Faculty of Pain Medicine
The purpose of the Faculty of Pain Medicine is to train and educate medical practitioners in the management of pain medicine and to ensure the delivery of high standards of practice. The Faculty, on behalf of the College, supports Specialist Anaesthesiology Trainees to develop their practice of pain medicine during their training programme. The Faculty operates the Specialist Training Programme in Pain Medicine accredited by the Medical Council of Ireland.
Faculty Activities
- Specialist Anaesthesiology Training Programme The College has set down certain minimum standards regarding duration and structure of training in pain medicine. All trainees should complete one 2-month period of modular training in pain medicine that includes regular attendance at a Pain Clinic. They must also participate in a formal Acute Post-Operative Pain Service in at least two other hospital rotations.
- Specialist Training Programme in Pain Medicine – is a two year run through Post CSCST training programme. Applicants must have completed their base specialty training in Anaesthesiology having been awarded a CSCST or have gained entry to the Specialist Register
The Post CSCST Specialist Training Programme in Pain Medicine is a hospital based training programme where successful candidates are allocated to Faculty of Pain Medicine Accredited Hospitals for 4 x 6 month rotations. The programme is a national programme and some candidates will be allocated to training centres outside of the Eastern Region.
Training Requirements
During the course of training, candidates are subjected to a Start of Rotation Meeting, Mid Rotation meeting and End of Rotation Assessment each six months.
Pain Medicine Trainees are required to attend the annual Faculty Cadaver Course and are encouraged to present at the Pain Medicine Clinical Research Medal which is part of the Annual Congress of Anaesthesiology and Pain Medicine. Trainees on the programme will undertake the Clinical Case Series Assessment, success in this exercise is mandatory for eligibility to sit the Fellowship examination.
Applications for Specialist Training in Pain Medicine
Applications for training posts commencing July 2025 will open on the 30th September 2024. Applications close at 5PM on the 1st November. Applications can be made via email to painmedicine@coa.ie. Applicants should submit a CV and Cover letter, in addition please find a further list of items below to submit with your application.
Applicants must:
- Be registered on the Irish Medical Council Specialist Register for Anaesthesiology or hold a CSCST in Anaesthesiology.
- Have fulfilled the HSE requirements regarding the English language
- Evidence of CSCST in Anaesthesiology or Document confirming entry onto the Anaesthesiology Specialist Register
- *Certified Colour Copy of your Passport
- Proof of English Language Competence (if applicable)
- Two Completed References
- *Certified Copy of Certificate of Naturalisation (if applicable)
Please refer to the Guidance Document for further information. Please also note the Marking Scheme is available for guidance.
NOTE:
Original documents should not be submitted, only copies.
Places are allocated to candidates in the first instance to applicants who, at the time of application, are citizens of Ireland or nationals of another Member State of the European Union, Stamp 4 Visa Holders and UK nationals. Please see Guidance Document for further details. Please click here for updated information from the HSE NDTP regarding allocation of places on specialist training programmes” this is with effect from 10th November 2021.
Please see press release here from the Minister of Health for further information.
Please see link to the new Curriculum for the National Specialist Pain Medicine Training Programme.
The Faculty supports the concept of “less than full time training (LFTT)”. The College (CAI) & HSE National Doctors Training & Planning (NDTP) have agreed a policy on flexible training options.
Applications for flexible training can be made up to 12 months in advance of the proposed date of commencement of flexible training. We recommend applying as soon as possible, as applications are considered in the order in which they are received and places are limited. The equivalent of 16 whole-time places are available on the National Flexible Training Scheme. The actual number Trainees on the scheme at any given time ranges from 25 – 32.
Please review the flexible training information located on the useful resources page here.
The following hospitals are approved for Year 1 Training in Pain Medicine.
| Tallaght Hospital x 1 post | Dr Philip Hu |
| Mater Hospital x 1 post | Dr Conor Hearty |
| St James’s Hospital x 1 post | Dr Joseph Fitzgerald |
| St Vincent’s University Hospital x 1 post | Dr Paul Murphy |
| Cork University Hospital | Dr John Browne |
| Beaumont Hospital x 1 post | Dr David Moore |
The following hospitals are approved for the Second Year of training in Pain Medicine.
| Beaumont Hospital x 1 post | Dr David Moore |
| St Vincents University Hospital x 1 post | Dr Paul Murphy |
| Mater Hospital x 1 post | Dr Conor Hearty |
The Board of the Faculty of Pain Medicine 2024 is constituted as follows:
- Dean: Dr Hugh Gallagher
- Vice Dean: Dr Conor Hearty
- Immediate Past Dean: Dr Brendan Conroy
- Board Members: Dr Aine O’Gara, Dr David Moore, Prof Dominic Harmon, Dr Hari Gopal, Dr John Browne.
The Faculty of Pain Medicine was formally inaugurated at a ceremony in the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland November 22nd 2008. It had existed in shadow form for the previous year. The Faculty is a natural progression from the Pain Medicine Board within the College chaired by Dr John Cooper which was set up in 1999. This Board had successfully established the Diploma in Pain Medicine as the first post graduate examination in Europe (2001-2012). The Board was appointed by the College as the Foundation Council of the new Faculty with Dr David Hill (Belfast) as Dean.
The Council then proceeded to elect new officers Dr Camillus Power (Dublin) as Vice Dean, Dr Liam Conroy (Cork) as Hon Sec. and Dr Ray Victory (Dublin) as Hon Treasurer. Dr Power succeeded to the Deanship in October 2009. The first Honorary Fellowship of the new Faculty was awarded to Dr John McAdoo (Cork University Hospital), President of the College of Anaesthesiologists of Ireland, in recognition of his role in the development of the new Faculty.
For more information contact: James Goodman, Pain Medicine Administrator at the College on 01 265 0643 or by email on painmedicine@coa.ie