General Practice

The ICGP is the PGTB accredited by the Medical Council to provide professional training for doctors wishing to enter the speciality of General Practice.

The General Practice Training Programme is usually four years in duration. The first two years are spent primarily in hospital settings as a senior house officer (SHO) and the final two years as a GP registrar in a general practice. For some trainees who have completed BST or IST in relevant areas, this training may be shortened to two or three years under the practice of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

During the hospital training years, GP trainees are supervised by the registrars or consultants in the services to which they are assigned. During the GP practice training years, they are supervised by a GP trainer in a primary care setting. GP training is rotational in nature throughout the four years of training. In addition to supervised clinical training in the hospital, you will need to complete exams and courses designed to help you to develop professionally and acquire the skills and knowledge needed to provide excellent patient care.

Learn more about the general practice medical specialty.

Requirements

• Have completed a Medical Degree.
• Be eligible for inclusion on the Trainee Specialist Division of the Medical Council Register at the time commencement of training.
• Meet the HSE English language competency requirements.
• Have a minimum of nine months paid full-time (or equivalent) postgraduate acute hospital based clinical experience, either as an intern or SHO, commencement date. Clinical posts must be of a minimum of three months duration (the only exception is where they are part of a structured intern programme)