Training

IMPORTANT UPDATES:

General Registration On 6 November 2020, the signing of commencement order for sections of the Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Act 2020 came into effect. This allows any doctor eligible for registration on the Council’s general division to apply for specialist training. Therefore all doctors who are eligible for registration in the General Division are now also eligible for registration in the Trainee Specialist Division.

Required English Language Competency NCHDs taking up employment with the HSE and section 38 organisations who were not registered with the Irish Medical Council in any of the divisions of the Register of Medical Practitioners prior to 1st January 2015, or who did not complete the entirety of their under-graduate medical training in the Republic of Ireland, are required to provide evidence under one of the following categories:

Category 1. Doctors who completed their Medical degree in English from any of the following countries: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, The United States of America or The United Kingdom must provide:

• A copy of their Medical Degree Certificate

Category 2. Doctors who completed: The Irish State Leaving Certificate examination or A Levels in the United Kingdom and a Medical Degree in English must provide all three of the following:

• A copy of Irish Leaving Certificate/UK A-Level transcript results
• A copy of their Medical Degree
• Certificate/confirmation from their University confirming their Medical degree was taught and examined solely in English

Category 3. Doctors who meet the English Language requirements by attaining certification via the recognized English Language Tests must submit a certificate of test results from either the International English Language Test System (IELTS) (Academic EXAM) or Occupational English Test (OET). Please see Guidance Document for further information on the minimum leaves for each test. This now supersedes all previous guidance.

Short list of requirements

• You must have completed a Medical Degree.
• You must be eligible for inclusion on the Trainee Specialist Division of the Medical Council Register at the time of application.
• You must have completed your Internship before the start of the training programme in July.
• If you have not completed the entirety of your under-graduate medical training in Ireland, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand or US then you will need to provide evidence of:An IELTS (International English Language Testing System) certificate OR the Occupational English Test (OET). Please see guidance document for full details on this requirement.

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 and Marking Scheme 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 (2019)

SAT 2025 applications are now closed.

How to Apply?

Before you begin read the following documents. Please be advised these documents are subject to a full document review each year and could be subject to change.

• Guidance Document SAT July 2025
• Allocation of Places on Specialist Training Programmes
• Marking Scheme July 2025
• IMC Update – Eligibility for the Trainee Specialist Division

Step 1: Online applications will close on Monday, 2nd December at 4.00pm.

Step 2 Download Reference/Appraisal Form .  Two Reference Forms must be uploaded to your online application under the Reference tab.

Step 3 All applications must be accompanied by a €50 application fee which must be paid online at the time of the submission of your application.

Information on Application Process

• Application for the Specialist Anaesthesiology Training (SAT) programme is only through the College’s centralised appointment process.
• Candidates complete the online application form and submit supporting documents as requested.
• There is no retrospective credit for anaesthesiology experience completed outside the SAT programme.
• Candidates must be successful at the shortlisting process in order to be called for interview.
• Interviews are organised by the College with faculty representation from all training hospitals.

If you have any queries as to how to apply contact training@coa.ie with your query. 

Key features include:

• Training takes place in training sites accredited by the College.
• The programme offers a broad range of experience in different types of hospitals and various different sub-specialties in anaesthesiology.
• Training and Simulation Courses are provided by the College to support learning.
• A designated Tutor will be assigned to you in each training location.
• A Lead Anaesthetic Trainee (LAT) is also available to all trainees in each training location.

On the programme, your training takes place in hospitals, where you work as part of the clinical team. Over the course of the training programme you will train in at least three geographical locations in Ireland (E.g. minimum 24 months outside the eastern regional Hospitals). Each hospital rotation lasts for a minimum of six months and a maximum of twelve months.

Trainees are allocated their hospital locations for the first two years at the start of their training programme. In year 2 the locations for the SAT years 3 – 4 are allocated and in year 4 the location for and SAT 5 – 6 are allocated. In year 4 trainees are asked their preferences for SAT years 5 – 6, however the College cannot guarantee that trainees will be placed in one of their preferred rotations but we will try to accommodate where possible.

The College has a network of Tutors, whose role is to support the trainees and maximise their training opportunities. Trainees report directly to the tutors and their tutor is responsible for supporting them through their training. The Tutors are a key communication link between the College, hospitals and trainees.

As a new trainee on the SAT programme, you will be provided with a one-day Introduction to Anaesthesiology course which outlines the knowledge, skills, and behaviours required for the practice pf basic anaesthesiology. Over the course of the programme the College allocates mandatory training and simulation courses to trainees which are required to progress on the training programme. A full list of these courses can be found in our e-Curriculum.

As you move through the programme, there will also be opportunities to attend extra workshops and simulations, such as the Consultant Prep Workshop and the Train the Trainer Simulation.

During each six month rotation every trainee (SAT 1 – 6) has a formal In-training Assessment which is conducted by the Tutor and held in the hospital. At the end of each training year all trainees (SAT 1 – 6) have an Annual Review, which is conducted by the Directors of Training and usually held online.

• Find out more about Training Requirements.