DSE/022CT SurgerySt James'sUpper GI SurgerySt James'sGeriatricsSt James'sGIM RotatorSt James's
DSE/023GIM RotatorSt James'sGeriatricsSt James'sUpper GI SurgerySt James'sCT SurgerySt James's
DSE/024GeriatricsSt James'sGIM RotatorSt James'sCT SurgerySt James'sUpper GI SurgerySt James's
Every specialty rotated here (33)
SpecialtyBlocks
General Internal Medicine24
Geriatrics20
Respiratory Medicine20
Cardiology16
General Surgery16
Colorectal Surgery12
Emergency Medicine12
ENT12
GIM Rotator12
Orthopaedics12
Upper GI Surgery12
Vascular Surgery12
Gastro / Hepatology8
General Surgery / Breast Surgery8
Plastic Surgery8
Urology8
Academic / Clinical Research Facility4
Academic / ICU4
Anaesthesia4
CT Surgery4
Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics / GIM4
Endocrinology4
Gastroenterology4
GIM / Clin Pharm4
ID4
Infectious Disease4
Obstetrics & Gynaecology4
Oncology4
Maxillofacial Surgery4
Psychiatry4
Radiology4
Respiratory Medicine4
Rheumatology4

Showing 24 of 92.

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